2020 Prime Tidbits (North America)

Don’t worry, we trust you, @Tideland Prius. And I hope you are right.

By the way, this is the first time I have heard of Amazon Alexa integration in a car....?

 

It does seem odd that the press release talks about everything else except Prius, as they clearly had one there. I also come up empty from any other source when Googling, which is odd since if this lady had access to the vehicle, I am sure other media people / bloggers / etc. also would have as well? The video was posted 4 days ago. I am also inclined to think she does NOT represent Toyota (at least in this video), or else she probably would have had access to the keys to show the electronics lit up, as that is a significant aspect for this vehicle....

I assume there will be more media coverage on the car in the next few days.

 

Also, the more I think about it, the more I believe the lady is mistaken with her information about Alexa. She is probably confusing the functionality with Siri/CarPlay, since your (seemingly reliable) source says something different and contradictory. Also, it doesn’t make any sense as to why Toyota would invest in Alexa integration in the Prius rather than the standard of CarPlay, like everyone else (and virtually every other 19/20 model in their own lineup...)?

 

Easily solved in the current car, I bought a "cigarette plug" 2 USB port device.

I borrowed my wife's mini spare for the trip to New Brunswick for "just in case". She wouldn't be needing it since she was in the car with me. Can't use our cell phones in Canada so calling CAA wouldn't have been possible.

And I put in the "missing" 20 PSI before I put it in my car. Had done that on daughter's car when she showed up with the mini on her car. Sure wish Toyota made it easier to check and "top off" the mini spares in cars that have them. I would guess that the vast majority of mini-spares in cars of all types are well low on pressure because people don't check them.

 

So is the 2020 Prime seats finally perforated?!?

 

Getting the cargo space back would require far more re-engineering.

No fault in the logic. If only Toyota had applied it to use the spare tire space for the battery.

The company generally imposes a black out period for releases by invited press.
I'm guessing(didn't watch the video) this lady wasn't invited, and somehow got access to an off limits area.

 

Cell & Stack arrangement changes are common practice. There's no need to exaggerate. As the market evolves and battery tech/cost/build improves, new pack design is the outcome. That's a nice benefit traditional vehicles don't have and lots of potential still awaits. The industry is only just in beginning stages of high-volume pursuits.

 

I really only want two features:

1. Fix all the confirmed software bugs.
2. Lane trace assist.

The other thing I'd want is cloth seat availability in all levels. Of course, covering those damned Softex seats with custom covers has fixed the problem so a simple $500 reduction in price for Softex versus cloth would be fine too.

 

It takes more effort to do so than replacing the current Prime rear seat with one from the Prius.

 

At risk of going OT, what are the ‘confirmed software bugs’?

 

There are quite a few. I'd have to get a list together.

 

Fixed with TSBs, right? Otherwise not confirmed as bugs. Could be undocumented features.

 

Not fixed. Definitely bugs.

 

Yeah, stop exaggerating.

In seriousness, though, a worthy endeavor.

 

I was thinking the same thing. Are there major differences between the rear seats of a Prime and a Not Prime? Could you just unbolt the Prime's rear seat and replace it with a non Prime rear seat?

 

"Bug" vs "undocumented feature" depends on which side of the PR fence one is on.

Even those of us inside a software-producing company were nearly ROTFLMAOing at an official "undocumented feature" statement on a 'feature' that had no known upside whatsoever. Only someone with extreme self control could refer to it as something other than a bug without breaking out with a red face.

 

I haven't heard one way or the other, but then you'd also need to figure out the seatbelt installation.