Toyota Motor Corp. on Wednesday unveiled the latest iteration of its flagship Prius hybrid car with improved acceleration performance, emphasizing its stance that hybrid cars are still a viable option in achieving carbon neutrality amid the rising popularity of electric vehicles.
The latest model, its fifth generation, marks the first full-model change of the car in about seven years. The Japanese carmaker said it has made the vehicle's exterior design sportier while adopting the latest hybrid system to realize high fuel efficiency.
In Japan, the new Prius will go on sale this winter while its plug-in hybrid model is expected to hit the domestic market next spring, Toyota said. It will also sell the latest model in other areas including North America and Europe.
Toyota has said hybrid cars are a more realistic approach toward achieving carbon neutrality than EVs, given the high cost of owning all-electric cars and the current energy mix that relies heavily on fossil fuels.
"Battery electric vehicles are an important solution but not always the best option for everyone," Simon Humphries, senior general manager at Toyota's Vehicle Development Center, said in an online presentation. "In a diversified world, we need a variety of options,"
"Prius is an eco-car within everyone's reach," he said.
The company did not reveal prices for the new model, although it said it will also be available in its car subscription service Kinto in Japan.
Toyota launched the Prius, the world's first mass-produced hybrid car, in 1997, and was hailed as the champion of eco-friendly cars.
Its hybrid system, which combined an electricity-powered motor and a gasoline-powered engine, allowed for extremely high fuel efficiency.
Toyota has sold about 5 million units of its Prius hybrid and plug-in hybrid models globally so far, according to the company.
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