The Toyota Prius family is set to grow again and we´ve just snagged the first photos of the baby, the 2013 Prius C! Toyota previewed this car at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show with the Prius C Concept.
Compared to the highly styled, almost sporty appearance of the concept, this production-prototype has a design that looks toned-down, though some of the side-sculpting does remain. Sources indicate that the C would be anywhere from 18-22 inches shorter than the sedan. Given that big size difference, the Prius C will be riding on its own chassis. A modified version of the Yaris chassis seems a likely candidate. While powertrain details are sketchy at the moment, we'd expect it to use a 1.5-litre hybrid-based powertrain, or 1.8-litre in-line four based system found in the Prius sedan. However, Toyota claims the C will have the highest efficiency of any non-plug in hybrid on the market today.
Honda CR-Z
Toyota will hope to bring the Prius C to market at a starting price below 15 000 Euros. That makes the Honda CR-Z a direct target, and is certainly the reason a CR-Z was seen testing with this prototype. A Mazda 2 was also present for comparison. Watch for production to start in the first quarter of 2012.
