Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, Hybrids/Alternative, Green, Toyota
Next-gen Prius coming in January with more power, efficiency
by Dan Roth on Apr 29th 2008 at 11:29AM 
The current Prius is baked from a refined recipe that results in a roomy, practical and efficient vehicle lurking under an eco-statement exterior, or at least we thought so. Five years on, it's still the most popular way to conspicuously consume under the guise of saving the planet. Toyota hasn't been resting on the success of its green badge of targeted consumerism, so we're going to see a new Prius at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in January, according to Toyota President Watanabe. The 3rd-generation Prius will grow in size, and engine displacement will be bumped to 1.8 liters to increase performance. Despite the increase in size and sprightliness, weight will reportedly hold steady. Further changes are in store after the launch, with plug-in and Li-Ion updates to come.The nameplate will also move beyond a single model and become a sub-brand during the reign of Prius the III. More body styles are coming, and if you think the Prius is a roachy-looking thing, the concept hints Toyota has given us are possibly even weirder. The sub-1,000 pound 1/X might offer a glimpse at another type of Prius, though more realistically, the sad-eyed Hybrid X vannish concept suggests the way things are headed without the ridiculous pronunciation of its featherweight companion. If things go according to Toyota's plan for world domination, the Prius will become one of the pillars upon which the marque is built, next to the Corolla and Camry institutions.
Gallery: Review: 2007 Toyota Prius Touring
[Source: Auto Observer]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
Seoultrain 11:39AM (4/29/2008)
More power, more size, same weight.
What was the purpose of the Prius again?
Reply
DCragtop 11:52AM (4/29/2008)
You see Prius, you think Prius, then you are saving the world. Nevermind Toyotas own massive line-up of barrel sucking pickup truck engines. So bigger is the obvious distraction still because you could pile a few more friends in the backseat to look good on the way to the Oscars and save the world whilst doing so!
Pluton 11:53AM (4/29/2008)
Yes, just like Cadillac, BMW, Merc. Why do they even bother to create new design every 3 years. "Don't fix what's not broken" does not make money!
from 40 to 90 MPG is the only change.
The Other Bob 11:55AM (4/29/2008)
"What was the purpose of the Prius again?"
To help Toyota spread the illusion that they care about the environment.
Nick 11:54AM (4/29/2008)
WE DONT WANT BIGGER CARS! IF WE DID, WE'D BUY THE HYBRID PRIUS!
Why does every car company insist on inflating the size of their car every single redesign!?! I would have thought at least the Prius was immune to this idiotic nonsense!
Chris 11:58AM (4/29/2008)
LOL,
some of ya'll are just to funny.
I guess your brain turns off when certain words are encountered. If you RTFA you will notice that there are smaller cars planned.
What is going on is an attempt to make the car more mainstream - get a bigger audience. To do so requires a bit more space. There is nothing wrong with getting more people to buy into efficient cars is there? Or am I missing something, the clueless here sometimes make me wonder just how stupid the new generation is.
Red 12:12PM (4/29/2008)
*patiently awaits the inflated EPA numbers*
From 60mpg to 50mpg to 45mpg in just a few years with no major changes to the car. Even beyond the differing testing methods, owners have complained for years about getting less-than stated mileage. And as we all know the Prius' success has more to do with Toyota's bullsh*t marketing than any real merits of the product itself.
It's a wonder they haven't been sued for false advertising.
Gargamello 1:02PM (4/29/2008)
The Prius was mainly meant to get high mileage.
If a Chevy Silverado, Ford F150 or Dodge Ram was able to do that, you wouldn't see acres and acres of them rusting away on dealer lots in every dealership in America.
Say what you will about Toyota, but at least they give their customers what they want. And that's why they're winning.
Guenther 1:24PM (4/29/2008)
Nick- The new Venza will be even closer to a bigger version of the Prius.
Xcountryflyer 2:38PM (5/01/2008)
Does every redesign have to get bigger and bigger with more HP? The point is to be maximize mileage and not take up the space of a Hummer. Ugh.
