Disputed Prius Images Are the Real Deal

There was some initial confusion about whether or not a few Prius photos that appeared all over the web recently were officially the 2010 Toyota Prius. Toyota PR, however, has confirmed with auto blog Jalopnik that they are indeed photos of the next-generation Prius. We warn you, however, they are not of the best quality. We’ll keep our ear to the ground and bring you concrete information as it becomes available.

Basically, it looks like the current Prius, and it’s still using a nickel-metal hydride battery rather than a lithium-ion one, which we keep hearing is the wave of the future. Still, the 2010 Prius is supposed to have a more powerful electric motor and increased fuel efficiency. The most popular hybrid on the road has never been big into beauty contests anyway.

The new Prius’ official release is slated for the 2009 Detroit auto show in January, which is when we’ll have full information and much better images from Toyota, and from our own staff on the ground.

Check out the pics after the jump, and let us know what you think of the design in the comments.

This IS the New Toyota Prius (Jalopnik)