2009 Prius BIGGER and FASTER (Yeah better mileage too)

[acdii]

Oh you poor Niche people. Afraid that Toyota will come out with a car more people will buy! You all sound like a bunch of whiners who have an elite product that only a few own and now everyone can have one.

I had a Prius, had to get rid of it because it was too small. Had it been 4" wider, I could have kept it. Toyota is looking to sell this car to the majority, those who need the room of a Camry or other large sedan, and want the ability to get high MPG at an affordable price. Families who currently are stuck driving an SUV or Minivan because putting two car seats in a car doesn't give any room left over for a third person may look at the new model to see if they can fit in three children. The fact they are giving it more power while improving economy is great, making the car roomier inside while giving it more power while improving efficiency is even better. Had the Prius had the interior space in the front and rear seat that the Camry has, along with the front legroom, it would have remained in my fleet, but sadly, it had to go as it just wasn't practical for us. So far the Camry Hybrid that I got a week ago is fitting in much better for us.


Wah Wah Wah, grow up people is only a car.

[SureValla]

if you think the prius is only a car you dont belong on this website my friend

[spf]

Originally Posted by acdii

Had it been 4" wider, I could have kept it. Toyota is looking to sell this car to the majority, those who need the room of a Camry or other large sedan, and want the ability to get high MPG at an affordable price. Families who currently are stuck driving an SUV or Minivan because putting two car seats in a car doesn't give any room left over for a third person may look at the new model to see if they can fit in three children.

I agree. For families who want to do long road trips, the current Prius cannot accommodate the luggage. A little bit bigger Prius will appeal to the masses, although wouldn't this cut into the Camry's sales? Toyota would then (to me) have two cars of similar size and price competing with one another. Or am I missing something?

[Winston]

Those of you who think Toyota is getting it wrong are ignoring Toyota's history of success. This new Prius sounds typical Toyota. Also, a foolproof way to increase sales. Better = Bigger, Faster, better mpg. It is a tried an true developement formula for most carmakers. While some automobile writers will bemoan the fact that the car is bigger, it will sell better than ever.

I bet the Gen I owners were upset that the Gen II was bigger! Did they all dream about the mpg they could of gotten if Toyota had not made the Gen II bigger?

One important thing to note, it sounds like the Gen III is not going to be heavier than the Gen II.

[David Beale]

-IF- this report is accurate (and I give it a 50% possibility), I think some posters on this thread may be uninformed.

First, the claimed change of engine from the 1500 cc to the 1800 cc may be for more than power.

It could be the current 1500 cc engine is at its' limit of development, meaning Toyota can't improve it much further re emissions and efficiency. To develop a completely new 1500 cc engine would be expensive.

So I suspect the Toyota engineers choose a newish engine they currently produce to modify to the Atkinson cycle, one that allows much more design flexibility, without the large development costs. The one Tideland mentions has huge potential for tuning.

Just because the engine has a larger displacement doesn't mean it will be less efficient. In fact the numbers in the report show it's better than the current setup.

As far as cabin size, the current car is sort of "in the middle" between small and mid-size cars. If Toyota is moving it up a bit, perhaps it's to make room for a new "small hybrid" model. Part of the previously mentioned "Prius line" of models (this is not new, brought up a few months ago, and even discussed on this forum by a dealer/sales member).

The Prius is obviously a success, something that was not certain five years ago. It's time to use that success and develop a line of hybrids people can associate a name to (Toyota Prius). In other words, the current car has done its' job, demonstrating the viability of the THS II. So the next step is to move on with a line of equally successful cars, of graduated size for more market penetration.

Personally, I look forward to this, even though Pearl may become "obsolete". Hey, it's a computer controlled car, and computer obsolescence is nothing strange or new!
Pearl will continue to provide many km of happiness. In fact, I laugh now when I fill up with fuel! I was right to buy a Prius! Woopee!!

[scotttyb68]

I have some bigger guys who work for me and they are amazed at how much roomier the '08 pruis is compared to how it looks from the outside. I don't really need more power, if I wanted a muscle car I would have bought one. But I would like to see the car use the batteries more at 45 mph or slower.

[rfruth]

I don't want / need bigger faster, how about a lower cost Prius !

