Toyota Prius

Toyota added a slightly sportier feel and more aggressive stance to the 2010 Prius—perhaps to disarm criticism that the Prius looks like a corrective appliance or a jellybean. The logo shifts from the hood to the top of the point of the grille. The crease in the doors has shifted lower, but a more pronounced angle is added above the door handles. The overall effect is to make the 2010 Prius stand taller—not as rounded and squat—as its predecessor. The 2010 model is a half-inch longer and a full inch wider than the previous generation.

The distinct space-age shape of the Prius is a deliberate statement on its next-generation approach to motoring. Its large, diamond-cut headlamps and snub-nose front-end are the starting point for the Prius’ pseudo-flying saucer appearance. Go ahead and look back at the sci-fi comic strips of the 40s and 50s and you’ll see exactly where Toyota got its inspiration. The angled hood seamlessly flows into the windshield, then to a flowing roofline that is sleek and low. Short overhangs and a sawed-off rear section finish off this hybrid’s futuristic character.

Of course, beauty is subjective, so the Prius has received mixed reviews on outward show. There are many who think the Prius looks gimmicky, if not entirely ugly. But for many hybrid owners, the distinctive look of the Prius sends a message, which declares that we must take steps to reduce our voracious thirst for oil—with all its negative consequences in terms of the environment and geo-politics. For this camp, the Prius is like a middle-finger-on-wheels aimed at Hummers, Suburbans, Escalades, and the like.

The toy and game-maker Hasbro recently added a game token in the shape of the Toyota Prius to the “here and now” version of Monopoly. In other words, the Prius is now officially an icon of our times. That distinction is earned because of the Prius’s technology, but also as a result of the look and style that is entirely its own.