Oto Cars

Toyota has big plans to walk into the hybridized B-segment in European market, and it seems like we may get a peek at the automaker's first effort in that department at the Geneva Motor Show. The Japanese manufacturer has confirmed that it will launch Yaris HSD Concept in March. The company. Toyota said that the Yaris HSD Concept will wear some very hybrid-specific design cues, so expect more than a little Prius influence outside.

B-segment auto market is one of the hottest auto markets in Europe, therefore Toyota may be facing a bit of an uphill battle with the notion of a hybrid Yaris. Customers in the Old Country have been notoriously far from gasoline hybrids due to the popularity of high-efficiency diesel engines. Not only that, when considering the difficulty of making a affordable hybrid drivetrain, Toyota will have to bring some pretty impressive tricks to make this car capable to be a competitor in Europe.

Press Release

04/02/2011

Reinforcing its conviction that full hybrid technology is the key to sustainable mobility in the future, Toyota's 2011 Geneva Motor Show stand will be dedicated to the company's range of sophisticated Hybrid Synergy Drive® technologies. These include full Hybrid Vehicles (HV), Plug-in Hybrid Vehicles (PHV), Electric Vehicles (EV), and

Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicles (FCHV) on display.

Making its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, the Yaris HSD concept anticipates Toyota's intention to bring full hybrid technology to the B segment, the biggest volume segment in Europe. This represents the next step in Toyota's full hybrid roll-out strategy in Europe. Incorporating several hybrid-specific styling cues, the Yaris HSD concept introduces a new, forward-looking design execution.

The Prius+, also debuting at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, is a further expansion of the Prius family. The Prius+ is the first car to offer European customers the versatility of 7 seats combined with a full hybrid powertrain. As its name suggests, the Prius+ provides a significant increase in space and passenger accommodation, while sacrificing none of the traditional attributes found in the Prius DNA, such as the lowest fuel consumption of any 7-seat MPV on the market.