2010 Toyota Prius Breaks Cover:

What's the scoop on the upcoming 2010 Prius? These first official photos were caught by the folks over at PriusChat.com in advance of the car's first showing at the 2009 Detroit auto show next January.

Stylewise, it seems the new Prius has finally moved off its tiny wheels and instead sits confidently on some handsome alloy rims. An interesting kink back by the D-pillar seems cribbed from the Kia Rondo, a smart move and one that gives attitude to the rear, which currently has all of the panache of a throat lozenge. Menacing multi-element headlamps give the Prius an alert look in the face, stern rectilinear center air vents lend a purposeful air to the dash, and a drive selector moved to the rakish center console all make the new Prius seem more car, less computer class flight of fancy.

With a welcome screen that states, "Welcome to Prius," there is still an element of self-importance to the 2010 Prius. And we think that's something Prius drivers will appreciate. What good is all of the high tech if it just buzzes away invisibly? Part of Prius ownership is a little bit of smugness one feels when blasting past low-tech, thirsty behemoths feeding at the Shell station. With dash lights and efficiency monitors aglow, no less. Welcome to Prius, indeed.

On the mechanical front, Toyota promises greater efficiency with more power. A larger gasoline motor will be paired with an electric motor, which itself will be backed ultimately with lithium-ion batteries. The end result will be sprightlier performance, improved packaging for the electronic bits and pieces, and greater efficiency both city and highway. Further pushing efficiency are solar panels on the roof, tasked with powering the Prius' air-conditioning system.

Inside, greater passenger room will lend the Prius a more hospitable environment. Greater cargo capacity and a bigger rear seat are included. Enabling this interior expansion is a body that is both wider and longer.

The Prius has drawn quite a crowd of believers, many of them situated in blue states out on the West Coast. From Al Gore (and son) to the Baldwins, the liberals' embrace of the Prius has seemingly annoyed the conservatives' steadfast trust of old-school, tried-and-true, 'murican trucks and such.

But with economic troubles and a worldwide recession part of the current reality, might Prius ownership (or at least hybrid ownership) be an eventuality for legions of American drivers, whether they like it or not? Even the 44th president-elect and his wife share a Ford Escape Hybrid, surely a sign of things to come.