What about the Prius c?

I hope not! The Auris is a truly dismal car and Toyota just can't shift them over here - I saw Christmas specials at my local Toyota centre selling pre-reg Auris(is?) at 50% off RRP! The Auris hybrid is nothing more than the Prius' drivetrain shoehorned into the Auris bodyshell with the only advantage being a lower price point ($7,500 less than an entry level Prius). It's a pity it isn't a decent car as it's built over here and it would be nice to be patriotic, but the Auris is one of the least competitive cars in it's segment.

Hopefully the Prius C will be something a little more interesting than this!

 

Could it be a version of the Verso? My understanding that is going to become a hybrid soon and if that's the case, then it would make sense to market it in as many countries as possible. Maybe they won't give the 7 seat option in the US but with 5 seats it would still be a good car.

@flossy, you're right about the Auris HSD. Boring just doesn't cut it. The only thing going for it is as a very slightly cheaper option to the Prius for free entry to the London congestion zone. Toyota UK don't seem to know what they're at regarding their model range - where have all their sports models gone? The Celica, MR2, Supra? Surely a hybrid version of one of these for the future?

 

If the c is a version of the Verso, it might just outsell the standard Prius here. A smaller , even more efficient, versatile hatch would be just what I need to make the move to trade my '04. I don't think the c is coming until late next year, if at all. Maybe a hybrid version of the new Yaris, which is a great looking small car IMO, will be next.

 

What the heck is wrong with the Auris?

If it was sold over here, I would have bought it in a heartbeat over the GenIII! Much smaller. Smaller = better.

-Iain

 

Auris always have been showing not being up to the competition.
From quality and handling, mostly.
But with the HSD under the hood, many new customers disregard those issues.

 

It is a nice car don't get me wrong. But it costs £19,138 (US$29,500) for the base model, which is rather well specced but expensive - even for here! The Prius is not much more expensive AND has more room AND a bigger boot/trunk. The Auris HSD boot is miniscule for the size of car. The batteries take up space that wasn't there to start with.

As others have said, I wish it luck as it's made here in the UK, but Toyota have got too greedy with the price. They know they can get away with charging what they do because of the London congestion charge (£8 a day) and the Auris HSD is exempt, but elsewhere in the country the Auris HSD makes no sense financially. There are other cheaper, almost as economical options by Toyota and other manufacturers.

Perhaps you should contact Toyota Canada about whether they'd consider importing it? The emissions should meet your specs as it's the same as the Prius. Bumpers and the like shouldn't be too far away from your regs either.

 

Here's what I think the new Prius c is based on:

Toyota Verso S/Ractis



And it would be a vastly better car than the Honda Insight, the nearest competing model.

 

Interesting. I saw an Auris hybrid for the first time when I was in Paris at a Toyota showroom that I stumbled across. (It was my 1st trip to Europe).

The general lack of sports cars (esp. before the IS-F and LF-A) is why so many in the US auto press say that Toyota produces cars that are "boring" and "have no soul" or that they produce Japanese Buicks.

Unfortunately, in the US, other than the Ford Mustang, sports cars generally sell in very small numbers and thus there might not be a good business case for them. In other words, car makers don't like selling money losing cars (if the quantities are too small).

 

There are two versions of the Verso. The existing Verso is slightly larger than the Prius and that might be the one you have on your picture where the blue car is hidden behind the white Prius. New Toyota Verso Car Review - Parker's

The Verso S is a new, smaller model about to be released which will be based on the Yaris floorpan.

Clear as mud?

 

You're right. I thought the link must have got it wrong but I've checked the Toyota website and they have it the same.

do not know, I thought I was onto something as the Verso outline does look like the outline behind the Prius apart from maybe the back lights.

The mystery deepens.

 

mm and inches in the same sentence? Lol. (laughing WITH you)

25.4

 

And isn't the Lexus CT200h essentially a tarted up Auris?

 

I thought all current Lexus chassis were separate from Toyota chassis? Is this incorrect?
(I couldn't find an answer in the first three minutes of a Google search, so I'm giving up for now)