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Toyota says C-HR Concept is more of a Prius preview than we thought

When the designers thought they were just about finished with the new look of the fourth-generation Toyota Prius hybrid, higher-ups did not like what they saw and sent those designers back to the proverbial drawing board to come up with something a little spicier. Duly inspired, the designers came up with something last spring that may look a bit like the C-HR crossover concept, Automotive News says. For those looking for a Prius design with a little more bite, that isn't necessarily a bad thing. The C-HR hybrid concept isn't a direct preview of the new Prius, but the "diamond architecture" features like thick wheel wells and mean-looking grille could make an appearance on the hybrid. Those aren't exactly familiar Prius materials, but they may be coming to the next version of the world's most popular hybrid, whose production debut has been pushed back until the end of next year. It is also notable that there will likely be a far greater design difference between the standard Prius hatchback and the plug-in hybrid variant, which are pretty much identical in their current versions. The C-HR concept, whose look has been compared to that of the Nissan Juke, was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show last fall. We think it looks good, and wouldn't mind seeing some of the touches in the new hybrid.

Toyota Aygo, Citro?n C1 to join Peugeot 108 in Geneva

Just the other day, Peugeot took the wraps off the new 108. But its new city car, like the 107 it replaces, doesn't stand on its own. The 107 was a sister vehicle to not only the Citroën C1 but also the Toyota Aygo. So it should come as little surprise that, while Peugeot was the first to release photos and details on its version, Citroën and Toyota will also be on hand with their own versions when the veils lift on all three at the Geneva Motor Show.
We're expecting the new trio of budget-oriented hatchbacks to bear the fruits of individual efforts to distinguish themselves one from another more than their predecessors, which essentially looked the same save for different badges. But from the teaser image above, we'd venture that the Toyota version will be a further departure from the 108 than the C1 will be.
One way or another we'll have to wait and see, but for now you can view Toyota's teaser clip below, along with the press releases confirming the debut of both in Geneva next month.

Four Wheeler crowns Ultimate Factory 4x4... who wins?

Nearly every automaker doing business in the SUV or pickup truck segments offers a package designed to improve the off-road capabilities of its wares. But, of course, not all such factory kits are created equal. How, then, to separate the wheat from the chaff? Gather each of them up and put them through their paces, naturally.
The folks from Four Wheeler and PickupTrucks.com joined forces to run just such a comparison test, with the winner named the Ultimate Factory 4x4. A total of seven vehicles showed up to the fight: the 2012 Ford F-150 SVT Raptor, 2013 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, 2012 Nissan Frontier PRO-4X and Xterra PRO-4X, 2012 Ram Power Wagon, and 2012 Toyota 4Runner Trail and Tacoma TRD T|X Baja Series.
With the contestants in place, the whole crew put each vehicle through a battery of tests that included skidpad and acceleration measurements, a hillclimb, a rocky stairstep course and a rock garden. Considering the nature of the beasts, on-road ride and comfort were not part of the routine.