Toyota Prius facelift at the 2006 Geneva Show
With Yaris T Sport and Urban Cruiser concepts

Motion Trends,
7th February 2006.

Just a few weeks after the European launch of its new Yaris range, Toyota will unveil next month at the 76th Geneva Motor Show a high performance concept of its best selling B-segment model (supermini category).

Wearing the Yaris T Sport badge, the hot concept is powered by a 1.8-litre engine, the biggest ever to be installed on this model.

The more aggressive look will be handled by the new bumpers, radiator grille, alloy wheels and modified suspension.

Prius - The world’s best selling hybrid car gets a makeover for the 2006 model year. A fresh new look is complemented by additional innovation, interior refinements and improved driving dynamics.

The main highlight is the Intelligent Park Assist (IPA) system, another European-first available in Prius – is unique and simple to operate, allowing the driver to select the target parking spot and then control the speed, while the car steers itself.

Urban Cruiser - With the bold new Urban Cruiser concept, the maker of the famous Land Cruiser intends to show how a mini SUV can get down to city street. The identity is... European, since it is a design exercise by ED2, Toyota’s European design studio.

This concept car draws on Toyota’s heritage in Sports Utility Vehicles, such as the Land Cruiser and the smaller FJ Cruiser (newly launched in the U.S. market, from $21,710), but on a more urban scale, adding its own dynamic and rugged originality. The Urban Cruiser also features a fresh interior style inspired by trendy... furniture.

Then come the Fine-T and i-swing duo. Both were shown in Tokyo last fall (the first was shown as Fine-X - read more about them), and both are still... rethinking the automobile, each in it own way.

The two advanced concepts offer glimpses of the future and reveal how Toyota can minimise environmental impact while providing transport solutions.

The Fine-T is the next step in fuel-cell hybrid vehicles and offers the cabin space of an Avensis midsize car (upper medium, D segment) within the approximate exterior dimensions of a B-segment, supermini Yaris.

On top of that, the Fine-T  independent four-wheel large-angle steering system confers an extremely tight turning radius, impossible to achieve with any conventional car.

More details will be announced at the 76th Geneva Motor Show, which opens its doors to the public from 2nd to 12th March 2006.