Coming Soon: Third-Gen Prius, Hybrid-Only Lexus

Lexus has no shortage of hybrid vehicles in its showrooms. Currently, the marque has gasoline-electric models derived from its GS and LS sedans and RX crossover. Well, according to Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe, by this time next year, Lexus will be welcoming its first hybrid-only model. Watanabe announced that this Lexus — along […]

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Lexus has no shortage of hybrid vehicles in its showrooms. Currently, the marque has gasoline-electric models derived from its GS and LS sedans and RX crossover. Well, according to Toyota Motor Corporation president Katsuaki Watanabe, by this time next year, Lexus will be welcoming its first hybrid-only model. Watanabe announced that this Lexus — along with the third-generation Toyota Prius — will debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show.

Expect the shape of Prius 3.0 to hew closely to the rakish Hybrid X concept (pictured above right) from last year's Geneva Show. It's no secret that the company is interested in — and currently evaluating — plug-in technology for the Prius, but it's just not very likely we'll see such a car any time soon. Watanabe noted that Toyota plans to accelerate its global PHEV research and development program "by 2010," delivering a fleet of plug-in cars to commercial customers for on-road testing.

What we can expect, however, is a Prius with a lithium-ion battery pack (Toyota is expanding its battery-making cooperation with Panasonic) and a significantly revised Hybrid Synergy Drive system, perhaps efficient enough to return 70 miles per gallon or better.

Details of the Lexus hybrid-only model are, at this point, sketchy at best. A traditional luxury-toned sedan seems likely, but we'd love to see a sporty premium two-door join the range, along the lines of the Toyota FT-HS concept from the 2006 Detroit Show. Outlandish? Hardly, when you consider that the edgy FT-HS (pictured above left) borrowed its gasoline-electric hybrid hardware from none other than the Lexus GS450h: a 292-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and a 197-horsepower, 650-volt electric motor.

Photos courtesy of Toyota.