Does anyone have any insight if the 2015 Prius is still being manufactured on the assembly line? It seem that most car manufactures have the 2016's models on the line now. I don't understand why the 2016 Prius is such a secret. Even dealers have little knowledge of the 2016 Prius.
I have asked that same question repeatedly. I am told, that is just the way Toyota does business. Most other manufacturers tout their new designs, and cater to the auto magazines. They build the hype and anticipation. I argue that buying a new car is something most of us don't do too often, and there is a need to plan. There are decisions to be made, such as putting new tires on the old car, or buying a new one. There are other new offerings that look so good, many have defected from the brand. I feel Toyota could have kept those buyers, with some encouragement and "baiting." Look in the magazines, and you will see several "first test" of 2017 designs showing up. I do not accept the argument that the sales of 2015 vehicles would be hurt by too much information. In truth, I enjoy the reading and studying, more than the actual purchasing. So, Toyota disappoints me in that regard. I suspect, without knowing, that Toyota has experienced problems meeting the expectations for the G4. A 10% improvement over an already outstanding fuel efficiency is a difficult challenge. Then we all heard upper management X'd the design for a more youthful appearance. I suspect, again without knowing, that has been a challenge for the design department. In my mind, the G3 was a winner. As a designer, I can see areas where upgrades could have been made while keeping the iconic look. Several of the "artist conceptions" that we have seen are downright ugly IMHO. Finally, I find it interesting that Toyota wants a more youthful appearance, when younger people cannot afford the vehicle. Perhaps, "youthful" means something different in Japan than it does in my mind.
yes, the 2015 is still being manufactured. they will announce the stop date like they did with the pip. they sell too many lift backs to stop production too early before 2016 retooling. expect the '16 later than most manufacturers.
Yes, most car manufacturers are still producing/shipping/selling their 2015 model year in August 2015. Toyota Prius Assembly Line in Japan
Remember that it's been delayed by 6 months. Also, why cannabalize sales of the current 2015 model (esp. since there's that 6 month delay) by letting the secret out so early in advance? Toyota is probably making money off the current gen Prius so let the discounts continue and let them sell more of the current gen before they close the plants to retool. The U.S. is one of the largest markets for the Prius.
Heck, based on some of the artist depictions we have seen, the 2015 just might be in high demand after the 2016 is revealed.
Everyone has different tastes, so don't discount the drawings that were released. Plus most cars look better in person then in a drawing or picture. That certainly holds true with the Miria.
arenji - Naturally I agree with you. In addition, most of the early drawings were magazine sketches based on what? rumors? Toyota has revealed nothing to my knowledge, at least in terms of exterior appearance. I am more troubled over the "story" that Toyota executives x'd the original G4 design, wanting a more "youthful" appearance. That could be anything from french-fry paint to an x-box dashboard. LOL. Come to think of it, the G4 may be just a virtual vehicle. You think? I do not know how to read the test mules sightings. If they are really 2016 mock-ups, they appear to carry-over much of the G3 iconic shape. But might they be heavily masked G3's with G4 innards? After seeing pictures of the Hyundai "Prius killer," a few may have even been Hyundai's. We shall see, I suppose "later than sooner."
2015 Plug-in Prius PiP is out of production and there is no 2016 PiP See Dianne Whitmire's thread to get a PiP while they last.
Does anyone have any faith in this chart which states 2016 Prius production starts Nov 30, 2015? I do. Link taken from TPschaefer's thread : Toyota Cars: Build-out and Start-Up Dates Build-out / Start-up Dates | ARI Chart above states 'final production date' for 2015 Prius is Oct, 2015 and 2016 production startup is Nov 2015. I think it is safe to say that making a purpose built hybrid (and not screwing it up) is more difficult and takes longer than making a next generation conventional car.
If I'm reading this correctly: Toyota Cars: Build-out and Start-Up Dates Last modified on Tuesday, May 12, 2015 Then they've been building the 2016 Pip for 15 days now, and they've been accepting orders for them since May, but they won't start building the 2016 hatch (from which, presumably the 2016 Pip is derived.....) for another 100 days. Nope. Don't believe it. IF they build a 2016 Pip, it will probably arrive INCONUS next spring/summer-----or later.
