Sneak Peek of the New Prius

[ibmindless]

It's the new scangauge-type display that makes active use of the OBDC port.

[TJandGENESIS]

Nice screen shot...but that spy shot has me worried. Is Toyota going backwards with the 'shift' knob? I mean, one of the things I love about my '05 is the shift on the dash.
I used to tell people, that with the Highlander Hybrid, '07, that the reason they had the shift on the floor, was because people aren't ready for a shift on the dash like the Prius, and that I would hope the next gen Prius would have the shift just be on the screen...push 'D' for drive on the screen and so on. THAT would be a step in the right direction.

Said the retro driving enthusiast, who knows which way is forward, and which way is backwards.

[Tideland Prius]

doubt it. If they are to appeal to more people, a regular shift is a good start. Annoying? yes. How hard is it to learn something new? Apparently for a lotta people, hard enough to not want to buy a car.

[wchardin]

It does seem odd it have it in the "new" location. With it there, it seems like it will be easy to grasp to select the gears, maybe even too easy. The new placement looks as if they are placing a manual shift knob there. I know it won't be a manual, it just seems like its dead center in all the action. I enjoy the location of the shifter now, but life is about change. I agree with the comments that they are trying to appeal to the masses.

[KMO]

.

[KMO]

If they are to appeal to more people, a regular shift is a good start. Annoying? yes. How hard is it to learn something new? Apparently for a lotta people, hard enough to not want to buy a car.

Then what's the point of the Prius? Everyone's introducing hybrid versions of normal models. If Toyota want to have a hybrid-only vehicle that's supposed to somehow be special, then it has to be a bit different. Otherwise they might as well just call it an Auris/Corolla hybrid. Seems like a big marketing failure to try and make it like all their other models.

[spwolf]

sweet

[DeadPhish]

Originally Posted by KMO

Then what's the point of the Prius? Everyone's introducing hybrid versions of normal models. If Toyota want to have a hybrid-only vehicle that's supposed to somehow be special, then it has to be a bit different. Otherwise they might as well just call it an Auris/Corolla hybrid. Seems like a big marketing failure to try and make it like all their other models.

Building and selling hybrids is not an exclusionary activity. It's a business with the intention to get as many fannys in seats as possible. It's business where the bottom line is volume and profits. Nothing else matters. How that activity is dressed up is part of marketing. The only metric that really matters in the end, because this is just a business, is how many people actually purchase and drive the vehicle. The more the better.

If making the Prius slightly more 'mainstream' accomplishes the goal of getting more drivers into Prius' then several valuable goals are attained;
more drivers driving the most fuel efficient vehicle using less and less dino fuel and creating less and less pollution all driving in a more concientious manner to best utilize the vehicle's best features.......while also making more and more profit for the manufacturer. Synergy

[zenMachine]

Originally Posted by TJandGENESIS

I would hope the next gen Prius would have the shift just be on the screen...push 'D' for drive on the screen and so on. THAT would be a step in the right direction.

Until your screen goes bad, then you can't drive it anywhere...

[Dion]

That is a small splash and I guarantee you that if the spy shots are real the LCD is where the speedometer is to cut costs. I mentioned this in the spy shot thread.