Major takeaway from the video is that by emphasizing sportiness it required the lowering of the overall look. That raised the point how the Prius went from more of a utility version to a sportier version & that makes it more of a niche. Their words .
I find it interesting that Toyota is moving the Prius towards a more niche "performance hybrid" since most of the other models are now available as hybrids anyway, and couldn't fill that role (like the Camry). If development continues along that line, we may see an even better performing Prius for the next gen. The price will probably get higher too though.
With rumors of changing the bZ name for their BEV naming, maybe Toyota will pull an 'Ioniqing' and just cancel the Prius.
Zero to hero? Not so sure about that. Gen 3 Prius was an extremely popular car. Gen 5 is hardly selling—it could easily be the least popular Toyota by far.
One compromise of the new Prius is interior room. Gen2 was described in some marketing and reviewers as a mid size car with amazing mpg. Gen3 generally followed that paridigm. Both were hot sellers until Toyota introduced another hybrid with more room, eg the Rav4 hybrid. Now it's the Rav4 in demand aided by North American factories. Meanwhile gen5 is smaller and less useful to families. Plus it has to be shipped from Japan.
They all had to be shipped from Japan. Didn't hurt the gen2 or gen3 sales. What did hurt were dropping gas prices and increased competition from other hybrids. Now most of that competition is from Toyota themselves. The Prius would no longer make it as an all around general purpose car when Toyota is making a Corolla hybrid in three body types. Max fuel efficiency is handled by the Aqua and Yaris hybrid. The Prius is popular enough at home to not cancel it, but it needed to change to keep from being irrelevant in the line up. Going plug in only would have worked, but the market in Japan for them isn't strong, and Toyota isn't keen on them. It is no longer a technology flagship; other models are getting tech and even new hybrid systems first. So, we got a sportier version. Which works as a replacement to the old Celica and Scion tC. It is only a matter of time before performance models in the line up get the hybrid treatment though. Hyundai is having success turning Ioniq into a sub-brand for EVs. I can see Toyota doing the same with Prius. The model will be canceled and Prius replaces the bZ on EV names.
I'm going to nitpick that the Prius doesn't get new hybrid versions first anymore. It was still the first to get Toyota's new 5th gen system. Toyota has introduced 1.5* other hybrid systems(the Max and i-Force Max), but those use the battery primarily for extra hp/torque, not for efficiency. For example, most of the Crown trims use the A25A and the 4th gen hybrid system and they get 41mpg. The Platinum trim uses the T24A and the new Max hybrid system and only gets 30mpg. *you could argue the Max and i-Force Max are a single system or two different systems, so I just said 1.5
"Now it's the Rav4 in demand aided by North American factories." Gen2s were hard to get (months) and commanded over msrp. I bought two in 2008 and flipped one for a profit. Toyota knows they can make 3-5 hybrids with the battery for one plugin. Their management stated this directly. Not quite. The 2.5L available for 6 years in a Toyota had 5th gen features like dual injection, electric variable valve motors on intake and lithium battery standard.
The 2L engine first showed up in 2018 with the Corolla and UX hybrids. The Corolla and the Cross got the 5th gen improvements before the Prius. A Closer Look at the Fifth-Generation Toyota Hybrid System - Stefan On Cars (on hiatus) There was a big spike in gas prices at that time. The market for the Prius would have been the same no matter where it was built. Rav4 hybrid sales might now be constrained by battery supply. Because that management underestimated plug in demand, and did not invest in battery sources at an earlier date. Wouldn't rule out them sticking with NiMH for too long either.
The engine used is independent of the 5th gen hybrid system(THS). But I'll grant you that the Corolla Hybrid debuted it slightly before the Prius. According to TIS, Toyota started producing the Corolla Hybrid with THS 5 in Sept 2022, the Corolla Cross Hybrid followed in Nov 22, and the Prius started in Dec 22. (At least for models shipped to the US.) A car is using THS 5 if it uses the 1VM traction motor. The dates given above are when the repair manuals switch from the 1NM to the 1VM. Or, more precisely, when they switch to the PA10, PB10, PB11, or PB12 transaxle. (It's much easier to search the repair manual for the transaxle than the traction motor.) You can have a car with a pre-Dynamic Force engine and THS 5 (current Corolla Hybrid). You can have a car with a Dynamic Force engine and THS 4 (current Crown). You can have a car with a Dynamic Force engine and THS 5 (current Prius). The complete list of US(and Canadian?) models that have both the newest engines and newest THS are: Corolla Cross Hybrid Prius (inc. Prime/PHV) UX 300h Camry
From my test drive, the main improvement in THS 5 is pedal modulation at low speeds. Otherwise, THS 4 is as good.
Oh, I'm not saying THS 5 is anything revolutionary. It's very much an incremental upgrade over THS 4. I'm just saying there wasn't any kind of big time gap between the first model to get it and the Prius. A three or four month difference is really nothing.
Corolla hybrid has the 2L as an option in other markets. Which is besides the point. Even if the Prius got released first, a few months isn't enough to hold the crown of hybrid flagship anymore. Looks like the Corolla will be the first to use the next generation of engines and hybrid system too.
I'd say it's more of a case of Toyota not needing ANY type of hybrid flagship anymore. Do they really need one when there are more hybrid models than non-hybrid models? (My quick count is 18 hybrid, 12 non-hybrid, 2 other for Toyota - 30/25/3 if you also count Lexus - US only) It makes much more sense for Toyota to implement any new tech in as many models as feasible as quickly as possible. And the Prius was still among the first to get this upgrade. 2023 was the first model year for any vehicle to get THS 5. I think the Prius will always be at the front of the pack when it comes to new hybrid tech, I just don't think it's going to alone at the front. How many are alongside will be determined by exactly where the other models are in their upgrade cycles and whether they can easily fit the new tech without serious modifications. I guess I just don't see how that's a bad thing.
There were 44,711 Priuses sold in 2024. The Prius sales were dwarfed by Corolla and Camry sales, but that is actually a good thing because you know you are driving a unique car if you own one.
It is a good thing. It just circles back to why even have a Prius hybrid in the model line up to begin with? Going for absolute best MPG differentiated it from other hybrid models in the line up. That wasn't selling the car in North America though. Plus, the Corolla is really close to it in a less polarizing style. So we get the performance trim, which only stands out without being able to get the Corolla with the 2L. Europe has that option(maybe AWD too), and only gets the Prius PHV. The Prius is here to fill the better performance Corolla hybrid role, cause Toyota won't sell those Corollas here. It also supports the factory in Japan to make the car for Toyota's home. PHV only here could do the same, but I think Toyota would run into battery supply issues doing that.
