A Bigger Prius on the Way

According to Japanese paper Yomiuri Shimbun, Toyota is working on a Prius variant.

The hybrid would run off a lithium-ion battery pack that is more powerful and more compact than the former Prius battery system.

The new model would be a family wagon or a crossover utility vehicle ranging in prices of around 24 000 CAD, according to the newspaper.

The idea of the variant based on the brand’s first hybrid car gives reason to believe that Toyota may be considering branching the Prius off into its own green subdivision, like Nissan has done with Infiniti.

The Toyota Prius variant is set to arrive on the market at the end of 2010.