More Prius body styles on the way
Toyota is planning on expanding the Prius range with several new body styles based on the trendy hybrid sedan. Currently, the company is considering adding a wagon and a Smart-style city-car, with the possibility of a crossover hybrid utility vehicle in the future.
The additional models will form the bulk of Toyota's campaign of selling one million hybrids worldwide. To that end, Toyota hopes to triple the number of hybrids it sells in the U.S., with the American market accounting for an anticipated half of that million-car target.
We could expect the wagon to look essentially the same as the current sedan, only with a roof extending rearward over the expanded cargo area, while the city-car will likely be an all-but-completely new model, riding on a much shorter wheelbase but with styling that immediately associates it with the rest of the Prius range.
The announcement opens anew the debate over whether customers want regular cars with hybrid engines, or instantly-identifiable, special-built hybrid models. Toyota's luxury division Lexus has reportedly expressed interest in developing a full hybrid range of its own, but until now its hybrid models have been variations on its standard lineup. The Toyota division itself has focused its hybrid production largely on the Prius, which it now hopes to expand. Meanwhile, competitor Honda found the hybrid version of the Civic to be far more popular than the quirky Insight.
We'd tend to agree with Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's synopsis: Why buy an overpriced, ugly, poorly-made Prius when most conventional diesels will return better economy and give you more for your money? But with Toyota's ever-quickening race to the top, clearly it's on to something.
[Source: Bloomberg via Motor Authority]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
Kbdabear 5:56PM (1/27/2008)
Take a look at the most popular Prius Cult forums like priusonline or priuschat, and you'll get a good laugh at claims they make.
Almost as fast as a Merc SLR, almost corners like a Lotus Exige, almost as big and comfy as a Bentley Continental inside, almost as aerodynamic as a Bughatti Veyron and sturdy as a Land Rover.
None of the owners of the above vehicles claim to get mileage almost as good as a Prius, so why the defensivenes? Look on any board and they insist they can get it up to 110 to 120 mpg and 0-60 in 6 seconds!
As for "fun to drive", the only way I'll find it fun to drive is if the Nintendo display on the dash downloads porn on the fly..
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Juan 1:32PM (11/02/2006)
Smart move by Toyota. If they want the Prius to be mainstream and not just the token hybrid, it needs to actually BE more than the token hybrid.
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aaron 1:35PM (11/02/2006)
And why wouldn't they make more, since prius sales are down and it doesn't deliver the fuel economy it claims to. They are doing alot of things right, but in my view this is just fluff.
lmao.
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b smack 4:37PM (11/02/2006)
Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson's synopsis is flawed on several levels--yeah, the Prius is poorly made and a questionble investment because of the associated costs, but diesels are still dirty and will always be dirty compared to gasoline engines. The Prius crowd is concerned with the environment and diesels spew particulants that cause major heath concerns for everyone(especially children). Even the new "clean" diesels engines are dirty. Get with it Jeremy.
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Saracen 1:43PM (11/02/2006)
Jetta/Golf TDi >> Prius
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Tony C 2:25PM (11/02/2006)
Coool... So a Prius Wagon and Prius Micra? Interesting to see it become diversified -- I figured Toyota would just spread the hybrid love across almost their entire model range.
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Typesbad 2:18PM (11/02/2006)
I agree that this is a good move on Toyota's part, though it does seem to raise some small issues. Isn't a wagon largely redundent since the current car is a 4-door hatch? Yes it could carry more but how much cargo do you want to pack into a hybrid anyway? Isn't weight a particular issue with these cars?
I also think a lot of the charm of the current Prius design would be lost with a horizontal roofline. And I'm not a wagon hater.
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davidl340 2:13PM (11/02/2006)
Sad to see such ignorant comments.
Having owned a Prius and being very familiar with a Jetta/Golf TDi, there is no comparison in build quality (I have lost all respect for VW over a particular TDI Golf my friend owns over the last 50k miles) , looks are subjective, and I for one am getting about 50 mpg on average and don't drive like grandma. I know for a fact that my friends automatic TDI consistenly gave about 39 mpg and was soooo much smaller feeling.
Truth is, people have grudges against Prius for some unknown reason to me. Maybe because they can't afford one. Maybe because they think they look bad and 'how dare someone think differently than me'.
For the $26K we spent, there is NOTHING that competes in the MPG/functionality department. Even a Camry with the same options is going to cost you in the same ballpark, still isn't a hatch (which I love), and doesn't get the mileage.
