New Toyota hybrid concept previews a new world view
New Toyota hybrid concept car shaping up
FT-Bh a good direction amidst rising oil prices
One of the things I find most interesting about the Toyota Prius is its surprising functionality and roominess. It just feels much larger than it looks. Nevertheless, the Prius is still too expensive to convert the world to hybrid cars. Even the smaller and cheaper Prius C isn’t enough to get the job done.
But the upcoming FT-Bh hybrid concept might be Toyota’s real Corolla killer.
While the Camry rules America’s Toyota tastes, the rest of the world prefers the Corolla, and Toyota’s FT-Bh demonstrates that the Corolla’s days could be numbered.
When we first covered this new hybrid in Toyota ramping up streamlined, much cheaper hybrid production, we weren’t even sure just how much of this concept had materialized. Was it still just a sketch? However, the latest pictures from Toyota demonstrate that this is a real world concept, although Toyota is calling it a “preview” of an actual production vehicle.
While a subcompact, but lighter than most mini-compacts, the FT-Bh will offer the room of a larger 5-door vehicle according to Toyota. Thus, it seems fair to speculate that, like the Prius, the FT subcompact hybrid will exude functionality. That its interior functionality will defy its exterior expectations.
Most important, with its down-sized full hybrid powertrain and focus on “low weight, aerodynamic performance, powertrain efficiency, thermal energy management and electricity saving,” according to InsideLine, the new hybrid car should also defy the pump as well.
Even better, Toyota’s dedication to using common, cheap materials and production capabilities should help ensure that Toyota reaches its goal of “an affordable” city car
Unfortunately, this new cheap hybrid seems more like a car for Europe and emerging markets, rather than the US. But, with gasoline prices threatening to hit $5.00 this summer along the coasts, maybe the FT will fit well even in America.
