In a move that was more expected than surprising given the success of the Prius over the years, Toyota launched the first addition to the Prius family, the V-branded minivan, and announced an upcoming compact hatchback, previewed by the Prius C concept study, at the 2011 Detroit Motor Show. The two models will join the regular Prius hatchback and its forthcoming plug-in version in the North American market.

The production Prius V seen in the videos after the jump, is a practical five-seat minivan based off the hatchback version of Toyota's popular hybrid model. It uses the same 1.8-litre petrol engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive tech offering 50% more luggage space than its smaller counterpart, while returning an estimated 42 mpg city, 38 mpg highway and 40 mpg combined. The Prius V will go on sale in North America in late summer 2011 as a 2012 model year.

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[Updated gallery] Apparently the RAV4 is still around, and Toyota has partnered with Tesla to make a new EV version of the SUV so the common man can be just like Tom Hanks. The second generation of RAV4 EV is currently undergoing a 35-vehicle test run and analysis through 2011 (similar to the Mini E's pilot program), with production vehicles set to start showing up in 2012... as long as something catastrophic doesn't happen.

The creation of the RAV4 EV was a two pronged attack: Toyota engineers took care of the powertrain upgrade/engineering as they normally would a mid-cycle product change, while Tesla engineers developed the battery pack and related systems.

Toyota says that the EV version of Toyota's CR-V fighter weighs about 220 lbs more than a comparably equipped V6 model, but retains similar acceleration figures. Due to the weight gain (couldn't we call in Lotus to tackle that?), suspension and steering components had to be properly modified or relocated to maintain proper balance.

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The trickle of photos on the Toyota FT-86 Concept continues as the Japanese firm's European Design and Development (ED2) center in Nice, France, which is responsible for the coupe's styling, released a fresh batch of pictures and a short video of the rear-wheel drive sports car.

In a couple of shots, Toyota remembers its sporty past depicting the FT-86 alongside the Corolla AE86, Celica and Supra coupes. The updated gallery also includes some of the original sketches from the ED2 center.

During the company's press conference at the Geneva Show earlier this month, Andrea Formica, Senior Vice-President of Toyota Motor Europe, noted that the FT-86 would reach showrooms in early 2012.

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By now everyone's heard about the shady dealings of runaway-Toyota driver James Sikes, and the allegations that somehow, instead of legitimate Toyota failings, what was really occurring with his 2008 Prius was a case of fraud.

Obviously, considering that this horror (or stunt) was filmed on live television, Toyota needed to get personally involved with Sikes and his claims. After stating that Sikes' story and what the car's computer recorded didn't add up, they made sure to fully disclose what, precisely, they checked.

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A great number of modified production and concept model made their world debut at this weekend's Tokyo Auto Salon in Japan, but there's one vehicle that stood out from the rest and that's no other than the Toyota FT-86 G Sports Turbo Concept.

What's special about the concept study is that there will be a similar G Sports version of the production FT-86 when the rear-wheel drive sports coupe goes on sale in late 2011.

The prototype model featured many upgrades over the standard FT-86 concept shown in Tokyo last October including a turbocharged version of the 2.0-liter boxer-four and a wide body aero kit. Follow the break to watch the video from the Tokyo Auto Salon or click here for more details.

Video via: Youtube/GT Channel

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