One of the biggest single events of the fall season for the automotive industry was surely the introduction of the all-new fifth-generation Toyota Prius, aka ‘Hybrid Reborn.’
The fresh take on the ubiquitous hybrid model that sparked the niche’s revolution back in the late 1990s has been welcomed with open arms by the Toyota fan community. Of course, not all roses are red, as some markets – like Europe – are only getting access to the flagship 220-hp PHEV version, not the cheaper base HEV.
Meanwhile, North America is apparently programmed for both HEV and Prime consultations with the Prius doctor, but who knows if that will be enough to stir the soul? As such, many virtual automotive artists have taken it upon themselves to imagine possible variants that would make the iconic nameplate just as fashionable as it once was.
The ideas were plentiful, from an extreme widebody forged carbon fiber transformation to a shrunken three-door GR Prius, and from Coupe variants to a Cross-style SUV. The latter arrives courtesy of Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based pixel master better known as KDesign AG on social media, who has also decided to have a CGI go at imagining an all-new Prius body style.
His take is easy to understand from a logical standpoint, as he used the recent Toyota Crown CUV as the base of the transformation and then just applied the real-world lessons learned from Toyota’s morphing of the popular Yaris and Corolla hatchbacks into Cross SUVs. Alas, there is just one little problem – and the author himself mentions the fact that a Toyota Prius Cross SUV is highly “unlikely.”
That would be the current abundance of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks in Toyota’s American lineup. Right now, the family already includes the all-electric bZ4X, C-HR, Corolla Cross, and RAV4 (including Hybrid and Prime) just when discussing the compact segment alone!
Meanwhile, North America is apparently programmed for both HEV and Prime consultations with the Prius doctor, but who knows if that will be enough to stir the soul? As such, many virtual automotive artists have taken it upon themselves to imagine possible variants that would make the iconic nameplate just as fashionable as it once was.
The ideas were plentiful, from an extreme widebody forged carbon fiber transformation to a shrunken three-door GR Prius, and from Coupe variants to a Cross-style SUV. The latter arrives courtesy of Kleber Silva, the Brazil-based pixel master better known as KDesign AG on social media, who has also decided to have a CGI go at imagining an all-new Prius body style.
His take is easy to understand from a logical standpoint, as he used the recent Toyota Crown CUV as the base of the transformation and then just applied the real-world lessons learned from Toyota’s morphing of the popular Yaris and Corolla hatchbacks into Cross SUVs. Alas, there is just one little problem – and the author himself mentions the fact that a Toyota Prius Cross SUV is highly “unlikely.”
That would be the current abundance of crossovers, SUVs, and trucks in Toyota’s American lineup. Right now, the family already includes the all-electric bZ4X, C-HR, Corolla Cross, and RAV4 (including Hybrid and Prime) just when discussing the compact segment alone!