Featured Can Toyota Save the Prius

Toyota can't save it, they're too busy burying it.

 

So that is why I’m hanging at InsideEVs.

Bob Wilson

 

I know that's right!

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Looking at worldwide sales of Toyota hybrids trend, I cannot agree.

 

Hyundai Ioniq done a better job only thing they need is to give heads up display.

Prius needs a whole redesign, dual clutch gearbox no CVT as like Ioniq, paddle shifters, Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.

 

Maybe Toyota has decided to move in a new direction, and that means the Prius will left behind. Car-buyers are fickle with an ever-changing appetite. Decisions have to be made to keep a company competitive. Unfortunately, what made sense 10 or 20 years ago, doesn't today, and won't tomorrow.

 

There is no simpler design for a transaxle as the e-CVT.
From the moment a dual clutch is fitted, I walk away from Prius/HSDs. Maintenance (fluids, at least) required and stepped gearing does not fit my purpose of a dependable and comfortable car.

 

I think there is truth to this.
To an extent I think Toyota is a victim of at least two things. One being their own success with Prius, they did so well with it, they made it mainstream.
Two being that now that Prius are "mainstream" vehicles, a lot of the mystique, panache, that use to surround buying and owning a Prius is gone, and that does make attracting 1st time even repeat buyers harder.

Vehicles do go through cycles however. You can only be the "New" coolest thing for a limited amount of time. Then you are just another product on the market.

When I first starting seriously looking at Prius and Hybrids I think Prius was at a high point. They had recently had the publicity of the Academy Awards presentation where most of the stars arrived in Prius. Gen 2 Prius had been incredibly successful, had a great reputation for reliability. I came in just before the release of Gen 3, and the excitement and anticipation for Gen 3 was huge.

I think Gen 4 is an improvement...it's evolution. BUT...as much as Toyota tried, I didn't feel the same level of excitement for it's release. When Gen 3 was introduced, you had a LOT of Gen 2 die hards looking to upgrade to the "New" Prius, and very excited about it. You also had a lot of new first time buyers of Hybrids coming to the fold for various reasons, but buying a Prius was the "cool" thing to do.
I remember being at this site, and posters so excited about being owners of the Gen 3, that there was informal competition to be the first in different regions. You also had people so excited about their Prius purchase they were tracking the arrival of their Prius, from Japan, over the Ocean to their ports and purchasing dealership.

I would hope Toyota continues with Prius, indefinitely. Obviously a huge spike in gas prices, would make their purchase more desirable to a lot of people, but I don't hope for that.
Toyota has put decades of support into Prius. To an extent they are a victim of time, and their own success. You can only be the "Hot" new thing to own...for a limited period of time. Recapturing that mystique is difficult.

I still think Prius is a great product, and even better with Prime and Gen 4. So it's a bridge I wouldn't hesitate to sell, or consider buying. But...I concede, I'm a Prius fan.
But since I still think a Prius is great product, and I still believe it's a product our world, culture can benefit from, I hope Toyota continues to support it, despite the challenges at the moment.

 

their sister product, the kona does get the HUD

Yea - Korea does seem to be killing it, when it comes to plugin products/innovation/cost. I guess the best way to look at the potential Prius demise is this, they haven't killed it yet, whereas GM did give up on the Chevy Volt. So I guess that at least is one positive way to look at it.
The thing is, what's going to happen to Toyota if/when Kia Hyundai starts building big giant pickup trucks & SUVs?
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we're not talking hybrids, just prius. but you're right, i'm a u.s. centrist. we just don't get enough discussion about world trends here, which are much more important than any one area.

 

Well - there is China, the largest Transportation Market in the world.

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exactly and you know who is doing a GREAT job forcing their hand

 

Starts?

They've been building trucks and vans for a while, just not in sizes appealing to the US market. Oops and that already changed too. It should be in showrooms in a few months.

 

Gen2 and Gen3 Prii were sort of small SUV's,...then:
For Gen4 Toyota thought the solution was to go more towards a sedan look and feel.
And I think that sedan styling was probably reflecting Japanese sensibility, but not USA.

While many of us like Prii hybrid, it is shunned by many Americans who do not like the green lable and Japanaese cars, and it is also shunned by the green crowd in America who feel BEV should be promoted and hybrids should be demoted. Politcally USA is pushing BEV in part probably because Toyota is hard to beat in the hybrid (and plug-in hybrid) space.

So hybrids are not dead globally, but in the USA we have some anti attitudes.

But as far as I know Gen4 Prii are selling like hot cakes in Japan (or they were a few years ago). So the article is taking a USA-centric look. I feel like Toyota USA is not being proactive as far as getting what Americans want. Like gimme back the g.d.v (excuse the vernacular). And the darth vadar front grills...damn .

 

globally, gas is $6.+ in may places

if looks are the problem, ionique etc. should be taking off. i don't think looks are a big part of the role, maybe a small part.
but they have attracted buyers as well, so, it's impossible to know the plus/minus.

toyota has acknowledged a certain amount of the role with the refresh.

 

What happens to Priuschat if the Prius dies?

 

Oh no!
Danny will have to get a real job!

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I predicted the sedanesque shift because the US is a large Prius market, and sedans are more popular here than hatchbacks. The decisions were made before gas prices dropped and SUVs took over car sales though.

I think taking the Prius more upscale than utilitarian in design hurt it. Having a faux trunk deck probably doesn't cargo carrying much more than the sloped rear window, but the gen4 got rid of all the other useful parts, like the second glove box, and made choices, like the white console, simply for the sake of appearance. It changed the character of the car.

I think it mainly comes down to price here. I owned a Matrix and a gen2 Prius. The Prius had extra tech goodies and features, but in terms of comfort and utility, the cars were the same. Without the sloped rear, the Matrix may of had a slight haul stuff advantage.

Without high gas prices, there isn't any reason to spend thousands more for a car. The model's good years here were when gas prices were high. People are either still driving the Prii they bought back then, or moved on to a car more inline to their wants now that fuel isn't such a big cost.

Then the non-hybrids got better. The 2018 Camry gets much better fuel economy than a five year old Corolla, and the V6 model almost matches the smaller car.
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In Europe, hybrids are doing well, but sales of the Prius are hurt by tariffs and the locally built Toyota hybrids.

Americans want SUVs. The AWD option might help sales, but I don't see the US getting a new Prius v over concerns of it competing with the Rav4 hybrid.

 

maybe gen 5 needs suicide doors

 

If anybody's listening, you may have just killed it.