Motor shows and Toyota hybrid concepts go hand in hand and at the 2012 Geneva Salon, the Japanese company lifted the covers off a new prototype model named the FT-Bh, an ultra-lightweight supermini that makes use of viable methods and materials for its construction.
The concept is close in size to today’s Yaris, at 3,985mm long, 1,695mm wide and 1,400mm tall, with a 2,570mm wheelbase, but it tips the scales at just 786kg (1,732 lbs).
And this despite the fact that its hybrid powertrain, which comprises a two-cylinder, 1.0-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine with an electric motor, is heavier than the three-cylinder 1.0-litre unit (weighing about 60kg / 132 lbs) used in the Yaris.
This means that the combined mass of the bodyshell, interior trim, chassis and electronics had to be reduced by around 340kg (750 lbs).
Toyota says that the FT-Bh can achieve an average fuel economy of 134.5mpg UK (111.9mpg US or 2.1lt/100km) with CO2 emissions of just 49g/km.
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