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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Acura Reportedly Kills the Next-Gen NSX...It's a Sad Day

Thanks to the economic downturn many automakers are being forced to cut many of their programs, vehicle plans, etc. Most of the most dire news lately has come from the Big 3 U.S. automakers, but now Toyota and Honda are also being forced to make some cuts.

Honda recently announced plans to cancel its participation in Formula One and now its being reported that the automaker has canceled plans for the next-generation Acura NSX supercar. Prototypes for the NSX have been seen many times and it was reported that the NSX was going to be Acura's most powerful car ever with a V10 engine putting out way over 500 horsepower.

Honda's CEO, Takeo Fukui reportedly made the announcement about the fate of the NSX. It's also being reported that Honda has suspended plans to launch the Acura brand in Japan. Hopefully this news does not also mean that the much needed V8 engine is also in jeopardy. At this point the fate of the V10 engine is unknown.

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Acura TSX Diesel Killed?...But TSX V6 is On the Way

Earlier this year Honda's CEO, Takeo Fukui announced that Honda was going to introduce its first four-cylinder diesel in the U.S. in 2009. Many speculated that the Acura TSX would be the first recipient of the new engine. Well now it looks like those plans have been put on hold "indefinitely."

Apparently Honda's 2.2L i-DTEC engine can't pass the strict emission standards in the U.S. when it is mated to an automatic transmission. Honda doesn't use the urea injection system that Mercedes and other automakers use to pass the standards. The 2.2L i-DTEC mated to a manual transmission does pass the emission standards, but Honda does not see a market for a manual only diesel in the U.S.

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Honda Plans on Staying Small and Green With New Hybrids and Diesels

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All-New 2009 Acura TL Unveiled...The Most Powerful Acura Ever Built

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Toyota Adds the 5-Door Yaris to the US Lineup for 2009

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Suzuki Jumps on the "Free Gas Bandwagon" But GM and Ford are Saying No

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