Detroit 09': 2010 Toyota Prius Officially Unveiled with 50 MPG Combined Rating

Toyota officially unveiled the 2010 Toyota Prius at the Detroit Auto Show today.

The third-generation Prius is larger, more powerful and gets better gas mileage than the last generation. For starters the Prius engine has been enlarged from 1.5L to 1.8L. It's also notable that the engine is the first Toyota powerplant to not use any belts (the water pump is now electric). Although the engine has been enlarged, the Prius now gets a combined mpg rating of 50 mpg, which is up from the 46 mpg rating of the last generation.

The overall styling of the new Prius is easily recognizable as a Prius, but with slightly more aggressive styling than the last generation. The new Prius also has the world's lowest coefficient of drag (Cd) at .25.

For the first time a moonroof is available with roof mounted solar panels that power the ventilation system. The system helps keep the car cool even when it is off, which helps reduce the stress on the air conditioning system once the car is in use.

Pricing has yet to be announced, but the 2010 Prius will be in showrooms this spring.

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