Spy Shots: Toyota's baby Prius C spotted for the first time

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1. Price
2. Most purchase volume comes from people who do not spend time on car enthusiast sites. You gain a very skewed perspective if you think PC at large is representative of mainstream America.

 

As to price, it is moot unless the car shares components with other vehicles. When you setup an assembly line and program the robots, it doesn't make too much of a difference on what they are doing. They have 5 or more axises of freedom so weld angles and component placement can be done for the same.

Most people on automotive forums (much more so than just PC) prefer the look of concept cars to production cars. The few times I have shown people images of the concept car versions of their current car, they drool.

 

Is it me or it looks like it has something heavy in the rear. Rear wheel under body spoilers are new. This car should get over 50 MPG on the highway.

 

I didn't mean that PC is a unique snowflake among car forums, but that car forums do not well represent the taste of the mainstream buying population of the car.

As for price, part of the attraction of a concept car is the expensive wheels, custom paint job, LED lights, custom interiors, and expensive materials. Moreover, style decisions in concept cars tend to ignore prosaic issues like weight, aerodynamics, handling and safety.

The GM Volt is a good example. The fans *loved* the look of the concept, but when GM figured out the aero rating the concept design was thrown in the trash and GM chose a Daewoo Prius knock-off.

 

In the extremely rare case when a car manufacturer thinks its going under and prematurely decides to scrap their resources, they may end producing the concept vehicle which is all they have left, after realizing they're still in business. I think that's what happened with the Cadillac CTS.

 

What did the Volt concept looked like? any pics to share?

 

I hate Reality... If only I lived in a Concept world.

 

Tony, they might have stayed true to form but the subtleties of low roof line (concept) and exagerrated wheel wells and oversized hood make a HUGE difference.

Did anyone else notice the CEO is slimmer in the concept picture? LOL.

 

Concept looks horrible on the Volt. Its like someone took a dodge 300 matchbox car and chopped the top.

Good god that is ugly.

 

That's not the CEO. This is the current CEO: General Motors | GM Corporate Officers.

GM's been cycling thru CEOs ever since the bankruptcy. That guy doesn't look like any of them. I can think of Waggoner, Henderson, Whitacre and now Akerson.

 

IMHO the concept does not look any better than the production version - actually the Volt is better than the concept...

 

Yeah its definitely a Prius but the standard Prius looks higher and the rear wheels are not quite as far back. As far as the hood, might have to put a smaller engine in it although it looks like it might have the 1.8L. No extra side window space particularly for rear passengers.

 

Above or below the "main" window?

edit. oh rear passenger window. I thought you meant the hatch. Yes, most definitely there is a second part of the window there. All cars have that second part behind the door. The window that's covered up will definitely confer nicer lines.

 

Maybe this will help:

 

Actually I meant they cut off a lot of the rear window for the rear passenger by increasing the rear "post" size. That's a wee bit more dramatic picture that demonstrates the loss of length of the Prius c.

 

It has steel wheels. If the production model has steels, it will be the first. It makes sense to keep the price as low as possible.

 

Either way, it is going to be a good looking and functional little hatchback. I wished they had kept the headlights of the concept, it would have had a much more futuristic look, but combined mileage of 55 or above, priceless!

With 4 Prius models on sale in 2012, the Prius brand should put camry numbers in sales.