With parent company Toyota scrambling to get its third-generation Prius ready by next year and racing against General Motors and its Volt project to be the first to market with a plug-in hybrid, its Lexus luxury arm also is reportedly hard at work on its own variant of the new Prius, which it will most likely unveil in a concept form similar to the illustration pictured here at the 2009 Detroit auto show.
Although Lexus has yet to have a dedicated hybrid in its lineup (it has hybrid versions of its RX 'ute and GS and LS sedans), the next-generation Prius, which is expected to be bigger and packed with more power, should be far more suitable for an upmarket offering.
The difference between the Lexus variant and the Prius itself -- as is generally the case for Lexus models with Toyota underpinnings -- is not expected to be much more than skin deep. The as-yet-unnamed Lexus will have its own body panels and may get a convertible variant, but both vehicles will be fitted with roof-mounted solar panels and nickel-metal hydride batteries upon launch.
While the Prius is expected next year as a 2010-model-year vehicle, it is not known yet how soon after the Lexus will follow. As for the much-talked-about lithium-ion batteries, those will arrive later with the launch of the plug-in model.
Additionally, the Lexus might not be built at the new Blue Springs, Mississippi, plant that Toyota has confirmed will build the Prius starting in 2010. The luxury brand is averse to building its vehicles outside of Japan, with the RX crossover being its only non-Japanese-made model.