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GREEN: Oops! Toyota Leaks Aqua Hybrid
Japanese brochure depicts new compact model along with pertinent details way ahead of its December launch in apparent screwup.
The 2012 Toyota Aqua, depicted in a scanned brochure, is not due for public viewing until the Tokyo Motor Show in December. (Image: Carscoop.com)
In the automotive industry, leaks about an upcoming product normally fall into two categories: genuine mess-ups or a purposeful, PR-driven leak designed to give a new car extra attention.
The latest leak from Japan – an entire Toyota Aqua Hybrid sales brochure – apparently falls squarely in the expletive-generating first category.
Leaving schadenfreude aside, the scanned brochure details everything about the new sub-compact hybrid, from its dimensions and fuel economy to the options list.
Not due to officially be unveiled until the Tokyo Motor Show in December, the smallest of Toyota’s hybrids is only 157.3 inches long, 66.7 inches wide and 56.9 inches tall, with a wheelbase of just 100.4 inches.
Power comes courtesy of a 1.4-liter gasoline engine delivering 74 horsepower at 4,800 rpm, and an electric motor capable of producing 45 kilowatts.
Toyota’s brochure says that the C-segment hybrid achieves a fuel economy of 35.4 km/L on the JC08 test cycle, but the Japanese tests are notoriously more optimistic than the EPA’s fuel-cycle tests. Since the 2012 Toyota Aqua Hybrid is given a rating by Toyota that is 16 percent more than the official Japanese fuel-economy ratings for the 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid, we’d expect an EPA rating of between 58 and 64 mpg.
Decidedly sportier than the 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid, 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and 2012 Toyota Prius V, the Toyota Prius Aqua is squarely aimed at younger buyers wanting a fun but fuel efficient ride.
As part of that transition, the now-ubiquitous Prius gear-selector and parking brake has been replaced with a more conventional center-mounted automatic-style gear shift and hand-operated parking brake. This makes Toyota’s new hybrid a lot more conventional to drive and a whole lot less geeky.
We’ve contacted Toyota directly about the leaked brochure, but so far it hasn’t released an official statement. Given Toyota’s habit of not confirming leaks such as this, we think we’re unlikely to hear anything more until the Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota isn’t expected to bring the 2012 Aqua to the U.S. until spring 2012 at the earliest.
The latest leak from Japan – an entire Toyota Aqua Hybrid sales brochure – apparently falls squarely in the expletive-generating first category.
Leaving schadenfreude aside, the scanned brochure details everything about the new sub-compact hybrid, from its dimensions and fuel economy to the options list.
Not due to officially be unveiled until the Tokyo Motor Show in December, the smallest of Toyota’s hybrids is only 157.3 inches long, 66.7 inches wide and 56.9 inches tall, with a wheelbase of just 100.4 inches.
Power comes courtesy of a 1.4-liter gasoline engine delivering 74 horsepower at 4,800 rpm, and an electric motor capable of producing 45 kilowatts.
Toyota’s brochure says that the C-segment hybrid achieves a fuel economy of 35.4 km/L on the JC08 test cycle, but the Japanese tests are notoriously more optimistic than the EPA’s fuel-cycle tests. Since the 2012 Toyota Aqua Hybrid is given a rating by Toyota that is 16 percent more than the official Japanese fuel-economy ratings for the 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid, we’d expect an EPA rating of between 58 and 64 mpg.
Decidedly sportier than the 2012 Toyota Prius Hybrid, 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid and 2012 Toyota Prius V, the Toyota Prius Aqua is squarely aimed at younger buyers wanting a fun but fuel efficient ride.
As part of that transition, the now-ubiquitous Prius gear-selector and parking brake has been replaced with a more conventional center-mounted automatic-style gear shift and hand-operated parking brake. This makes Toyota’s new hybrid a lot more conventional to drive and a whole lot less geeky.
We’ve contacted Toyota directly about the leaked brochure, but so far it hasn’t released an official statement. Given Toyota’s habit of not confirming leaks such as this, we think we’re unlikely to hear anything more until the Tokyo Motor Show.
Toyota isn’t expected to bring the 2012 Aqua to the U.S. until spring 2012 at the earliest.
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