When the next-generation Prius hybrid came up for final approval at a session of top brass, Toyota Motor Corp.'s global r&d boss delivered bad news to the car's chief engineer: The design doesn't cut it. Try again. The fateful review, according to a source, happened last year, prompting a whirlwind of tweaks by Prius Chief Engineer Koji Toyoshima. Only when the restyled car resurfaced for a yay-or-nay at an April meeting did it finally get the green light.
Mitsuhisa Kato, the executive vice president who nixed the early design, said other issues played the pivotal role in a decision earlier this year to delay the launch of what is arguably Toyota's most iconic nameplate.
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