4th generation coming 2015!

The tax credit doesn't carry over.

 

Can't find a good enough image of the Accent on google to see the similarities. I feel like most cars are trending toward this newer Corolla look and NS4 - even the new demo models from Honda look like these cars.

I think it's the age we live in. 90s were boxy cars, 2000s were more alien looking and smoother, 2010s we see more slanted and smoothed out headlights and now larger grills. It's interesting for sure. One car that was ahead of its time was the Prius, I'm seeing more and more 1st gens popup and it's not a bad looking car, it's quite unique!

Here's another article from the Motley Fool
Surprisingly, This Is the Hybrid Vehicle Going the Extra Mile for Consumers (F, HMC, TM)
stating people are waiting for the Prius 2015 model lol. I know fool is read a lot, but as the title suggests, is it taken seriously?

It also mentions that Toyota notices the larger hybrids (like the Highlander) are taken for longer trips with families vs the Prius. I'm wondering if the next Prius V will finally be a larger family version vs 5 seater (aka Prius +/alpha in other countries).

We will see. The question is "when" will we see?

 

Wow um...spyshots of the Fuel Cell Vehicle: Toyota To Start Fuel Cell Vehicle Production In December

To start production in September. It doesn't look nearly as sinister as the concept (which is a shame). Uh...well I'm sure that Toyota won't overlap their huge brands (reason they did the Camry Refresh and not any other big vehicle).

So like someone predicted...Fuel Cell Vehicle first! Probably at LA.

Then maybe NS4 because it's been shown so many times.

Then next gen Prius.

Puzzling though, article mentions the familiar Synergy drive, not the new one. Perhaps Toyota is having trouble with the new system after all but won't disclose it. Argh. Spy shots came out last year, and now this, but yet this will come out in 6 months!?

 

We don't know if the NS4 was even greenlighted. Expect it to be the fuel cell vehicle in Japan, then the gen IV prius in america, before the fuel cell vehicle in america. We don't know the date of the next gen prius or fcv in america yet, but I would think toyota will rush exports before working out possible bugs with the fcv in japan. Its much more likely to have production problems than the next gen prius. The rumors of Q1 2015 for the next gen prius have been there for a long time, and included the reason was that toyota was developing a new platform. The hybrid bits are probably well tested by now. When the new platform is ready and tested they will release it. Unlike the fcv, where they want to get people to wait for it, toyota is going to keep the date of the next prius a bigger secret, so that it doesn't hurt gen III prius sales as much.

 

austingreen,

I read the article about the fuel cell Toyota and was interested in the accompanying pictures of the camouflaged test mule. I could not help but wonder if it was the G4 Prius ..... with the non-wedge shape, the low hood, the A pillar moved forward????

 

here is the camouflaged gen IV prius we can't really tell with that much cladding what it looks like other than the roof and windshield.
2015 Toyota Prius Spy Photos – News – Car and Driver

Other details have more speculation
Details emerge of new engine, batteries and much more for the 4th-generation Prius

Now for the disapointing detail

That means toyota won't be able to take advantage of lower us production costs, and the car will likely cost more in the US than if they built it here. I am still guessing value to US consumers will be better than with gen III, as there are a number of cost reduction techniques available in this next car - but I am guessing Japanese politics will keep prius production in Asia (currently assmebled in Japan, Thailand, and China).

 

austingreen,

I certainly cannot take exception to what you are suggesting, and the picture displayed. My only point is that more recent rumors (since the above photo was revealed) we have heard much more talk about Prius moving away from the wedge shape, lower hood, moved A and B pillars. The thought just occurred to me that the picture of the mule in the hydrogen article may be an updated mule????

 

Are turning a corner on a flurry of new car news from Toyota? Granted, this site is not as good...and the concept is kind of crazy, a new PCU for $70k!?

Granted again, another article suggests model year 2015?

I was on the side looking around for a used PiP because it makes sense to my commute. Got to a dealership who's salesman actually new quite a bit and said "We won't know anything until the last second" - he didn't know if the 4th gen would come out this year or not. He didn't even know if the FCV would but he heard about it.

So as for the "person from Toyota" at the last dealership and training...I don't know. But it makes sense Toyota is pushing their fuel cells vs 4th gen first, keep the 6 year cycle etc...

Silicon Carbide Semiconductor Reduces Hybrid Vehicle System Size - The Green Optimistic

 

No the heavily camoflaged one that car and driver showed would be more likely. The fcv may not even end up looking like that other car, it may be just a test body. The cloth in the picture may indeed be hiding a lower hood, and the a piller looks like it moved and changed. The back and b pillar look a lot like our gen III though. With all that material in the photo, the front of the gen IV may indeed look very different than the Gen III, but it will still have a family resembalance. I have on inside information though, so if you have a good source, believe them more than me.

For the US the rumors are that the gen IV could come out end of this year, but its more likely next year. It could be a 2015 or 2016 model year, but is most likely a 2015, with the 2014 selling until the new one is ready.

The fcv definitely won't be sold in the US in 2014, but likely will sometime in 2015. I would expect it to have a 2016 model year.

The next gen prius is waiting for a new toyota platform which should reduce cost and weight. The fcv is on its own timeline, and is a compliance type car. Hydrogen compliance cars were promised by 2012 in california, but only honda and mercedes have leased them to individual customers so far.

