Toyota not pushing Prius

Toyota Europe is doing a lot of weird things lately.

They put on the market a Prius (afaik in Germany only - where we all know the sun always shines) without any possibility to have the rain sensor (unless getting it as a standard equipment on the most expensive trim), on a car equipped *standard* with a camera that works best when the windshield is clean... so much for safety features.

They sell the Prius Prime starting at 9.500€ higher price than the Prius (base model vs base model), and with a smaller infotainment screen than the version sold in the USA (essentially the Prius Prime sold in EU is a Prius with a bigger battery - no other major tech differences). Even with government incentives (3k€ in Germany), nobody will buy it as the business case simply doesn't hold up at all.

The are pushing only EU produced models (Yaris, Auris), and neglect, as you noticed, the Prius. The RAV and C-HR are promoted heavily too, but never a single mention for the Prius, which is amazingly rated really well also by german magazines/car associations (e.g. ADAC) in a German brand dominated market like Germany.

It's like as if they think the Prius doesn't deserve any promotion for whatever reason. Like as if "we will never sell it" or because "nobody is interested in it anyway". Or something along those lines. My dealer has only 1 on the lot, and not even in the showroom, and instead promoting heavily C-HR, Yaris and Auris. The Prius is an afterthought.

 

As almost all the vehicles in their range are now also produced in hybrid versions, I wonder whether their long-term plan is to concentrate on the high-volume models ...

 

DITTO for Australia - many dealerships don't have any in stock. I actually saw my FIRST Gen 4 on the road today - been out over 12 months.

Our market has gone for SUVs, and worse, Twin-Cab trucks being used as family cars. Go to a TOYOTA dealer, and there are mainly trucks there. There are NO Government incentives not to buy a Petrol-guzzling behomoth sized vehicles. I suspect relatively cheap fuel prices don't help.

 

Our nearby Port Moody dealership NEVER has any on the lot. A service writer told me all the Prius sales are pre-ordered; no chance to walk around the lot kicking tires.

 

My fiance and I have been test driving some new Priuses in a few Toronto dealerships recently. Most of them felt they were 'lucky' to even have one to test on the lot. There are a handful (think less than 5 total across all the dealerships we went to) that can be bought out-right at the dealership without ordering one. All of them were the base trim. As far as I know, any of the higher end trims need to be ordered in.

 

they're giving them away around here. come on over and ship one back to your respective homes.

 

@alanclarkeau will be by directly, after he picks up his fish and chips.

 

What side of the road do they use in Australia? I can't recall. I know NZ is wrong side.

 

Why do you call it the "wrong" side of the road. More people drive on the "wrong" side of the road than your side - starting with India, China, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Hong Kong, United Kingdom and a whole bunch of countries that I have forgotten.

 

why? for humor...just to get a response from our overseas friends!

 

Easy.
You're either on the right side of the road, or you're not.
FWIW, I disagree that most people drive on the left.
deadspin-quote-carrot-aligned-w-bgr-2

Right- and left-hand traffic - Wikipedia
Having driven in many places where people drive on the wrong side of the road, I must say that prefer to drive on the right, although this is probably solely because I didn't grow up driving on the wrong side of the road.

It's a Ford-Chevy argument for the most part.

 

I heard there's some really tricky roundabouts, just outside of London's Heathrow Airport. And it can be very entertaining, when one or more big flights from the US come in.

 

I think driving on the wrong side of the road anywhere tends to be self correcting. Call it evolution in action.

 

US drivers have a hard time negotiating rotaries even when everybody agrees to drive on the right side of the road.
They've recently put two in my town and I can sit and watch them for hours on end.

They glitter brilliantly in the evening sunset from all of the broken reflective plastic.......

 

If prius is not made in EU, you have to pay import tax, so that drives the price higher and / or profit lower

 

Correct side here - the left.

 

That's just not RIGHT !

 

'tis a matter of perspective

 

It is NOT right! It is Left!