Nick 11:55AM (4/29/2008)
grr...i meant hybrid camry
halogenrepublic 12:10PM (4/29/2008)
Bigger means harder to park in the city.
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Ted Kennedy Is My Chauffer 12:14PM (4/29/2008)
The Sky Is FALLING!!
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MarcT 12:14PM (4/29/2008)
Well I dont expct more from the comments, I know where I am after all. A Prius story comes up, and the comments are slammed immediately with hate. It's like Prius haters have their twitching fingers hovering, just waiting for a chance to spew some hate. So I accept it. Voices of reason, us thoughtful ones, always take a little longer to get our posts in.
What I am tired of accepting is the relentless anti-Prius editorializing in the stories themselves. Five years on (9 if you count gen1), and millions of barrels of oil have been saved, millions of tons of greenhouse and smog forming gases have NOT been spewed into the atmosphere. I think the Prius has served its purpose just fine. (What is the point of the Prius indeed.) But we get posts with drivel like..."eco-statement," "conspicuously consume," "targeted consumerism," "roachy-looking." You can't even take an important emerging story to print without taking jabs at this amazing car. How sad.
Right now the Prius is the most no-compromise vehicle you can buy. Fuel efficient, clean emissions, roomy, decent power, practical and roomy, feature laden and comfortable. At an incredibly reasonable price.
Now what is missing for the Prius puzzle? People complain that it is just shy of true midsize....so it will be a couple inches bigger. People complain that it is not a joy to drive...add a slightly bigger engine. People complain that it is not as fuel efficient as it could be...HSD 4 should blow us away with its efficiency as it promises to be smaller, lighter and more pwerful.
The Prius had to change in all these metrics to prove to the last holdouts (you know who you are, see above) that it is the vehicle that belongs in almost every garage.
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Scorch 12:30PM (4/29/2008)
No one is saying that efficient cars are a bad thing, they aren't. The reason people bash this thing is because of smug statements like yours and the fact that this car is, in fact, designed to appeal to a certain demographic. There's a reason Honda didn't sell nearly as many Civic hybrids as Toyota did Priuses and it has nothing to do with practicality or fuel mileage. In fact, Honda determined that the Civic didn't sell as well because it was not conspicuously hybrid enough. So yes, you can say that Hybrid owners genuinely care about the environment and all but I think its equally fair to say that they care just as much about being seen in a hybrid.
FSM 12:35PM (4/29/2008)
@ Scorch
I never knew that truth and honesty = smugness
Seoultrain 12:37PM (4/29/2008)
I have a 1 mile commute to work, which means I could buy a Hummer and still pollute way less than the vast majority of Prius drivers. For the record, I drive a Mazda3, which is both fuel-efficient and fun (which is the prius's ultimate compromise, btw)
Now, I know a Prius owner who drives in a matter that it only gets them 35mpg. I know another who drives 40 miles to work. How much gas could each save by driving smoother or living closer to work?
All I'm saying is that there's more to saving the environment than driving the "right" car. Does a Prius help the environment? yes, but its impact has been greatly exaggerated.
race1foru 12:46PM (4/29/2008)
"Voices of reason, us thoughtful ones..."
Dude, get off your high horse. Yes, you drive an fuel efficient car. Great. I respect that decision very much, but don't go around acting like every person who wants or needs a bigger, less efficient (or heaven forbid more exciting to drive) vehicle is the spawn of satan who practices scorched earth policy every time they pull into the gas station. Enjoy your savings at the pump and keep it to yourself.
Frylock350 2:15PM (4/29/2008)
My garage has no use for a Prius. It wouldn't fit with the Suburban in there.
9394 2:39PM (4/29/2008)
Scorch - Honda sold less Civic hybrid because it runs less MPG. Hybrid buyers look ONLY on MPGs (& sitting 4 ppl). I got 48.4 MPGs on my Prius. I would have bought Civiv hybrid if Honda can get better MPGs than Toyota.