Spied: 2010 Toyota Prius

Shown here are the latest spy photos the 2010 Toyota Prius, sporting what looks to be a significantly redesigned front end. Both longer and wider than its predecessor, the new Toyota Prius is playing host to rumors that have everything from a station wagon to convertible variant in the works. While we're not sure about either of those predictions (especially with Toyota's hybrid lineup scheduled to grow with entirely new models), what we do know is that the new Toyota Prius hybrid will eventually be built at Toyota's new U.S. assembly plant, currently under construction in Mississippi.

The next-generation Prius is expected to be bigger dimensionally from the outgoing car and will probably get a new, 1.8-liter engine with some 100 horsepower on tap. Combined horsepower (engine and electric motor) should push past the 150 mark from 110 today -- all while increasing fuel economy from the current car's 48 city/45 highway numbers.

Other speculation has the new Prius featuring solar panels on the roof to power such accessories as the air conditioning system, as well as to help charge up the hybrid's batteries. The new Prius is expected to retain the current model's nickel metal hydride batteries for the time being, though it could make the switch to smaller, lighter lithium ion batteries later in the production run after the new batteries have been tested on a new plug-in hybrid model set for 2010 release.

Currently, dealers are selling out of Prius models worldwide in the wake of the recent spike in gas prices, prompting Toyota to bump production by 70 percent and build 480,000 examples annually when the new version hits the streets. Toyota is also building two new battery plants in Japan with partner Panasonic, in hopes that it will keep up with growing demand for hybrid automobiles. Eventually, Toyota hopes to be selling 1 million hybrid vehicles per year, globally. It has sold some 1.5 million Prius models since the car's 1997 inception.

Look for the third-generation Prius hybrid to make its debut at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show, with production models hitting showrooms both in Japan and the U.S. later next year.