Toyota Prius wedge shape could change for next-gen hybrid: report

According to a report from Bloomberg, the next-gen Toyota Prius, while still more than a year away, could lose its aerodynamic wedge shape in an effort to push design trends and boost demand.

Toyota’s US group vice president for strategic planning Chris Hostetter told Bloomberg, “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.

“One of the avenues we’re exploring right now is to evolve it, and the other is to really evolve it.”

Hostetter’s comments come after Toyota’s US sales President and CEO Jim Lentz said at the end of October the car’s current profile remains the best option, having been one of the brand's more innovative and recognisable designs.

“That’s still the best aerodynamic shape,” Lentz said.

“Could there be some morphing of that? Based on new aerodynamic trends, there could be... My sense is, well into the future, it will still be close to that iconic look.”

Bloomberg reports that global Prius sales for 2012 to September, which encompasses the Prius, Prius C and Prius V, have hit 691,281 units, a total 60 per cent higher than 2011’s total.

The first-generation Toyota Prius (pictured above) went on sale in Japan in late 1997 before launching on our shores in October of 2001.