Lexus Prepares 1-Series Rival Based on Prius Hybrid

Lexus isn't as popular in Europe as its chief executives would desire but it may seem like things are going to change very soon. A report issued by Top Gear hints that Lexus is now considering launching an affordable model on the Old Continent that would compete with BMW's 1-Series and Audi's A3.

But the really interesting aspect is that Lexus' future product is going to be based on Toyota's over-discussed Prius, which means Toyota's unit is targeting a very low fuel consumption figure, especially in city driving. And how else you could achieve it if not by incorporating a hybrid system?

Obviously, details are yet to be released so only we got at this time is a bunch of rumors pointing to a public launch scheduled for September 2009, probably at the Frankfurt Motor Show. This means the car is likely to go on sale sometime in 2010, with its main goal to help Lexus total 150,000 sold vehicles by 2015.

It seems like the car will come in the form of a compact hatchback with front-wheel drive system and will be priced within the same range as BMW's 1-Series. In fact, the only thing we know about the price tag is that the car will be cheaper than the current IS 220D (around 23,000 euros).

There's not much to say about the car since detail are so limited but it seems like both Toyota and its units, and count here Lexus, are going to put all their hopes in the new-generation Prius, often regarded as the most advanced hybrid car ever released.