It seems to me that the so-called first generation Plug-in Prius is really an enhanced third generation Prius. The Prius Prime is really something new. I would suggest returning the Plug-in Prius to the third generation forum and treat the Prius Prime as a new Prius model with 2017 being the start of the first generation.
I've always said that the Pip was a G3 with a bigger battery, a smaller fuel tank, and no OEM spare tire. This offends the sensibilities of some the first adopters out there who paid for them, but...hey....there ya go. I just call them Pips. They're compliance vehicles....or a warmed over G3 with juuuuuuuuust enough hardware and software to qualify as a PHEV. I looked at the Prime launch vid, and I'm not sure that the PP is much more than a G4-PHEV with a different hatch and Dodge Charger rear lamps. I'm really happy that they gave the new PP a real-world PHEV capability, and now only the price point and how the vehicle looks would keep one from being on the short list for my next commuting vehicle. The Prime seems to be a bit further removed from the G4 hatch than the Pip was from the G3 hatch----but not enough IMHO to be regarded as it's own Prius Subtype....say, like the C-type or the small-letter-v. I'll probably continue to refer to it as either a Pip or a maybe a "Prime." BUT that's only one person's vote. We'll see what the market says.
My G3 has 95,000 miles on the odo, and there has never been more than one person in the car except for about 10 miles worth of company required driving observations. Even my POVs very rarely have more than 2 souls on board. The 4-versus-5 argument just means that I don't have to listen to people fussing about the lack of a third set of seat belts when comparing the G2 Volt with the Prime. Let the comparisons begin....ah.....when each are available.
well look, we all have our own story to tell. it's more important what the majority of car buyers think. i just don't see a whole lot of 4 seaters leading the way. it's not always about a fifth person, though it's nice to have the ability to cram someone in from time to time, instead of say, sorry, we can't take my car. it's also about filling the back seat with trash.
The fifth seat is more about a spot for a child seat. It is possible that the Prime could have the LATCH points for putting a child seat in the middle, but I think that would still be counter to taking the model up scale.
You can't put a child seat in the rear middle, the bulky arm rest with cup holders is raised about 6 to 7 inches and there are not anchoring points for this given location
Personal injury lawsuits have pretty much abolished the concept of 4-seaters in which the rear center position is not physically obstructed to prevent a person from sitting there. My 1984 Ford was among the last of the cars honestly labeled as a 4 seater without obstructing that rear center position. Somewhere, some partying teenagers crammed a fifth person in there anyway, never mind the lack of a seat belt, then had a crash that fatally launched her through the windshield. Lawsuit for lack of a seatbelt. Now all cars that size put a seat belt there, regardless of how ridiculously tiny the space is, unless there is a permanent block to prevent 'reasonable' people from trying to sit there.
