2013 Prius C (Leaked photos of brochure)

there is smart entry, push button start, led fogs, led headlights, etc, etc, etc

 

That's what I thought at first, but when looking at the numbers, especially the height and long nose, it appears to be closer to Yaris than Verso-S.

"The smallest member of the Prius family measures 3,995mm (157.3-in.) long, 1,695mm (66.7-in.) wide, and 1,445mm (56.9-in.) tall, and has a wheelbase length of 2,550mm (100.4-in.). This means it's barely bigger than the latest Yaris (153.5" long, 66.7" wide, 59.4" tall, with a 98.8" wheelbase)."

 

However, that seems to be the "G" version.

From the pictures in the original article.
L is the stripper.
S has a stereo.
G has nav and smart key.

 

oops

 

Or maybe it's cheaper.

 

hwell: No surprises. More Yaris-like as expected. Inexpensive, very fuel efficient, and dependable - but not much else. Too bad - some of us were hoping for something with less of the excitement sucked out of it.

 

If so, it would not say Toyota or Prius on it. Lexus and Scion are the excitement brands.

http://c2742.r42.cf2.rackcdn.com/Press_Release_FR-S_NYIAS_2011_FINAL.pdf

 

The only excitement I can imagine would be a combined EPA rating of 60mpg IMO since this car
is designed to be as efficient as possible. There are other cars designed to be as fast as possible. I don't expect a Prius to do both.

 

Don't like the retro shifter with the stalky knob at all (yuck), but three to one against the working parts are set lower to gain valuable internal cubic foot numbers. Placing a GenIII shifter pod higher up might have robbed some space. But then why not place an electronic shifter up there on the dash ala GenII or the V? The cost of doing so can't be more money, can it?

 

It's all personal preference but in comparison to the Generation 3 Prius which has an entire buttress built out primarily just to position a impotent dongle where normally a shifter would be I could hardly complain about a normally placed stick shift taking up too much space.

The rest is simply perception. I don't see a standard looking stick shift regardless of how it is directly working as being any more or less "space age" than anything else.

I liked the "dongle" on the Gen 2 Prius on the dash, blame Toyota for positioning the dongle like a gear shift in the Gen 3. And IMO if you are going to use it like a gear shift, IE: telling your vehicle to Park, Drive, and Reverse, and put in in the center off the dash? I'd rather it look and feel like a standard gearshift than a castrated knob.

 

Actually says 1496cc which is more 1.5 than 1.4 producing 73kW or 100ps as a total system.

I think the regular gear shift is good. Makes the people who are making their first jump into hybrids less intimidating. Remembering this is a car for first time hybrid buyers. Not seasoned Prius buyers.

 

I find it interesting how people are saying the 1.4 is too small, seriously, it's a small light weight car, it doesnt need a 130hp 1.8? People in Europe take 60hp 1.1l petrols and three cylinder diesels up to 100mph and more with ease, in Australia a 100hp 1.2turbo Golf is considered acceptably powerful. These cars dont need lots of power - they just need decent torque (which it has).

 

Since you don't have a Gen 3 listed, I'll assume you don't have any or little seat time in one. Although inefficient space wise, the control layout on the bridge-dash for both the drive functions (shifter, mode buttons), HVAC, and audio/nav buttons is nearly effortless as one's elbow can stay firmly on the armrest. IMO, they did drop the ball putting the volume knob at the top but that's what the wheel controls are for.

I'm another vote that the conventional shifter is a step down in both form and function. My guess is it's a "dumbing down" of the hybrid concept to appear less intimidating to the unwashed masses.

 

I love the short-throw shifter (hehe) on the Prius. It makes 3-point parking an absolute delight. Also given its instantaneous shifting into gear, and the power steering is very strong, I defy anybody to state a single car on the planet that is easier to throw around parking spots.

 

Good one, I see how you are deriving the battery power.

 

That statement can actually apply to nearly any automatic transmission. The first electronically control step transmissions were introduced in the 1980s. The shifter is just a mechanical extension of the switch on the transmission housing. No reason why the shifter can't just be the switch wired to the transmission, and take any form the designer desires. I think the HHR shifter might just be that. Dodge Caravans have their shifter right on the dash a la the gen2. Which makes it convenient for using the manual shifting feature.

Heck, I think some pre-electronic transmission cars might of had push button shifters. If I got that right, the public must have rejected the concept, or else we'd still be seeing them. I'm sure the c uses a typical shifter designer for that reason and cost. I liked my gen 2 shifter, and would have liked to see it return. One day I'll sit in a gen3, but a friend found the cockpit like arrangement cramped and felt my gen2 was more comfortable.

Going back to electric switches, the push button start doesn't need to be so. The HHR appears to have a convential key ignition, except you don't have to hold it in start until the engine fires up. Twist it, release, and the engine starts up. There may not have been a tradegy if the start switch was a toggle instead of a button.

 

I completely disagree.
The shifter in the Prius does not give you the same tactile feedback as a conventional shifter does. A couple of times have I thought my gen. III was in Drive when doing quick 3 point turns, only to find it still being in reverse because the car wasn't completely stopped when pulling the lever. (I had the reverse set to single beep).

The iQ is easier to throw around parking spots

 

I consider the shifter a step back because it takes up space without good reason, but on my list of priorities it is 117.