At the 2010 Geneva auto show, Toyota showed off two hatchback hybrids, the 2011 Toyota Auris HSD Hybrid and the Lexus CT 200h. Although hatchbacks do better in Europe than the U.S., Toyota is looking at bringing both cars to North America.
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.
The Toyota Auris is a hatchback built on the Scion xB platform and sold in Europe. At the 2010 Geneva auto show, Toyota unveiled a hybrid version, destined for production as a 2011 model.
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Toyota Auris HSD Hybrid
The Toyota Auris Hybrid uses a similar hybrid system as the new Prius does, giving it 136 horsepower. Fuel economy is estimated at 62 mpg using European Drive Cycle testing.
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Lexus CT 200h
Using the same body format as the Toyota Auris Hybrid, and the same power train, the Lexus CT 200h is designed as a small luxury hatchback with low CO2 emissions.
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Lexus CT 200h
Similar to the Auris Hybrid and the new Prius, the gas-electric hybrid system is based on a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine. The driver can select from Eco, Normal, and Power modes.
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Lexus CT 200h
Although Lexus designed the CT 200h for Europe, the company promises to sell it around the world. Similar to the Lexus HS 250h previously launched in the U.S., the CT 200h gets Lexus' latest cabin tech controlled with its Remote Touch interface.
