The Detroit introduction of the 2010 Toyota Prius is just around the corner, but that hasn't stopped Toyota from releasing a new set of teaser images ahead of the main event, scheduled to take place just 19 days from now. First up is a door handle that looks like it may have a sensor on it, possibly as part of the keyless entry system. Next up is an illuminated "Toyota" logo that we're guessing could indeed light up with the headlamps.

Perhaps the two most interesting new shots are of the engine bay, for obvious reasons, and the front headlight. There was some debate on whether the previously-released shots of the third-gen Prius were legit since they clearly showed two different headlight configurations. Our guess is that the design team was still making detail choices on the new hybrid, and it appears now that the slightly more radical of the two lamp configuration was the ultimate winner.


[Source: Carscoop]

Finally! Some actual interesting images of the new 2010 Toyota Prius, along with a couple of videos that we've pasted after the break. We already had a pretty good idea of what the hybrid hatch would look like, but there are a few more details revealed in these new images. We also get to see more shots of the interior, which reveal the huge center console and mid-mounted digital gauge cluster, as well as a few different shots of what will be displayed there. One particularly interesting bit is the key fob, which will have a button to keep the air conditioning active while the car is parked. Our assumption is that the AC will be powered electrically using the roof-mounted solar panels. That's definitely a unique feature that will be particularly useful to those of us who live in sunny and hot climates. Thanks for the tip, Danny!


[Source: Prius Chat]

<Seinfeld> What's the deal with all these new car teasers? </Seinfeld> Seriously, between Ford's ridiculously slow reveal of the new 2010 Mustang GT and Toyota's just plain ridiculous early 2010 Prius teasers, we're becoming less and less interested when each new non-revealing image is released. Still, it's our job to reports on such things, so without further ado, here are the fifth and sixth officially released shots of various Prius bits.

Teaser image 5 was revealed on November 3rd and shows a new translucent blue shifter, complete with the requisite B-Mode, which allows for the driver to choose how much engine braking the car uses as opposed to regenerative and friction braking alone. See here for a much more detailed explanation. Teaser image 6 shows a set of digital gauges that are either mounted in the dash or as part of a heads-up display. We'll know for sure at the Detroit Auto Show in January when the third-gen Prius is officially revealed in all its glory.


[Source: John's Stuff]

Toyota and its team of Prius designers have decided to continue on unabated with the agonizingly slow and seemingly meaningless teaser images of its next-gen Prius hybrid. To recap, first we saw the display boot-up screen, which was followed by a random switch and then what appears to be a mind-control device of some kind. Fine, so we made that last part up, but the point is that we really don't know what it is and why it's important, much like this fourth shot that can be seen above. We think that this latest teaser is a front seat, complete with power adjustment of some sort. Forward and back, tilt... secret ejector... not sure. At least we get a mildly interesting look at the door sill plate, which looks stamped from metal with the Prius logo. In any case, we expect to see the real thing live and in person at the Detroit Auto Show in January.

[Source: Prius Chat]

Toyota seems to be following the same pattern with the new Prius that Ford has done for the last couple of months with the new Mustang: dribbling out a steady stream of close-up teaser shots. Following the display boot-up screen and a switch we now have the image you see above. My first thought was a radar sensor for adaptive cruise control. However, given the way it's mounted, this is more likely to be on the inside of the vehicle. As such this is probably a heads up display projector or possibly a lane departure warning camera. What do you guys think?

[Source: CleanMPG.com]

While we recognize there is a significant pent-up demand for information about Toyota's next Prius, due to debut in January at the Detroit Auto Show and go on sale as a 2010 model, we'd prefer Toyota just keep pics like this to itself. Until the Prius team is ready to show something really interesting, this tactic is nothing short of boring, much like the last teaser. Looking at the shot, our best guess is that this is a toggle button for the sunroof, or possibly the rear hatch. Perhaps there is something special about what this button will do, but unless Toyota's willing to let us in on it, we're going to chalk this one up as a complete non-event. It's like showing us what the back of the headrest will look like. Moving on...

[Source: GreenHybrid]