 

It is extremely unlikely Toyota will do open road testing with a mule that looks like the actual next generation car - all it takes is for just one person to get near the car, take close-up photos etc. and everything will be out in public after that. It was the same case with the Lexus NX, there were various photos taken of camouflaged test mules but the final version didn't resemble any of them.
Just looking at it next to the actual Gen3 shows how close the designs are - even the latest Auris/Corolla is significantly different to its predecessor and we were told almost 2yrs ago that the Prius Gen4 was going to be the first car to feature the new streamlined Toyota TGNA platform.
So essentially, Gen 4 will:
1. Have the next generation HSD
2. Be based on the TGNA Platform
3. Get a new ICE based on recent revisions to Atkinson engine technology
To me, normal logic says with all these anticipated changes, the likelihood that Toyota will want to retain this much similarity with Gen3 is very low

 

Anyone know of an updated release date of the 2015? Seems Toyota has come out with a 2015 model for all except Prius...I have been waiting patiently to possibly replace my 2010 with a 2015, but it seems some release dates I have heard have come and gone.

I wonder if Toyota is running into some problems with the design process or in trying to improve MPG over the 2014 model. Some articles have suggested that even after the design changes that there wasn't a drastic improvement in MPG. Has Toyota done all they can do with the current hybrid design and have now moved their research efforts toward fuel cells? With all the delays in the 2015 I am beginning to wonder whats going on? Maybe its all the testing required to make sure the new design is "recall free"? Any thoughts?

 

Almost all in the same boat. I have a feeling a lot of people with the 2010 model will upgrade to 2015, and I think a very good share would go to the plugin version. Just a hunch.

To answer your question, no idea.

One salesperson at a dealership mentioned that they had training with Toyota from actual corporate people. The question was asked and the guys shot back saying 2015 model was a carry over, 2016 will be gen iv.

Another salesman, granted he didn't mention anything about training simply stated they won't know anything until the last second. That's how it works.

 

westy72658, if you read back several pages, you will see that your questions are asked, discussed, and remain unresolved post after post. No answers have been forthcoming from Toyota, or any of the automotive magazines or sources. Several quote "senior Toyota personnel," but so much has been contradictory. There have been several artist depictions, and they vary from very interesting to downright butt ugly (in my opinion). There have been so many rumors about battery chemistry, overall weight, AWD, NS4 inspiration, abandoning the wedge shape, but few rumors have gained consistent traction or been determined reliable.

In my opinion, cmth has summarized it best:
So essentially, Gen 4 will:
1. Have the next generation HSD
2. Be based on the TGNA Platform
3. Get a new ICE based on recent revisions to Atkinson engine technology

I am not sure why so many 2010 owners are anxiously awaiting the G4. For me, it is simply that I think the 2010 was an absolutely wonderful vehicle. I now has almost 100,000 miles on it; I have driven it across the country and back 5 times; it has been rock solid dependable, efficient, and comfortable, but the miles are accumulating, and I want to replace it soon with the same (but improved) technology.

One, normally well informed, California contributor, *implied* that she has information (she didn't say it and I do not believe she has actually seen the actual design, but she *implied* she had seen overviews of possibly key concepts) and she stated, the new design "will knock your socks off." Hopefully, she is knowledgable about what she speaks. Her words encourage me to be patient, and not rush to judgement, or bail and buy another brand. I have enough confidence in Toyota that when the new Prius is released, it will "be right." I can wait. My 2010 still has plenty of comfortable, efficient and dependable miles remaining.

 

My brother in law, when he worked for a Toyota Dealer, told me the same thing but added that I would probably know before he would be told.

 

I love my 2008 prius! It is my second Prius and I am looking to buying my third. My reason for replacing is similar to the one mentioned above in that my odometer just ticked over 168,000 miles. The car has been flawless! I have never had a single breakdown and the only thing I can say negative is it is starting to use some oil. That is normal for an engine with that many miles. I drive 120 miles round trip to work and this car has saved me thousands over the last five years.

I am hesitant to buy the 2014 when a new generation is coming in the near future.

If the current design is going to carry over to 2015, I wonder why Toyota hasn't come out with a 2015 model? That is one of the points thats keeps me wondering if the gen4 may be sooner than later.

 

Which is why Toyota won't say anything until the last second I'm just trying to understand the test mules...Only one we saw was over a year ago. And we see the Fuel Cell vehicle, but like how are these test mules conducted. Why the design pattern and how do articles determine which car it is? lol

Looks like camouflage, but at the same time, it's not. Is it supposed to distract you from the design?

 

They need to conduct testing of the vehicles, that is why they use test mules. Sometimes the mules only are testing the drive train concept. Toyota used the highlander for the fuel cell test mule, because it had lots of space to put things like hydrogen tanks and monitoring equipment. They didn't camouflage becaue they knew the final car would probably look nothing like it. On the new fcv we don't know if that really is the final metal, but they let people drive them, so the press knew that is was the fcv. It is mild camouflage so that it won't look right in pictures.

For the gen IV they know its the gen IV prius because that is the car coming up to bat, and toyota is very secretive about the look. They can have fake parts under that cloth to make it look very different than the car underneath. They want every one to see the car, when they are ready to show it, not while they are testing the hybrid bits in the real world. It probably had final sheet metal, or nearly final sheet metal, and wants to control when everyone sees the new prius.

 

Speculating on these 3 models (Fuel Cell ev, NS4 Plug-In & Prius/PIP), Toyota may reveal one at a time in Los Angeles, Detroit and New York Autoshows and I would like to see this instrumentation on GenIV also. NS4 on Vimeo

 

I watched the NS4 on Vimeo ...... waaaay to many hand motions. The ultimate "driver distraction."

But, I assume it is a prototype that may be the basis for a real product. We will see.