Toyota 1/X Concept: 2007 Tokyo Show Hybrid Previews Smaller Prius

Just by looking at the 1/X concept (pronounced "one-Xth"), it’s not difficult to make a connection with the Prius. However, despite what you may think, the 1/X is not actually previewing the next-gen Prius but a smaller hybrid expected to go into production in 2011. We talked to Toyota people at the Frankfurt Show and they revealed to us that the Japanese carmaker is considering expanding its global hybrid passenger-car range with two more offerings, the other one being the iQ mini (click here).

At 3,900 mm long (153.5-inches) the 1/X is 545 mm or 21.5-inches shorter than the Prius but according to Toyota, it maintains an interior space on par with that of the Prius. Another significant highlight of the 1/X is that it weighs a mere 420 kg or 925-lbs(about one third the weight of the Prius). -Continued after the jump

The 1/X is equipped with a mid-mounted plug-in hybrid powertrain with a displacement of just 500cc (0,5-litres) that allows charging from an external power source and a longer electric-motor cruising distance. And guess what people; the 1/X is rear-wheel drive! Now if that’s not good news, we don’t know what is! Well, maybe that the 1/X's fuel consumption is about two times better than the Prius, but we'll stick to the mid-mounted, rear-wheel-drive layout.