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Over in Motown, Toyota is getting groovy. This is the FT-CH concept - that's FT for ‘future Toyota' and CH for ‘compact hybrid'. In essence, it's a smaller version of the Prius, aimed at a much more fashionable audience.
It's about the size of a Yaris - nearly two feet shorter than the Prius and just an inch narrower. So it's got the footprint of a snazzy trainer, which means it's the right size for zapping around town and jostling rickshaws for roadspace.
Like the Prius, it's a full hybrid, one of eight that Toyota plans to launch over the next few years (it has lofty plans to sell over a million of them ever year). The idea is to let the hippies waft around righteously in their Priuses, while yoofy sorts choose the CH.
Toyota says it's aimed at a ‘less affluent' buyer, which is good news for people whose usual experience of cars involves some sort of theft. They might now be able to buy one.
The styling is apparently inspired by the 8-bit generation, which has something to do with the days when Nintendo made the NES and the Super Mario Brothers were just pixilated blobs. Or 1989, to you and us.
Strangely, that retro design theme has been ignored on the inside, where there's no sign of a cassette deck or some slots to store your coins.
Open Car Bar
What do you think?
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airbuggy commented on this article
at 04:18 pm on 12 January 2010
wow.i think im first comment!!! does anyone think this looks like the new nissan leaf?
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Mikeado commented on this article
at 06:45 pm on 12 January 2010
Actually I think the side windows are straight off the Honda Jazz. And yes, I can also see Leaf at the front, with those tall narrow headlights and, er, bulgeyness.
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VieVentar commented on this article
at 07:19 pm on 12 January 2010
Now that front end is pure unadulterated fugly.
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Gripweed commented on this article
at 09:27 pm on 12 January 2010
VieVentar: Absolutely. But how about it compared to the Aston Martin that looks like an IQ?
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cmartin2009 commented on this article
at 10:48 pm on 12 January 2010
Cool idea but I'm not a fan of the new headlight location
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