[C.RICKEY HIROSE]

Toyota conducted survey saz,

Bigger is good : ( People wants more space and room for cargo )
Faster is good : (Hybrids no longer slow, brisk acceleration needed)
Better gas mileage: ( Gen III ,THS III, superior in every other way)

Toyota needs a bigger chassis platform so can share its platform with other Toyota Hybrid vehicles coming up in its Prius lineup.

Toyota Hybrid vehicles has to be faster than current models because
the trend is demanding a briskier accelerating and better vehicles.

Toyota Hybrids has to be more powerful because people will need to
tow and haul more weight, people and cargo comfortably.

Toyota Hybrids has to get better gas mileage than what current smalish
body and weighted Hybrid could attain. It is the III gen THS III...

In sum, Bigger+Faster+Better mileage, is where the Automoblie trend is headding.. and Toyota does not make too many mistakes..
"Toyota-Moving-Forward" Bring it on, Bigger,Faster,Better mpg Hybrids.

[bsoft]

I think that it's good.

Look, I like the Prius just the way it is. It's the right size - holds 4 comfortably and has enough cargo room for day-to-day tasks. It's maybe a little too small for long road trips, but I don't do those very frequently because it has become surprisingly expensive.

I'm not in the "high MPG" crowd. I average around 46-48 MPG in the summer. Part of that is because I accelerate too quickly. Part of that is because I take lots of short trips.

I think anyone who believes that hybrids are some kind of long-term solution is kidding themselves. This is a stopgap measure that can help to mitigate an increasingly severe energy problem.

If you want to save the environment, ride the bus. But most of us (in the US) don't live where there is good bus service, which means that riding the bus is a major inconvenience.

So, when you get down to it, driving a hybrid is a compromise. It's a particularly good one - you give up pretty much nothing and use about 1/2 the energy in the process. There are always things that you could do to use less energy (bike, bus), but those require more sacrifice.

There's a problem, though: people don't see hybrids as "no-compromise". They think that hybrids are small and slow, thanks in part to popular media reports. The fact that the Prius is faster than the average vehicle from the 1980s doesn't dawn on people. The fact that it has more usable space than even the huge behemoths of the 60s (such as the Ford Galaxie) doesn't seem to matter. It's the perception, like it or not.

You see, the Prius is the flagship hybrid for the industry. It represents more than 50% of hybrid sales. When people think "hybrid", they think "Prius".

The current Prius is a compromise. You could make a smaller, more fuel efficient hybrid. Honda did it with the Insight, and we all saw how that turned out. Most of the people here own a Prius, so they think that Toyota made the right compromise.

But there are many people who still think that the Prius is too small and too slow. If Toyota can make the Prius a bit larger and a bit faster, it might go a long way towards shattering that perception. That means that more people will buy hybrids, which is a good thing.

From the NHW11 (2001-2003 in the US) to the NHW20 (2004-now), the Prius got larger and more powerful, and fuel economy got better. Now, maybe some of you wish that Toyota had kept the Echo-style body and improved fuel economy even more. But the fact is that many of the people who own a Prius today probably wouldn't if it weren't for the increased size and power.

No one is saying that the new Prius is going to be an Accord hybrid, or even a Camry Hybrid. We're talking about a vehicle that is slightly larger and moderately more powerful than the existing Prius. Most of the increased power probably comes from an upgraded electrical system, which is probably good for fuel economy. And while the new engine has larger displacement, it will also be a newer, more efficient design.

Some of the same things that allowed the NHW20 to have better economy also allowed it to have better performance.

[patsparks]

Originally Posted by genalex

Maybe you have wider streets down under. Here in NJ, you don't turn wide in local neighborhoods unless you want to play fender tag with the guy coming the other way.

My last glass car was a '96 Camry, before that an all glass '86 Accord.

I tried looking at the left curb while making a left turn and no way could I see it through the small triangle window, it was well below that. Now reverse that for your part of the world. If you are looking at the edge of the road through this small window you are turning very wide.

My point is you look where you are going to put the car, and that isn't the curb along side you, it is too late to put the car there without going backwards and having another go at it.

As far as the new Prius goes, I don't mind at all if it is a little bigger and faster and more frugal. I think by going up a little in size leaves room for a smaller, Yaris to Corolla size hybrid to come in below it, Prius compact maybe?

I have no idea why anyone would want a 2 door of the same size as the current Prius. Id rather see an MR2 size and similar layout, great fun!
When will Toyota enter a hybrid in rallying?