Toyota to roll out worlds highest fuel efficient hybrid subcompact car

Toyota plans to roll out as early as December 2011 a hybrid subcompact car with the highest fuel efficiency of any mass-produced, fuel-powered vehicle in the world. The planned Toyota hybrid hatchback is capable of running about 43 kilometers per liter, over 10 percent more efficient than the automaker’s Prius hybrid. The new compact car will run on a 1,500cc engine, much smaller than the 1,800cc engine in the Prius hybrid, to reduce weight and increase fuel efficiency. The new vehicle uses the chassis of a Vitz subcompact car and the same type of nickel-metal hydride battery used in the Prius.

Toyota’s new Vitz, expected to hit the market in December, is expected to have the same mileage level as Nissan’s new March, which boasts a fuel efficiency of 26 kpl. The expected price tag for the vehicle is around 1.5 million yen ($17,000), sources said.