5th Generation Prius

From what I have read, 5th gen prius has recently begun development but also Toyota doesn't know what they will do with it. Now exists the Corolla hybrid which gets the same MPGs, but without the shape. So other than the hatchback functionality, what's the use of a Prius? Why not just launch a Corolla hatchback hybrid vs. having two different cars/assembly lines/tooling.

Also cars in general are phasing out in favor of crossovers. So it'll be interesting to see what Toyota does for the next Prius, or if they'll continue development at all. I can see turning it into something substantially larger and calling it a Prius. Sort of a Prius V replacement. It'll sort of morph into a hauler/uber type role while the Corolla hybrid will take the Prius's place. I don't see us getting a direct prius replacement w/ the same size/form factor. I see it getting substantially larger. Cause the Corolla hybrid now exists. Too much overlap to have both

That's my take on it.

 

Prius BEV

 

Prius 3.4 l/100km, COROLLA is 4.2 l/100km. Prius - 80 g/km, Corolla 97 g/km.

No comparison - plus, in hatchback form, PRIUS seats 5 comfortably and has a much bigger boot than Corolla.

 

toyota said they knew they couldn't do the same old same old, so i think we can expect great things

 

wouldn't mind seeing them restore just the cargo and storage versatility that was lost from Gen 3 liftback to Gen 4.

 

And get rid of the horrrrrrrid foot-park brake.

 

Here, I'd like to see an even more efficient hybrid - better l/100km. I can't see our power being clean enough to beat the hybrid during the life of Gen 5 - nor in most of the world.

Gen 2 - 4.4 l/100km
Gen 3 - 3.9 l/100km (needing 95 RON octane)
Gen 4 - 3.4 l/100km
proportionally improved to ...
Gen 5 - 2.964102564102564 l/100km

 

I can't see it - unless they go aluminium bonnet & boot, underneath air-smoothing, aerodynamic aids etc like PRIUS. The current models are Prius 3.4 l/100km, COROLLA is 4.2 l/100km. Corolla isn't much better than Gen 2 PRIUS.

 

Oh, dear - as long as it doesn't look anything like it's new cousin:

 

I've pretty much given up hope that the styling (exterior or interior) will come back to earth. Or dash controls are going to cease their inexorable migration onto touch-screen. Or the trend to less and less levels with a spare is gonna reverse.

Will wait and watch, but not optimistic.

 

Popular Mechanics March 2019 had an editorial headed:

"New cars' "infotainment systems" are a mess of dangerous touch screens and inscrutable icons. More knobs please." ....

He went on to say "When I'm in charge of a car company, we're going to have one strict rule about interior design: Make it so it doesn't cause you to crash the car ... Knobs are great that way. So are buttons and shift levers." ... "If a designer came to me with a bunch of screens, touch pads, or voice activated haptic-palm-pad gesture controls, I'd trigger a trapdoor that caused the offender to plummet ..." ... " ... and I'd trigger my trapdoor by turning a KNOB. I wouldn't even need to look at it."

 

I find similar cargo versatility on my Gen 4 and my son’s Prius v. Of course the larger v holds slightly more.

 

Now - that's something - the PRIUS v. They were talking about it, that it had moved to the TNGA platform, and probably Gen 4 drivetrain, and hopefully pick-up the technology from Gen 4 (except the stupid foot-parkbrake I hope).

Not impressed by the paint scheme though


Motor Authority reckon that TOYOTA were testing it on the Nurburgring - so maybe it's got a V6 engine hiding underneath?. They also said "debut in late 2018 or early the following year. It should arrive as a 2019 model." But I have heard that TOYOTA USA rejected it - so whether that had global implications, I'm not sure - Japan was the biggest market. The current vehicle is "tired" - a new version would probably give it a boost of sales.

The PRIUS v has outsold the PRIUS in Australia for many years - when I tried it before buying Samantha, I liked it, but it didn't drive well and was a bit gutless.

 

... and it would not haul your organ. It does haul papillons though.



Papillon Dog Breed Information

 

I didn't realize the v was that bad. When I looked at a Gen 4, I was really struck by the reduction of the two glove boxes to one, loss of various other storage cubbies, and pretty much complete loss of the downstairs in back.