2016 Prius Factory Accessories - 2 Videos

So, roof crossbars for the 2016 Prius, along with body side moldings. And I think I see a chrome bumper protector on the back.

 

Good question. Some of us around here do have some pretty big balls. Like @Tideland Prius who helped pull up the back seat from one of the show cars at the Prius Reveal.
Lithium Ion pack in Touring model | PriusChat

 

I see that you can get a Land Rover style roof basket for the Gen 4. Interesting.

 

The silver car in the Las Vegas event didn't have porcelain white trim on the steering wheel or the centre console.

 

I'm going to guess that the accent colors change with the color of the interior (which also probably changes based on the exterior color).

So, this video shows some type of dark grey, and even though it is the high-end "Touring" trim based on the wheels, it doesn't have the white console. I thought it might be a trim-based thing since we only saw it on the lower-end model in Vegas. That does not appear to be true.

 

How would they know? It won't be sales figures cause then it's not definitive proof. It could be a whole host of other reasons for not purchasing. No, it'll be the sales that tells Toyota whether to drop a feature or not. It's because they'll see 10 million threads on a subject (like the white trim you're suggesting) and how they (the new owners) hate it.

Toyota dropped IPA because their research (and I'm being presumptuous but it probably included PriusChat) that people didn't find it useful and they replaced it with the HUD.

So it is possible but again, it won't be the non-sales cause they're not gonna hunt down people not in the owners database.

 

It is an odd process, but not uncommon. When word came out that Apple was working on a watch, everyone and my brother tried to release a watch ahead of them. By the time Apple actually revealed their watch, the smartwatch industry was already established. Compare that to the original iPhone, which blew everyone away because it was completely under wraps until released. Every manufacturer wants that kind of out-of-the-blue impact.

So yeah, manufacturers often have to develop products in a complete bubble. Or they try to hire independent focus group facilitators who hold generic focus groups without actually disclosing what is being studied or who hired the firm. While this might provide some insight into the whims of the consumer, it's never complete feedback because the consumer is never shown an actual, finished product to hold, use, and critique.

I am all too familiar with these things because my company creates new products all the time. Because I work closely with Product Managers, I am often privy to ins and outs of the research and development process.

To say that Toyota is deaf to the feedback is a knee-jerk reaction. Contrary to what everyone seems to believe, the Gen4 Prius has not been released yet. The average consumer has not scrutinized the Prius to the extent that we have. We represent a very particular niche group of Prius enthusiasts. If anyone here thinks they are not a Prius enthusiast, just check your post count and ask why it's so high.

I expect that after two years, there will be a "Minor Refresh" just like there has been with every other model. That's when the least common aspects will be removed and package structures will be shuffled around based on sales numbers and customer feedback.