2010 Lexus HS 250h

On the heels of Toyota’s confirmation of the rumor that the Prius badge will be expanded into a brand, Toyota has announced the debut of its first dedicated hybrid sedan, the Toyota Sai. Created as a sister to the Lexus HS 205h, the Toyota Sai shares both the same platform and the same 2.4L gasoline engine (mated to Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive), making it significantly more powerful then the 1.8L Prius. Despite the overwhelming similarities between the Sai and HS 250h, Toyota claims the Sai will feature a distinctly different styling both inside and out, which we assume means that the fog flights will be a premium-priced option and the seats will be upholstered in the same industrial strength fabric used by Greyhound.

Strangely enough, Toyota made no mention of the Sai making an official debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in a few weeks but they have confirmed it will hit Japanese dealerships on October 20th. As for a U.S. debut, Toyota hasn’t even so much as hinted at the possibility but given their stated agenda to launch a Prius brand, expect the Sai to eventually make its way to the U.S. under a slightly different name.

Source: AutoNews