Toyota Prius MPV Revealed [Updated]

The Toyota Prius has been a constant presence in the headlines recently, with the Japanese automaker celebrating a sales milestone for the hybrid hatchback and working on a MPV (Multi Purpose Vehicle) version. And it's this eco people-carryier that we are going to talk about.

Toyota teased the Prius MPV using a billboard that showed the vehicle, which was hidden by the standard version of the Prius. The company also uploaded photos of the billboard on the Prius Facebook page.

Now, the first image of the Prius MPV has leaked onto the web (this was published on the Autopareri forum - account required). As you can see, the people-moving incarntion of the Prius doesn’t come with major styling changes. In fact, its higher roof line gives it a less interesting appearance.

The Prius MPV should make its world debut in Detroit at next year’s North American International Auto Show. Toyota confirmed that it will introduce a new member of the Prius family at the event. However, the company did not offer a name for the future car, only mentioning that it will offer a higher level of comfort, style and versatility.

Earlier media reports indicate that the Prius MPV will use three rows of seats and be able to accomodate seven passengers. In addition to that, the vehicle might come with an extra battery pack for the current hybrid powertain, which will be stored under its floor. This could mean plans to offer the vehicle as a plug-in.

Update: it seems like what can be seen in this image is actually an plder photoshop creation featured in the Japanese Best Car magazine, so we still have to wait for the true Prius MPV to be revealed.