Does Toyota plan to make a better Prius after the 2012 PHV?

By that time, the Prius C will be the affordable choice. Having every "regular" Prius on the assembly line with the same drivetrain and batteries will stream line production immensely. That is good for business. Next gen Prii will be plugin standard, except for C. If they're not, they'll be leapfrogged by the competition.

 

Well, this isn't always the case. The 6th generation VW Jetta for North America is decontented and cheaped down vs. the 5th generation.

Yes, they lowered the price, but the consensus seems to be it is a worse car than the 5G.

 

Yep. From all the accounts in the press, they were trying to keep the price down do be more competitive w/econoboxes and yes on it being a worse car than the previous. I sat in one and felt the cheap plastic and cheapened interior the press was talking about.

I don't think the US ever got models called CityJetta nor CityGolf.

 

Most US versions of global cars contain cheap materials and are less luxurious compared to their non US counterparts, the weakening of the dollar has a lot to do with it.

 

with the problems in Japan, and the world-wide economy as a whole, prices will likely be quite a bit higher for the next couple of years, at least, than they were this year. The Prius I snagged a couple of weeks ago, I managed to get a couple of hundred below sticker, plus the $500 rebate. Now the rebate is gone and they jumped the price about $500. So we are talking a 4.5% price jump mid model year, and I bet I'd have a hard time getting one below sticker too. They haven't been sitting on the lot like they were. Expect the 2012 to jump even more (5-10% would be my guess) and you can bet they wont be dropping in price further down the line.
2012 will also be the first production year of the plug-in.

Then there is the Japanese supplier system. Their auto parts are supplied by tons of small shops "Mom and Pop shops" spread around. (That is also what made fire-bombing Japanese residential areas a valid military tactic during WWII) I've got to think QC will be a touch shaky as they restart or relocate everything. The time to buy is right now, or a couple of years down the road. I wouldn't get an early 2012. I'd expect a gen4 will be better designed for the larger batteries of a plug-in system, and probably have a farther range if there is a call for it.

 

My take is that the Prius we know and love today will become a more performance oriented model.

Prius C will be hands down economy winner unless they intentionally dumb it down
Prius V will be the "practical" Prius
Prius as we know it gets upgraded battery pack, higher HP motor, stock Prius + bodywork (or integrated with redesign) & handling.

Then, to further muddy the water the C gets the option of the juicy motor to create a C-sport or C+ and you have to go back and upgrade the Prius S (sport) again to make it better.

IMO they are almost obsoleting it or making it the "boring" choice if they don't do something along those lines.

When our lease is up on the Fiesta we are hoping the C will be available.

 

I was reading someplace that the average replacement age for cars in the US is up to 9 years.

 

Bill, I'm hoping that doesn't happen, that is, if it becomes a car "for the masses" that they don't make it worse for the sake of mass marketability. That being said, yes, I do also hope that the Prius c becomes the fuel efficiency car - like better than a first gen Insight

One thing to consider is that over the years, each generation has made very nice improvements. The first gens getting mid-40s on the highway, Gen II around 50, and now Gen III mid to high 50s. The numbers are very rough, but those really are impressive percentage gains in fuel economy. Let's hope it continues!

 

OP comes in, makes a stupid thread (i mean really who plans for a car purchase 3 years from now for a mundane vehicle?) and never comes back. Fail.

 

Thread started by Douglaspen!

This is a "Hit and Run thread" started by someone who visited Priuschat one time and did not comeback.

Duh!.. Did they plan to make a better cellphone?

 

No, the plug-in Prius will not become the standard because a HUGE number of owners cannot plug in (park on street, etc). Why pay the extra for Li-Ion, add couple hundred lbs. in battery weight, lose the underfloor cargo space and not be able to use it? How retarded would that be?

Regular Prius will continue to be the most dominant and according to 2nd gen Schedule, may be intro'd in Jan 2015, first sales in May 2015. It might get Li-Ion , like Civic Hybrid, might not.

Prius v will be popular, not as much as current Prius. The 11.5 sec 0 to 60 time raises an eyebrow fo mine.

Prius c will sell in smaller numbers than regular Prius.

Prius PHV will get gobbled up by those who can plug in and pay top price for a Prius.

 

No, it will not 'be standard', and they better not even begin to think about taking away the regular Prius as we know it.

Prius c 'replacing' regular Prius as non-plug in? OMG, that would be completely boneheaded. Yeah, the majority want a Prius that's even smaller than the current on, right. Wrong. Prius c will be more niche than current Prius.

Don't mess with success, just make it better.

Plug-in cars are a great idea ... for SOME people. For those who park on the street day and night, useless. Do you know how many stupid idiots would unplug cars outside at night? Hate to be a downer, but think about it. Hopefully they find a way to lock the cords and charge ports.

 

I would agree with Cycledrum. Plug-In cars may be a niche product for a while for the reasons he mentioned and also, there are people who may have access to a plug, but will forget or just plain too lazy to do it.

I would like others to comment on this because I am thinking this is precisely the problem the Chevy Volt and the Prius plug-in is going to have. While the Prius will come in 2 flavors, the Volt is only available as a plug-in and would be very inefficient if someone were to buy one and never plug it in.

Toyota sells more than 150,000 prii in the US per year and for a model to be successful and profitable, it needs to sell a certain number of cars. So, does anybody think It is going to be possible for GM to sell more than 100,000 Volts in the US, say in 2015.

 

You may be surprised. I've heard quite a few comments wishing for something larger. I've also heard countless complaints about visibility with the hatchback model. Some just plain don't like having to confirm with the side mirrors or looking through the split-window in back. This new model addresses that quite well. The reclining rear seats add a new dimension to comfort too.

As for the acceleration, it's 10.5 seconds not 11.5. Also, think about how few negative comments there have been about the 12.5 from the Classic model.
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Compacts have been growing in popularity and the higher MPG could be quite a draw. Price will likely play a major role. It should be quite interesting to see how it's accepted.
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At first, yup, demand will overwhelm supply. But it should settle down and it is designed to compete as affordable. The battery-pack is small enough to keep price in check and the system shares many components already produced in high volume.
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Never bothered me about the split window. I use everything I've got, although the automatic tilt-down side mirror when in reverse on the Lexus CT are cool and I've become spoiled by the rear view camera on my wife's Venza.

If history is any guide, Toyota will continue to make smaller batteries than the previous generation as well as easier to manufacture. Read cheaper.

 

It is the nature of human beings, they will find or make something up to complain about. The same person who complains about visibility of the split window in the Prius will probably not even notice the rear visibility of the BMW X6. Car reviewers are notorious for repeating the same nonsense as if they have the same script. Some commercial vehicles, campers, only have outside mirrors.

 

Yes, there will be a new and improved Prius after the 2012 PHV. But, I am ready right now to put a deposit for an all electric cool car like this kit car on the video, Tesla model S powertrain, please!

 

How can you answer that. Isn't EVERY manufacturer making "better" stuff "next-year" ? Computer? Phone? Battery? Safety feature ? I mean really. Refrigerators get more efficient, cars get better mileage with more features ... you either buy ... or what ... keep on waiting ad nausium? You either jump in at some point, or not. The PHEV is all new, so manufacturers can only go one way ... making them better and better, as each new battery type continues to improve. Heck, MIT (who originally spun off A123 technology) just came out with an all new / improved battery chemestry:

'Cambridge Crude': New MIT Battery Design Could Be Breakthrough

So, you'll always find another great product that'll give cause to wait . . . . and wait & wait & wait & wait.




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