Toyota to Offer AWD for Next Prius?

3rd Gen 2012 Toyota Prius (Credit: © Toyota)

Big changes might be coming for the next generation of the Toyota Prius, a car that has been declared the most boring car on sale today, according to general automotive enthusiast consensus. While there are all kinds of rumors floating around about how much more fuel-efficient the car will be, the most interesting news so far has to do with the potential that it might come with all-wheel drive.

This might sound like an interesting move on the part of Toyota, and warrants some skepticism. All-wheel drive isn’t known for being incredibly fuel-efficient since it tends to require more energy to power all four wheels instead of just two.

The next generation Prius isn’t slated to begin production until December of 2015, which is a long way off. It’s entirely possible Toyota is flying this idea up the flag pole to see who salutes and who acts like the automaker is acting like a traitorous scofflaw. In other words, it’s time to hop on Toyota’s official Facebook page and let the company know whether you think giving Prius drivers the ability to drive in snow or on dirt trails is really a good idea or not.

On a related note, supposedly Toyota is kicking around the possibility of offering the new Prius with two different powertrains. One would use nickel metal hydride batteries from the Stone Age, while the other would come with lithium ion battery packs that are lighter and hold more of a charge.

In the past, Toyota has released some juicy details about how it might work at the smallest levels of the hybrid powertrain to improve efficiency. Whether the car has all-wheel drive or not, it’s entirely possible Toyota will once again wow the public.