Toyota Prius XW10

The Toyota XW10 Prius was the first hybrid production car, entering production in December 1997 for the Japanese market, even though a few units arrived to the U.S., the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand through private imports. It wasn't until 2000 in which it began to be marketed elsewhere, in which it was the second hybrid to be released to the U.S. market, after the Honda Insight, yet sales didn't kick in until the 2004 model year with the introduction of the XW20. It was positioned between the Corolla and the Camry, and the engine available alongside the electric motor was a 1.5 liter 1NZ-FXE inline-4. Its styling originated from a California design studio.

Image date: November 2008