Filed under: Hybrid, Sedan, Japan, Tokyo Motor Show, Toyota

Toyota has rolled out its new Sai hybrid here at the Tokyo Motor Show, and if it looks familiar, that’s because you’ve probably seen something very similar wearing “Lexus” and “HS250h” badges.

The overall aesthetic of the Sai is very similar to that of its premium sibling, but it features different light fixtures front and rear, along with bespoke fascias on both ends as well as a unique hood and trunk lid.

The Nippon-market dedicated gas-electric model utilizes the same 2.4-liter gasoline engine tied to Toyota’s latest Hybrid Synergy Drive system, and the luxury compact features things like plant-derived plastics and a radar-based pre-crash safety system.

According to Toyota, “Sai” means “talent” and “coloration” depending on how it is written in Japanese, and the name is meant to combine “advanced talent and multi-color sophistication.” Obviously.

The automaker expects 36,000 customers to be wooed by the front-driver’s colorful talents each year. No word yet on whether the sedan will cross the Pacific as a more affordable Toyota-badged version of the HS250h. Check out our high-res gallery below and the official press release after the jump.

Photos copyright (C)2009 Drew Phillips / Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading Tokyo 2009: 2010 Toyota Sai hybrid looks suspiciously familiar

Tokyo 2009: 2010 Toyota Sai hybrid looks suspiciously familiar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 22 Oct 2009 08:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments
Go to Source

This entry was posted on Sunday, October 25th, 2009 at 11:24 pm and is filed under JDM News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.