When a modern Diesel made by a real car manufacture is sold in the US that can consistently get above 50 mpg and have the functionality of the Prius, I'll probably start looking at it, until then, stop crying over the best option we have as of now. So, when you laugh at me minding my own business in my geeky prius; I'll stand and laugh at you as you pump your quickly depreciating SUV full of gas and pay some middle eastern country twice the amount of hard earned money that I do.
Sick of jealous/bitter cry babies,
David
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John 2:29PM (11/02/2006)
The Prius ugly? That's a matter of opinion. Overpriced? Toyota is making some money on each one and people are snapping them up....an idea foreign to the Big 3. Poorly made? I don't think so. One can say many things about the Prius, but poorly made is just not one of them. From what I've seen, they are built to higher standards than the regular Toyota line up. Where I live, they are becoming the popular choice of taxi companies. I have yet to see a single Jetta Diesel working as a cab....but lots of Priuses.
Now don't get me wrong...I love diesel too. I'd love to see more diesels in North America. I've practically begged BMW NA to bring their 3 series diesel over. That said, the Prius deserves some respect. Its a well built car that performs well. True, its mileage numbers aren't as good as advertised, but they are still pretty decent. To me the prospect of a plug in Prius is very interesting. We're going to have to see where this all works out. The last Prius I sat in was pretty cool. Don't know if I'd buy one....but I respected it for being a well built techno wonder of a car.
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Saracen 2:31PM (11/02/2006)
Ignorant? No. It's informed and educated.
One of my best friends owns a Prius, two of my co-workers own Priuses, and I have another good friend that drives a Golf TDi.
The Prius is simply a mess. Exterior wise, it's just plain fugly.
The interior: Cheap, ugly, bland and plasticky. And while the Prius' looks like it would have tons of trunk space...until you actually open the hatch and realize how much space all those batteries take up...
I guess your Prius must be special because I have NEVER met a Prius driver that averages 50mpg, regardless of driving style. Low 40's is the norm. It just doesn't get that mileage. There's a reason why the revised EPA rating will lower its mileage estimate by %20 (while Diesels ratings will hardly budge.) I only believe that it delivers better mileage than than the VW TDi in stop and go conditions, because it is constantly regenerating electricity.
And what's more, it doesn't even handle or brake well!
I could not believe anyone is willing to pay so much money for such a lousy car.
The VW TDi's look far better, actually handle well, have superior interior quality, more useable space, get better overall mileage while delivering more power and FAR more torque...oh yeah and they're cheaper.
Hybrids = overrated. and overhyped.
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Mike 2:34PM (11/02/2006)
The Prius is ugly. That's a fact, not opinion.
It's ugly just like the WRX and EVO. These cars are not designed to be pleasing to the eye. They are designed to be distinctive at all costs. When I see an WRX, EVO, or Prius cruising down the street, I might vomit, but I damn well know exactly what car it was.
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Mike 2:42PM (11/02/2006)
David, VW build quality has nothing to do with this conversation. Yeah, we all know that VW builds junk. That's not news.
The point is that gas/elec hybrid technology is CLEARLY not the all-saving wonder that most prius drivers think it is. First off, a freaking turbodiesel can top its MPG. Next, the number one factor in gas/elec hybrids getting high MPG is aerodynamics and small engines. That's nothing new. Next, econo cars of the 80s can top the prius MPG, which tells us that doing less work (aka moving less mass) is far more important than engine technology.
Oh, and we haven't even touched the unknown environmental impact of those monster batteries.
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RZ 2:42PM (11/02/2006)
#5 Well no one really put a lot of cargo into any car on daily basis. But say you need to buy something large it is nice to have all that room.
#4 Dude the reason they hate Prius is because it is made #1 by Toyota, had it been made by GM (lol) they'd be swearing by it. Also they hate it because it is everything US car's are not. Meaning fuel efficient.
Now just wait untill someone will reply to me with something along the lines of this.........well Prius doesn't get 60 mpg i prefer my Dodge RAM which gives me 25/30. Which by the way was rated at 9 mpg by CR. But ofcourse we all know CR is biased, it is run by the left wing enviros, and it's CEO's last name is Yamamota.
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Vince 2:52PM (11/02/2006)
What are VW TDI's and where can I get one?
Oh, right, I can't, they don't sell them here anymore.
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tekdemon 2:59PM (11/02/2006)
Ugly and poorly made?! Ahahahahahaha, yeah, I'm sure a VW product would be less poorly made. The least reliable brand in the universe being better made? Come on autoblog, put down the crack pipe.
