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

^^ Yes, I meant 'stand out to me.'

 

Is this the same car as in the original spy photo in this thread:

2013 Toyota Prius C Hybrid spy photo - Concept Car

 

i dont think start button is that much of expense anymore, in Toyota Europe, almost every model gets it at some level of equipment.

they probably want to give sophisticated look to the hybrids.

p.s. while this looks a lot like Yaris HSD, it seems wider than new Yaris... It seems Prius level of width. Quite possibly it might be literally shortened Prius, which would be cool.

 

The only way to get 60 mpg or over on a Gen2 Prius-
is to hypermile or add a li-ion plug-in battery.

On Cleanmpg.com's mileage logs there are some
Gen2 Prius hypermilers who are reporting over 75 mpg!

While the more aggressive Gen3 Prius computers makes
getting slightly over 50 mpg on a Gen3 easy - that same
programming which is more complex and aggressive
than a Gen2 also makes its more difficult for hypermilers
to coax the Gen3 Prius to get over 65 mpg. Most
people don't hypermile though --so having a more
aggressive computer programming on the Gen3 Prius
to *lifts* the fuel efficiency of the larger non-hypermiling
population will have a greater impact (than catering
to the much smaller hypermiling community).

The only hope hypermilers might have is to have
a driving "mode" and gauge display which makes it
easier to hypermile (if such a thing exist).

that being said...

The prototype of the Prius C has a slightly smaller
frontal area but probably a slightly higher drag coefficient
than the 2010 Prius. The front engine compartment
looks smaller so my guess is that it has a slightly
smaller engine too. A smaller engine means that
the Prius C will likely have less mass than
the current regular/standard Prius. A shorter length
also means that the Prius C will be easier to park
and will be easier to manuever in tight spots.
Rear wheel covers (like the 1st gen Insights)
might help lower the Prius C drag coefficient
but the main source of drag from the air
turbulence which is caused by the notchback design
remains. However, this drag only becomes
a signficant energy drain when the car goes
over 45 mph.

While I already have a 2010 Prius III,
For the record I think the Prius C prototype is rather cute.
It sort of reminds me of the 1990's honda civic
hatchback designs albeit the Prius C
prototype seems to have smoother edges and curves.

Walter Lee
2010 Toyota Prius III oem floormats
Yokohama Avid S33 (48/44 psi)
ScangaugeII (AVG, Fwt, SoC, GPH)
no grill blocking
odeo +12750 miles/ 59 mpg overall
best tank 66 mpg worst tank 52 mpg.
Dc/MD/VA area

 

carbon fiber ... I'm guessing the body only ways 50lbs.

 

Short city commutes aside, what you call hypermiling I call normal Gen II operation and regular high speed drives.

 

Toyota themselves have already stated that they project the Prius c will get the highest MPG of any available standard hybrid.

So I don't see why there has to be a conflict between "regular" Prius owners and supporters and "future" Prius c owners. If you can exceed the 50 mpg EPA of the 3rd Generation Prius? Good for you. And I've heard that often. Whatever the EPA of the Prius c turns out to be...I'd expect you'll have a great number of people claiming to routinely surpass that number as well.

 

I'd agree with that. The Prius c is obviously designed to be marketed to "new" and less affluent Prius drivers. There are one heck of a lot Gen 2 Prius drivers (hundreds of thousands) so if you are thinking it would a purchase path for those drivers, probably not what Toyota intended. But by the time they get the 1st Prius c out the door, Gen 2 owners, like me, will have a lot of choices when it comes time to upgrade.

If a Gen 2 driver's budget was in the low $30K, they would have the option of getting something a little roomier in a nicely equipped Prius v Three, the Prius Five with the tech package, the Prius Four with the Solar Roof package, a base Prius Plug-In, and the smaller, sportier Lexus CT200h. If your budget is in the upper $20K, then you will looking at a Prius v Two, Prius Three with Solar Roof package or a Prius Four. But there's nothing in the rules that says you can't pick a Prius c if you are coming from a Gen 2. And an up optioned Prius c might suit you just fine as will a Prius Two if you are not willing to spend more than mid $20k.

 

I'm glad you can see it from my point of view. I think my decision would be about accepting the chance of out of warranty repairs on a '07 Gen II vs getting a new Prius. In terms of price, I was lucky to buy in April '07 when they were sitting in the lot. A year later they were selling for more than I bought it.

 

I don't think this is budget oriented. if the Prius c is sporty and nets more MPG than the other models then it doesn't matter if someone's budget is less than $20k or $50k. If it suits their needs and desires then they will buy it. When I go to purchase a new car in the next few years I will be able to afford a Prius v but that is not what i want. I'd ratehr have the Prius c if it gets 60+mpg.

If you are all about keeping up with the Jones then buying at the top of your budget is the thing to do but that is not how everyone operates. Especially those who are good at saving money.

 

So does everybody think they'll be offering a Prius c Two, Three, Four, and Five? Seems their marketing department is trying to reinforce this numbering scheme by offering it with the Prius and Prius v to get away from the confusion with the 2010 Prius V.

 

Prius' are the coolest cars ever manufactured.

 

Looks like that might be target mpg if Toyota says this will be the highest mileage Prius and the estimated mpg of the Plug-in Prius is suppose to be 55 mpg after the EV battery has been depleted.
2012 Toyota Prius PHEV (Plug-In): Features, Pricing and Release Date - GreenHybrid.com - The Interactive Hybrid Car Resource

 

Hmm I was also thinking if you are going to buy a second car and your primary now is a truck or big SUV and you have a beater on its second engine, this would make the perfect second car for those 2 car families. The Prius c price point, if kept low enough, would be irresistible with the mileage savings. Now to overcome the numb thinking that bigger is safer, that's a whole other matter.

 

Good luck! lol people are so stuck on that idea.

 

IF this car was available we probably would have got one instead of the Fiesta. I am hoping when the lease is up to get into a c or possibly a Focus EV, it really depends on how things are looking. It is nice already driving a subcompact so this car won't feel small if we end up in one.

 

I guess I'll have to reserve judgement until I see it without the ugly camouflage. I liked the concept car they had. As others have said, this looks almost exactly like a regular Prius.

 

2012 US Yaris seems considerably smaller to me than that Prius C photo.