A fourth generation PriusToyota Prius Gen.3Japan, 2010 > present52 versions
118 photos
2 videos
is in early development at ToyotaToyotaJapan, 1937 > present155 models
4570 photos
10 videos
and well over a year from being shown. It is still early enough that Toyota says that it has several options for how to style the next car. 

“One of the avenues we’re exploring right now is to evolve it, and the other is to really evolve it,” said Chris Hostetter, Toyota America's vice president of product planning. 

Toyota has a little image problem with the Prius. While it is the brand's bestselling car in Japan and California, it is also the symbol of green cars in the US, and many buyers just do not want that. It is not a major problem by any means, but Toyota may see that it is leaving money on the table with the Prius' design. 

“There’s an undercurrent among most people that they’re ready for a new Prius look. Maybe our architecture has been a little bit similar for the last two generations," said Hostetter.

Remember, the first generation Prius was not the five-door wedge of the second and third generations. It was a fairly boring-looking four-door sedan, but it was quite different from what we have today. 

Toyota has a luxury when it comes to the next Prius. The company is posting record profits and sales across the world, and the Prius as become a modern icon. Its sales so far in 2012 are up 60% worldwide over last year. Many buyers will not care what it looks like as long as it continues to offer segment-pushing fuel economy for an affordable price. 

Source: Bloomberg