Toyota Corolla will debut in LA with new nose

Toyota has given the Corolla a quick refresh for 2011, and we can expect to get our first in-the-flesh peak at the design at the 2010 LA Auto Show later this week. Toyota says it sought help from styling studios in Turin, Italy, in shaping the small sedan’s revised nose and tail section. 

With a new bumper cap, grille and headlights, the 2011 Corolla now wears a face that’s a bit more differentiated from the much larger Camry. Out back, Toyota designers also gave the car a reworked trunk lid and rear bumper.

Next year will also bring a host of standard safety tech, including vehicle stability control and traction control. Otherwise, buyers can expect to be met with the same 132-horsepower 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine as the 2010 model. 

While we have no qualms with the company’s workhorse four-pot, we are more than a little disappointed to see that the archaic four-speed automatic will stay on for 2011 as well. At least the five-speed manual gearbox is still available. Hit the jump for a look at the press release.

Toyota gets its sport hybrid on with Prius Plus Performance Package

Looks like Honda isn’t the only automaker trying to cash in on the idea of a “sport hybrid.” Toyota has just debuted its new line of Plus performance parts at this year’s SEMA show, and the first vehicle to benefit from these new accessories is the Prius hybrid.

The Prius Plus Performance Package (say that three times fast) includes a seven-piece aero kit that still allows the sleek hatch to maintain its 0.25 coefficient of drag. The new front and rear bumper spoilers, side skirts and rear diffuser are rounded off with an attractive set of 17-inch forged wheels wrapped in slick 215/45-series tires.

In an effort to keep things as economical as possible, the Prius’ hybrid engine does not receive any upgrades, but the hatch’s suspension has been tweaked to provide better overall handling. Sport-tuned lowering springs have been fitted and a rear sway bar has been put in place to keep things flat and stable during cornering.

Toyota will be offering the Plus Performance Package in limited quantities beginning in April of next year. Follow the jump for the official details and see the modded-up Prius for yourself in the galleries below.

Toyota brings some swagger to Sin City

Seven million. That’s how many times Toyota’s much-loved Swagger Wagon rap video has been viewed on YouTube. 

Well, actually, it’s 7,154,749… but who’s counting? With that in mind, it’s not surprising that the Japanese automaker has chosen to outfit its official SEMA floorspace with a customized Sienna dubbed, appropriately enough, Swagger Wagon Supreme.

Actor Brian Huskey, otherwise known as Swagger Dad, was on hand to introduce the stretched and lowered metallic blue Sienna minivan. 

He started his speech from inside the Wagon, which is decked out with a nicely finished wood floor along with plenty of cabinetry, televisions and computer paraphernalia. See it for yourself in our high-res image gallery below.

Toyota Prius C&A Custom is the new definition of all show, no go

Can a Prius be sporty? Toyota’s latest offering here at SEMA proves to us that it can certainly try to look the part. The Prius C&A Custom Concept wears an aggressive, lightweight carbon fiber body kit and rides on 18-inch forged aluminum wheels. What’s more, the C&A has been substantially lowered thanks to a TIEN setup that drops the hatch’s ride height by four inches in front and six inches out back. The result is a Prius that has been transformed from a do-good hybrid into what looks like the anime version of a Lamborghini Reventón.

The upgrades have continued inside the Prius, where the cabin has been covered (and we mean covered) in Alcantara suede. The headliner, A and B pillars, door trim, rear seat, console box, front Recaro seats, steering wheel and even the aluminum shift knob all wear Alcantara.

This Prius certainly echoes the SEMA theme, as odd as it may be. See for yourself in our high-res gallery below, and read Toyota’s own words about the C&A Custom in the press release after the jump.

2011 Toyota Prius is EPA fuel economy leader for one more year

The United States Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Energy have released the latest Fuel Economy Guide, listing the most fuel-efficient vehicles available in the States. Once again, the Toyota Priustops this chart, besting the competition with its EPA ratings of 51/48 miles per gallon city/highway.

Beyond the Prius, the list of fuel economy leaders is rounded out with the usual cast of characters, including the Ford Fusion Hybrid (as well as its Milan and MKZ counterparts), Honda Civic Hybrid, Lexus HS 250h and more. You won’t find Volkswagen’s oil-burning Golf TDI or Jetta TDI on the list, though, even though their 30/42 mpg is immensely respectable.

As for newcomer EVs like the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf and Smart Fortwo Electric Drive, the EPA states that “no 2011 model year electric or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles have completed testing as of publication of this list.” Once the EPA decides how it is going to rate electric vehicle fuel economy, we’ll see these vehicles included in the list of fuel economy leaders, and the Toyota Prius will likely lose its first place crown.