The designer of the 2016 Prius speaks out on his decision of the final design

okay, that's 4. or you may have been one of the 3. you can't listen to the auto media, or they wouldn't be making any alt fuel vehicles at all.

 

My point is that they were listening to more than the three people on here that were complaining - many more, myself included, were complaining elsewhere, and never would have come here in the first place to be one of the three. (Which means I'm not the fourth, I count towards a different much larger number of non-PriusChatters that were complaining - I wouldn't have come here.)

Now, of course, many of those same people are complaining about the styling, but hey...

 

i have read a lot of gen 4 postings, and you are the first one i recall who said they finally bought a prius because they finally fixed the handling.

 

i have read a lot of gen 4 postings, and you are the first one i recall who said they finally bought a prius because they finally fixed the handling. in fact, two former constant whiners don't even post here anymore, and they didn't buy a gen 4.

 

You can add me to the list as well.....

I looked at the prius before, hated the looks hated how it drove. When I saw the gen 4 I thought I'd give it another chance, found the driving dynamics to be more tolerable (maybe I'm just getting old), so I bought one. Had it looked like the new one but drove like the old one I probably would have passed on it.

 

YAY!!!! DUPLICATE POST!!!!

 

i sit corrected. i guess we need a poll.

 

You had a very different set of expectations. That was quite obvious. So, no surprise you don't like the narrative that played out. Reaching to expand the market requires breaking away from the original formula. Any comments about a specific item of change?

 

I have no "expectations" .... only trying to understand and make an early assessment of several hybrids. If you were to read all my post on this and other forums, you would discover I am very objective, and identify many things I like about each of the cars I evaluate. Unfortunately, the only question that can be somewhat determined merely from pictures, is the appearance .... and that IMHO, is the Prius' greatest weakness. Technologically, the Prius appears (and this is an "expectation") to be far superior to all other hybrids I have studied ... but pictures do not confirm or contradict the technical, handling, comfort, fit and finish aspect of the vehicle. A visit to a showroom and a test drive will be required to make that judgement.

 

I just cannot understand the need for this complex marketing analysis really. Toyota have a winning formula in their HSD design, IMO all they had to do was:

* Derive Gen4 off NS4 design also attempting to improve on performance a bit - would have been much more appealing

* Offer e-4wd option on the C-HR - that product would have been unique, unmatched and much more appealing

* At one point (when NS4 was hot news), there was a rumor that HSD Gen4 will feature a 2.0L ICE, I think that would have been the key

But what do I know, right ?

 

The 2010 and 2016 brochure front pages:

 

wow, gen 3 really starting to look dated!

 

I think the two brochures illustrate an attitude change at Toyota, or at least a "declared" attitude change. The 2010 is at rest, calm, with green/serene background, has the stock 15" wheels with covers. The 2016 appears to be in a four wheel drift, at night, has the (speed blurred) 17" rims, looks like a coupe, in race-red, sorta snarling. They're REALLY pushing "edgy edgy", good for them I guess.

 

Finally found this video:

The first 3 minutes for me, illustrate the 180 degree shift in Toyota attitude, lol.

Stuff stashed, stuff stashed...

 

I had the Gen 3 for 4 yr . I like both of them. The only thing that bothers me with Gen 4 is that I am getting every rock hitting my grillle or the hood of the pip. Gen 4 is a lot lower to the floor. If the Prime could do 200 miles . They be a list waiting for them . Demand is everything.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Thanks for that!

2008 seems similar to 2010 somewhat.

Also 2002 and 2016?

 

I know it's not the designer's intent but 2002 looks like the Prius is stationary while the world around it moves.

 

Panning to follow a moving car with a fast shutter speed.