Toyota FT-CH concept

Toyota chose the Detroit auto show to unveil the FT-CH concept, a compact four-passenger vehicle that was created in response to customer and dealer demand for a greater variety of hybrid choices. Designed at Toyota's ED2 design center in Nice, France, FT-CH concept - CH for 'compact hybrid' - aims to appeal to a younger target demographic than those in the market for the mid-size Prius.

Measuring 3886mm in length, 1740mm wide and 1397mm tall, the FT-CH is 559mm less in overall length and has a wheelbase that is 152mm shorter than that of the Prius, but it is only 13mm narrower. It is also lighter in weight and is claimed to be more fuel efficient than its larger sibling.

The FT-CH is full of clever design details, such as the recessed lighting in the front bumper, a headlamp graphic that outlines the hood of the vehicle, and a very pronounced shoulderline that accentuates the rear haunch - unusual for a vehicle with such obvious eco-intentions.

In profile, the dynamic design's blacked out lower sill blends into a body colored section just ahead of the rear wheelarch emphasizing the rear wheel. From this view it would appear that the rear end is very upright at the B-pillar, but the backlight bubbles outward and features integrated LED taillamps in the corners, rounding out the rear.

Unfortunately, and for reasons unclear, Toyota would not open the vehicle for us to get a closer look at what appeared to be a finished interior, complete with mesh seats which elevate the technical aspect of the cabin whilst simultaneously further saving weight.

Interestingly, Jim Lentz, Toyota's US President of sales, said that Toyota is developing a Prius family 'marketing strategy' for North America, which will leverage the brand equity of the car that has since become synonymous with the energy saving technology. He did, however, mention that while the FT-CH is purely intended as a concept, it is one of several proposals that Toyota is looking at for inclusion in the Prius brand portfolio.