The 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h present the future of sustainable mobility to Canada’s political leaders

(Ottawa, ON) – It’s the most technologically sophisticated passenger car in the world, with astonishing fuel efficiency and emissions performance, in a package that delivers the familiarity and versatility that Canadian drivers demand. It’s the product of more than 1,000 patents, from a company that spends $1,000,000 per hour on research and development worldwide. And in Ottawa on Monday, March 23, Members of Parliament, bureaucrats, environmental NGOs and others have been invited to find out why the 2010 Toyota Prius delivers the future, now for personal transportation – in a way no other vehicle on the road today can. The 2010 Prius will be joined by the all-new Lexus hybrid - the HS 250h - the world’s only dedicated luxury hybrid vehicle.

“The serious challenges faced by the auto industry today are in the spotlight, in Canada and around the world. But the pursuit of answers to these immediate issues can’t come at the expense of longer-term goals, such as environmental sustainability,” said Stephen Beatty, Managing Director at Toyota Canada Inc. “Real and sustainable success for the auto sector will come from delivering innovative vehicle designs and technology that meet market demands and reduce fuel consumption and emissions.”

“Canada’s policymakers, environmental organizations and key leaders in Ottawa will help advance sustainable mobility, and that’s why they’ve joined Toyota Canada on the Hill with the third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius and the all-new 2010 Lexus HS 250h hybrid,” Mr. Beatty continued. “The 2010 Prius and Lexus HS 250h are not sketches on a drawing board, but sustainable automobiles that are ready now. More than any other vehicle on the road today, they represent the most viable roadmaps to the future of personal transportation.”

The 2010 Toyota Prius – with over 1.5 million sold worldwide – is the next generation of the most proven alternative to the conventionally-powered automobile. The 2010 Prius delivers more of what Canadians are looking for:

• More performance, thanks to a Hybrid Synergy Drive that is 90 per cent newly-developed, with significant improvements over the system used in previous Toyota hybrid models. The 2010 Prius improves power by 22% while simultaneously improving fuel consumption by 7% compared to the current generation.
• More fuel economy, thanks to improved fuel consumption of an estimated 3.8L/100km combined – even better than the segment-leading efficiency of the current generation Prius.
• More innovation, in the form of available comfort and convenience features like the world’s first remote air conditioning system and Toyota’s first solar panel moonroof – both designed to ease engine loads and improve fuel efficiency.
• More versatility, thanks to the ample and flexible liftback design and improvements to boost winter performance.
• More comfort, from additional rear-seat legroom to Toyota’s first solar-powered ventilation system that pre-cools the Prius cabin in summer.

On sale this summer, the 2010 Lexus HS250h further expands the world’s only luxury hybrid lineup with an entry level luxury hybrid sedan that gives Canadian drivers a new, no compromise standard for advanced luxury motoring that is intuitive, powerful and environmentally sophisticated:

• The all-new HS 250h includes a sophisticated exhaust recovery system that increases fuel efficiency and reduces engine warm-up time.
• It introduces the “cockpit of the future” with interior Eco Plastics that reduce carbon dioxide emissions by 20 per cent over the vehicle’s lifecycle.

“Canadians understand that as a society, we need to redefine transportation to make it more sustainable. That means we need to offer solutions that are friendlier to drivers and passengers… friendlier to pedestrians and other vehicles… and friendlier to our communities and the planet,” Mr. Beatty concluded. “With the new Prius and HS 250h, we have pushed the envelope of what’s possible on four wheels, and are offering Canadians a new, easy-to-embrace way to join the sustainable transportation revolution.”