Prospective buyer: What changes could happen with 2017 Prius?

welcome! it's usually a mid model refresher. so based on 6 year model life, any exterior changes likely won't appear until late 2019.

 

I do not expect any changes (paint colors maybe?) to the Prius Liftback, but Toyota will introduce the Prius Prime with different cosmetics and a much larger battery. (It will seat four)

If I had to guess, 2019 will include cosmetic changes to the Prius Liftback.



Thankfully, I have never purchased any car ever for cosmetics. (I have owned some ugly cars!)

 

there are a couple new threads tonight, have you read them?

 

no, because the car is brand new, not even being released until late this year. there is no 2016, i'm not quite sure what you're asking?

was this really necessary?

 

apologies, when you mentioned the prime, my brain locked.

so i would have to say there likely won't be any change to the prius until fall of 2018.

 

No changes , except maybe colors ,and depending on 2016 sales and gas prices , costs could change a bit

 

I'll admit to having owned a Chevy Vega (what a steaming pile) if you'll tell us what ugly cars you have owned.

 

1976 Mazda 808 Mizer station wagon http://gomotors.net/pics/Mazda/mazda-808-wagon-05.jpg
1979 Mazda GLC station wagon http://www.curbsideclassic.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/mazdaglcwagon-79.jpg
1989 Toyota Corolla All-trac wagon http://www.outbackimports.ca/images/sale/07/07-06-2f-CorollaCaribWagon.jpg
2001 Subaru Forester http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/Automotive/Entity/Chrome/v2/543._SY200_CB192201289_.jpg

 

sorry. i grew up a henny youngman fan.

 

That one looks like an early prototype of the 2016 Prius.

 

@bisco, please use the "Edit" button instead of posting one liners.

Oh... the fortunate few who actually have an EDIT button! Mine is still MIA.

Regarding the 2017, I would like to see all the lights be changed to LEDs. (interior & exterior) And I wish the "Z" tail lights were also used as the brake lights. That would really be an attention-getter. And I believe ALL 2017 models will have the Safety Package as standard equipment?

 

Not in the "tools" box? Mine is.

 

None of the Gen3 Liftback models came out in the fall. The 2010 came out in Spring 2009, the later years came out real close to (or even slightly after) New Years.

Except for color changes, 2011 was identical to the later half 2010s. (Late 2010s had several changes from early 2010s.) After a 2012 mid-cycle refresh, 2013 also had nothing but color changes. Any changes for 2014 and 2015 were too minor for me to remember.

 

Check out Toyota Prius - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - for an overall picture of Prius history.

The first Prius was basically unchanged (some tweaking only) from 1997 to 2003 with 2 almost identical looking variants - the first was a Japan only iteration.

The 2nd Generation was again, basically unchanged from 2003–2009.

The 3rd Generation looked, in a lot of ways, similar, different front, different interior, slight change in overall profile, but very little change to taillight overall design from Gen 2 to Gen 3 (ie very similar tail-lights from 2003-2015). The Gen 3 was out from 2009 to 2015 with almost no external changes during the 6 yrs except colours. There was a mid-model tweak of equipment and other almost un-noticeable items in 2012.

The current, 4th Generation was released in late 2015, in early 2016 to USA, mid-2016 in other countries. At a wild guess, I'd be looking at 2020-21 at the earliest for a new style, particularly the tail.

TOYOTA, as with all manufacturers have rolling changes with software changes, changed parts, but essentially you wouldn't generally know about them happening - the car will look the same. Some updates happen to software etc when your car goes in for service as well.

However - we get used to the look. The 2nd Gen Prius looked decidedly "ODD" and guppy like, or as one person I know said, a bloated whale. But, now in 2016, to look at a 2nd or 3rd Gen is probably more normal than some other "odd" cars - less odd than a Corolla/Auris, Yaris. RAV4.

You could buy a Gen 4 - and be ahead of the world. I thought the first photo I saw was weird, but with 5 months waiting to see the real thing, when I saw it, it looked - only a bit odd. From photos, the darker colours look less ... odd, but we've only seen white ones in my area of the world.

 

They might adjust the package offering and the price, but nothing else for the Prius 2017. I don't expect to see any major (or even minor) aesthetic change for a good 2-3 years at least. It just came out.....