irishcar.com

04 March 2003: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW A new Toyota Prius which is due for launch before the end of the year will totally change the image of the rather dowdy but worthy current eco-car, which has sold around 150,000 copies worldwide.

Talking to IrishCar.Com at the Geneva Motor Show today, Toyota Ireland's Steve Tormey said the car will have a very sporty look, and that the groundbreaking Toyota hybrid technology has been substantially improved, so that the excellent fuel economy will be matched by an equally interesting performance.

The new car does the 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds, a major improvement over the current car's ability. But there are likely to be more pressing reasons why the car will become attractive.

"If - and it seems likely to be much more a 'when' than an 'if', some kind of congestion charges are brought in here in Ireland, then the Prius should have the same kind of exemption as it does in London under the new system," Steve Tormey says.

In Ireland, around 50 Prius cars have been registered, a significant number to private buyers. At the moment it attracts a 50 per cent rebate on the VRT content, though this might not be retained if the next generation Prius begins to sell in appreciable numbers.

Meantime, on the nearby Lexus stand, the continuing Toyota work towards alternative fuel systems was being demonstrated by a hybrid-technology RX300 SUV, which will likely go into production as the world's first hybrid SUV.

	March 2003 - by Brian Byrne & Trish Whelan
Sporty Prius for launch before end of year Steve Tormey of Toyota Ireland at the Geneva Motor Show, pictured with the Toyota fuel-cell concept car at the show. 04 March 2003: GENEVA MOTOR SHOW A new Toyota Prius which is due for launch before the end of the year will totally change the image of the rather dowdy but worthy current eco-car, which has sold around 150,000 copies worldwide. Talking to IrishCar.Com at the Geneva Motor Show today, Toyota Ireland's Steve Tormey said the car will have a very sporty look, and that the groundbreaking Toyota hybrid technology has been substantially improved, so that the excellent fuel economy will be matched by an equally interesting performance. The new car does the 0-60mph in 10.6 seconds, a major improvement over the current car's ability. But there are likely to be more pressing reasons why the car will become attractive. "If - and it seems likely to be much more a 'when' than an 'if', some kind of congestion charges are brought in here in Ireland, then the Prius should have the same kind of exemption as it does in London under the new system," Steve Tormey says. In Ireland, around 50 Prius cars have been registered, a significant number to private buyers. At the moment it attracts a 50 per cent rebate on the VRT content, though this might not be retained if the next generation Prius begins to sell in appreciable numbers. Meantime, on the nearby Lexus stand, the continuing Toyota work towards alternative fuel systems was being demonstrated by a hybrid-technology RX300 SUV, which will likely go into production as the world's first hybrid SUV. Jim Cusack of Toyota Ireland and Denis Smith at the Geneva Motor Show.
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