Hasta La Gadget!

Details have been trickling out about the 2010 Toyota Prius for months, with the largest of course being the unveiling of the production version. But now AutoblogGreen has learned that the car will achieve its 50 mpg average EPA rating—four more than the current generation—with a 49 mpg city / 50 mpg highway split. That latter number is significant, because it’s five more than the 2nd generation Prius and the first time the car has a better highway rating than city.

Toyota announced that production of the new Prius will begin in late-April, with the first cars going on sale in late spring. The report said that Toyota is forecasting sales of around 100,000 3rd-gen units through the end of 2009 (as a 2010 model), and 180,000 sales for 2010.

As known before, the new version is also slightly faster, has a solar panel on the roof to help keep the car cool inside during the summer, and has slightly sharper and more aggressive styling, along with revised interior LCDs and safety features including Lane Keep Assist, Dynamic Cruise Control and Lane Departure Warning.