At long last the UK Toyota site (toyota.co.uk) has been updated with details of the 3rd Gen Prius range. As with the 2nd Gen, it's being produced in three models, "T3", "T4" and "T Spirit" T3 Package: 15" Alloy wheels HUD Drivers side smart entry 6 speaker stereo system T4 Package: as above plus... 17" Alloy Wheels Full smart entry Rain sensing wipers Cruise control Bluetooth hands free 8 speaker stereo system T Spirit: as above plus... HDD Sat Nav and music system IPA & Reversing Camera Colour options are: Tyrol Silver, Abyss Grey, Pure White, Pearl White, Vermillion Red, Orion Blue, and Black. No details on prices yet though - hey ho - little by little
In other words, pretty much as you were! All models get SKS now, where before none did. The solar roof is an option on T Spirit. Doesn't actually say 'sunroof' so could this be a whole-roof solar panel? If you look in the Gallery section, image 9 has the Safety Connect panel, the sunroof opening button, and the sliding inner roof panel, but image 11 looks like it has a solid painted panel. From the pictures, it looks like all Prius will have front fog lamps - my T3 doesn't have them. As long as it doesn't put the price up, I'm OK with that.
Is SKS a good thing? Personally, I prefer to positively know I've locked the car, by pressing a button on the fob and seeing the indicator lights flash. With SKS isn't it going to be like the fridge light, you have to keep opening the fridge door to see if the light is out
Hmm - I hadn't thought of it like that LOL. Having never had a car that has this option on it before I'm only vaugely aware of how it works in principle. Maybe one of our US friends can fill me in?
indicator lights still flash... frankly, smart entry is so convinient that i would never buy a car without it anymore.
Interesting set of packages. No mention of leather - I assume this will be an option. I wonder why they bothered to re-name the colours (I'm assuming here that Barcelona Red = Vermiliian Red). No surprise that the Sandy Beach is dropped - so 70's! And 2 x white colours. That Pearl White will deffo be an extra cost option.
So it there a cost of metallic paint also? If so I assume the red, blue and silver are the metallics. That just leaves flat black or white as the no cost colours?
I'm suprised they are charging extra for the pearl there, I was told that in the US there will not be an extra charge for the blizzard pearl... Usually pearl whites do incur an additional charge though. Maybe since you guys are getting a regular white they decided to charge for the pearl, whereas here we only get the pearl option... As for the metallics, I highly doubt there is an additional charge for them.
You'd be surprised. The current car I have is only available in yellow or red as a standard colour and all the nice metallics (blue, silver, black) are a £350 option. It wouldnt surprise me if Toyota UK configfure their price list like that as well. Though maybe the top spec car will allow you to choose at no extra cost.
Metallic paint is a £370 option on the current Prius, on all grades. The plain colours are black and white. I think Astral Black, on the new Prius, will be a metallic paint. 'Eclipse Black' on the new Avensis is metallic, and the only non-metallic option is white. I thought the colours would just be the same as the US model, just with different names, but Orion Blue looks quite a lot darker than Blue Ribbon Metallic (which is the colour I wanted).
You can still press the remote to make sure it's locked. If you don't do that, you MUST press the small black button on any front door handle (or rear hatch). SKS does not lock the car automatically - it only unlocks the car very conveniently. At least that's how mine behaves.
Yes, Pearl White is even more expensive than the regular metallic colors. They usually cost about 500 bucks extra. Bucks being euros in this case.
It's a $225 cost here in Canada for Blizzard Pearl (Pearl White or White Pearl Crystal Shine). Used to be $255.
Does it unlock the car each time you walk past the Prius with the keys in your pocket? Where I live it isn't possible to leave the house without passing close to my car.
No, you really need to move your hand towards the handle and only then does it unlock the car. We're talking inches here, not meters. Or feet. Or whatever you call it.
I noticed the other day that it does switch on the indoor light when I come "close" to the car with SKS key in my pocket (meter and half maybe). But to unlock the car, I really need to grab the handle or at least put my hand between the handle and the door (so, nearly grabbing the handle). No risk of the car unlocking unexpectedly, really.
The SKS was beginning to sound alright and then you mentioned the interior light and that would have me fretting about the possibility of the 12v battery going flat as I often go a week between driving the car