Backpedaling on recent comments from a senior executive at the company, Toyota UK managing director Miguel Fonseca said that Toyota won't be launching a green Prius sub-brand after all, Autocar reports. He did say that the third-generation Prius will soon be joined by a range of body style configurations in addition to its popular five-door hatchback design; possibilities include a wagon or even a hybrid MPV.

While he was at it, Fonseca denied rumors that the next Prius would adopt lithium-ion battery technology at some point during its production cycle, the article said, adding that while lithium-ion batteries were a future direction for the company, Toyota's engineers "do not believe they are efficient or durable enough to enter mass-production yet."