At the 2010 Detroit auto show, Toyota showed off a new dedicated hybrid concept, this one designed to be an entry-level car for the hybrid buyer.
Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Toyota's new hybrid concept, the FT-CH, came out of its European Design and Development center in Nice, France. It is a compact car created to be an entry-level hybrid.
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The car would use Toyota's Synergy hybrid system, similar to that used in the Prius, which can drive the car under electric power at low speeds.
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Although small by U.S. standards, in most countries the FT-CH would be considered large for a city car. The CH in the name stands for compact hybrid.
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The FT-CH is a four-door hatchback, a fairly common design for Europe, offering ample seating and practical cargo space.
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The exhaust pipes appear to be mere vents in the bumper, perhaps echoing the minimal emissions of the car.
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The cabin has the usual concept car accouterments, with odd graphics in a monolithic instrument cluster, and a strange climate control knob at the front of the console.
