This is the first official look at the forthcoming 2010 Toyoa Prius, set to make its public debut at the NAIAS in Detroit in January. Though originally believed to have been leaked photos - or skillful Photoshop renderings - when they first hit the Web, it has been confirmed by the Editor at Toyota's Open Road blog that they are in fact the real deal.

Though not many photos are available at this time, it is obvious that the new car bears more than a passing similarity to the 2009 Matrix and Corolla and retains much of the current vehicle's design elements. From what we can see, subtle revisions have been made to the body panels, with the new car now having a clearly defined A-line running from the headlamp to the rear spoiler. It has effectively been reworked to bring it in-line with other vehicles in the Toyota stable.

It seems odd that Toyota, also heard to be toying with the notion of making the Prius a stand-alone brand (much like Scion), would choose to design the next generation using quintessential Toyota design cues. Seems like a wasted opportunity to us. We'll let you know what we think of the third generation car from the Detroit show floor.

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