Prius v wagon puzzle finally complete; Here's what we know

well have to agree with that as well. but my long term goal is an EV for most of our local needs and then a long distance car and for overnight trips which the 2010 is barely adequate. it works but there is NO extra room. so having the extra room and being able to do the day to day driving at or near 50 mpg would be a very attractive package.

now if we could get the 50% increased cargo and 20 miles EV range and 50 mpg in hybrid mode for umm under 30,000... ok that might be stretching it... ok. under $33,810 then i would be all for that!!

 

I can't disagree with that, my friend. Now that I may have to haul a dog around on hiking trips I may easily be swayed towards the larger car.

 

I continue to find the lack of third row a major disappointment. This could have been THE FIRST hybrid in the US capable of taking more than 5 passengers (not including a few egregiously, ridiculously expensive ones like the Tahoe Hybrid).

Just feels like a big miss to me. A vehicle like this has a place, more cargo room is not bad especially if it doesn't hurt mileage that bad, but nothing worth waiting around for. I'd rather a third row. They squeezed one into a Rav4 (and despite some reviews I as an adult actually found it really not bad, tolerable for an adult for a while and fine for a kid for a long trip), it would have been nice squeezed into this.

 

not increasing the passenger seating i can see since a move to a hybrid in the one of the mini vans options would be preferred. the only real question; should they convert an existing model or create a whole new Prius-based model. but doing that is more like branching off another division like Lexus or boxy... oh wait!! thats not their name, hmmm what was it? but anyway.

they may simply not be ready to go that far. now why they are not ready, i dont know. i think they are still trying to work the weight/power issue to maintain the mileage. i have to say that the heavier hybrid models Toyota has put out has pretty much failed. despite getting better mileage, most simply did not consider it worth it for a 3-4 mpg bump even in a heavier car despite the extra room. personally i think the mini-van is better suited to hybridization than the SUV. Toyota tried to capitalize on the popularity of the SUV platform and it just did not work so i think they want to make sure that a major move away from the standard passenger car platform is a very positive experience

 

I'm really excited about the potential of this offering. I can't wait to see it and find out more about it.

BUT...

On the negative side, it also demonstrates a disappointing aspect of Japanese automakers...they seem to think Americans always want Bigger....

In the world of Hybrids? I'm very interested in a even more utilitarian offering than the Prius...but how come it seems like with every incarnation things get larger and larger...and usually incrementally less efficient?

I also want to see that "smaller" Hybrid...

 

well remember their are TWO new models being introduced. the other major sticking point for Toyota is the price of the Prius. a cut down two door model aimed solely at a single commuter getting 65 mpg and running $18-20,000 to start is where Toyota needs to go

 

Why are people so sure there is no third row seats. We wont know for sure until the Detroit auto show.

 

Toyota did put a Hybrid sticker on the Highlander (and EV mode too), but at 27MPG in optimistic driving conditions it's not worth it. The chassis is too heavy, drivetrain has too much inertia to be efficient. A Prius Wagon WITH 3RD ROW would sell like pancakes and still would not cannibalize the rest of the product line.

 

the fact that the often asked question has not been confirmed or denied by the Prius team makes me think that the seats are there as well.

 

Doug told us it's not gonna be a minivan (not the size known in the States), but it could well be a Multi Purpose Vehicle like the Toyota Verso in Europe or the Mazda 5 sold in the States.

 

I can help with that. It's not an MPV, either.

Hang onto your verdicts until the car is completely revealed and you've seen all of it. I can say this... the car has tested VERY well in private consumer clinics. We're excited.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

You're excited? You're not the only one....
So it's no minivan, it's no MPV, people don't call it a wagon, you're sure it's a car?

 

Maybe they're bringing back the term Station Wagon?

 

Couple of years ago there was a Lexus IS 300 Sportcross, i really liked the car. Maybe the new Prius is the better version. Prius Sportcross, i like the name.....

 

i like that the gen 2 dashboard is somewhat back. not like the gen3 with the prius V there is a bit more room to go from one side to the other.

what i do not like is the center placement of the speedo etc.

 

This was a SWEET car. IS 350 is my next car.

 

Problem statement: My '04 Prius with two car seats/boosters in the back will only hold four people - me, my wife and my two kids. If any other person wants to go, be it a fried of one of the kids, a grand parent or whatever, we have to take two vehicles because no one, no matter how thin, fits between the car seats in the back (I have a sub-5' sub-100 pound Mom and she doesn't fit).

Please explain how will this new vehicle solve my problem statement and, if it won't, why won't it since it appears to have a larger profile and more internal room than the Verso, which has a third row of seats that would solve my problem.

 

I echo this sentiment. Toyota will lose out on a lot of sales if they make this one a 5 seater. There are lots of buyers who need 7 seat configuration and they will line up to buy this one with this setup. A 5 seat configuration will make this one redundant with the existing Prius.

 

Unfortunately, due to the fact Toyota still uses an NiMH battery pack in the Prius v, you can forget about the third row of seats. Hopefully, within a few years Toyota will replace the NiMH battery pack with a newer-technology Li-On battery pack and that will allow a smaller-sized battery pack, which would allow the return of the third row of seats.

 

I feel your pain - this same situation happens in my own household with my Prius. BTW, that challenge is very typical of many cars the size of a Prius.

Hold that thought until after Jan 10. I'll be here.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA