East Coast Toyota in Wood Ridge, NJ has a riddle for you. What's called Aqua in one place, C in another and saves fuel wherever it goes? If you guessed the new compact hybrid from Toyota then you'd be one smart cookie. Already released in Japan as the Toyota Aqua, the model will join the ranks of the Toyota Prius as the Prius C when it arrives in the United States.

Priced a bit under the current Prius model, Japan's Aqua serves up a fuel-economy rating of around 35.4-km/L. Translated into U.S. ratings, the Prius C could hit up to 54-mpg. At this point in time, exact release dates for our market haven't been announced but East Coast Toyota can tell you that the premier compact hybrid feeds off of a 72-hp, 1.5-liter engine and a 60-hp electric motor. Beating out others in its green class, the new Toyota compact reaches a sprint time of zero to 62-mph in about 10 seconds.

Standard features for the two-name Toyota hybrid include the following:

-          Antilock brakes
-          Heated seats
-          Traction control
-          Vehicle stability control
-          Air-conditioning

Of course, the Toyota keeps its overachievers in mind when creating any new Toyota model and offers up a series of upgrades and options. For example, consumers go above and beyond the average driving experience by investing in the available six-speaker stereo system, backup camera and advanced instrument panel display.

Sound like a hybrid you could introduce to your own vehicle family? If so, then be sure to stay tuned to our East Coast Toyota blog or contact us. We promise to let you know as soon as U.S. release dates are unveiled.