The styling of the Prius might not be everybody's cup of tea, but the 2nd gen was a definite improvement over the 1st gen, and if you want a fairly futuristic looking ride it's definitely got your number. It's not "hot" in the traditional sense, but it exudes "high-tech", which is sexy in it's own kind of way.
Oh and here in the USA, not every gas station even carries diesel! And they don't sell the TDI.
Making your last paragraph the most ridiculously absurd statement I've ever read on Autoblog. Please put down the damned crack pipe ok?
Oh, and since we don't even have low sulfur fuel yet, even though you might get similar mileage you're stinking up the air and giving the poor children asthma.
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tekdemon 3:05PM (11/02/2006)
Oh, and while some people might live where there's all open highways and no stop and go traffic, people in cities would get MUCH better mileage out of a Prius than a TDI. And cities also happen to be where emissions matter more, and the Prius has any diesel beaten silly in that department.
And if Toyota really wanted to, they could just replace the gasoline engine with a diesel engine and build a diesel Prius, thus defeating all your moronic diesel vs hybrid logic.
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davidl340 3:06PM (11/02/2006)
OK, I had to let off a little steam. BUT...
BTW, I'll try to keep it from becoming a VW TDI vs Prius disucssion.
We normally do get 48-51 average as advertised by the computer screen. My real world fill up test are close to these #'s.
Their interior is not as nice as my buddy's Golf, that's true, I am disappointed by the Prius material choices and particularly their horrible port installed leather on the 05 model.
I could care less about handling as long as it is safe at what it was designed to do: haul people and stuff.
Cargo room is good, I know, I fit a 42" plasma in the huge box it came in other day, unbelievable. (and golf's feel smaller inside, I had to ride in the back of one all the time)
I am all for good Diesels to come to USA. I was an inch away from buying a TDI before my friend started having problems with theirs. I'd be all over a Toyota Matrix size Diesel, but one thing I am looking forward to when this thing gets old is converting it to a plug-in hybrid when the kits get reasonable (yes batteries are getting cheaper)
I don't care what Toyota does as long as they keep a 4 door hatch in the Prius size. It is a winner.
BTW, the whole keyless ignition thing is truly the most usefull bell/whistle I've ever owned.
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Shawn 3:07PM (11/02/2006)
Prius owners are like Jerry Falwell Christians: Holier than thou attitude, believes in their own delusions, ignores reality or anything that contradicts their belief system, they all have "I'm saving the world" complex, they condamn anyone that disagrees with them, and most of all, they're all hypocrites.
Let me get this...You think we're all gonna die of some horrible environmental apocalypse...and the only way to save earth and humanity is by cutting back greenhouse gases...and you STILL drive a car and burns fossil fuel? What are you waiting for? The goddamn plague before you start walking?
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Howard Kerr 3:14PM (11/02/2006)
"...why buy a overpriced, ugly, poorly-made Prius when most conventional diesels will return better economy and give you more for your money?"
Because Mr. Clarkson and Mr. Joseph...in the U.S. we don't have the overwhelming choices for small, economical, low-priced diesel powered cars that European drivers have. You can't buy something when it's not even on offer at the dealer. Current small U.S. diesels for 07? Jeep Liberty and a leftover VW Jetta or New Beetle. Can you blame drivers for prefering to "gamble" on the supposedly "poorly-made" Prius instead of VW's "quality assembly"....or lack thereof?
By the way, I wonder if this move by Toyota is like what they did when they first intrduced the Tercel name to the U.S.? Don't remember? The first year the Tercel was here, it was sold as a Corolla Tercel...sort of like a Chevy Malibu Classic. nissan did the same thing when they introduced the Altima. Look at the trunklid on a '93 Altima...in small letters is the word STANZA, as in the Nissan STANZA Altima...
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davidl340 4:17PM (11/02/2006)
#16 ,
You are the one preaching a false message. I've heard that argument before, and realize that it must be coming from people with inferiority complexes. That's the only reason I can think someone would say such BS.
I bought the Prius because I think the techn. is cool, I love 4 door hatches, it gets good mileage, it's cool that it runs all electric sometimes, and it is a toyota that holds its value. The green part was just a plus.
BTW, I'm also one of those crazy Christians, that sort of breaks the stereo type too. Call me a freak, but I like my Prius. I'm not a Prius bigot though, I'll trade it in before something better comes out that will destroy it's resale value if I have to.
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