According to sources giving information to Bloomberg, Toyota is poised to announce 2010 Prius pricing TOMORROW, April 21st. This is a day early from most PriusChat forum member guesses, but I don't think anyone will mind. Here's the real juicy piece of news: Toyota plans to cut the base price of the 2010 Prius by $1,000 down to $21,000 compared to the 2009 Base MSRP of $22k.
2010 models should be available at US dealerships by the end of May, but don't expect the $21k base Prius to come to the US shores until later in the year (end of summer maybe?).
So the real question is: What will the base Prius include? As you may know, the "base" Prius that we currently have information on is called Prius II (model 1223) and includes AM/FM/CD with WMA/MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, remote keyless entry, driver door Smart Key System, power door locks and power windows with auto up/down control, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver seat vertical adjust, Push Button Start, electronic shift lever, 60/40 split fold down rear seats, Touch Tracer Display, Front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, STAR® Safety System, active front headrests, EV/Eco/Power modes, Multi-Information Display, 15” alloy wheels with wheel covers, halogen headlamps, rear wiper, heated outside mirrors.
I think that this $21k Base Prius is the yet-to-be-talked-about Prius I (model 1221) and will include AM/FM/CD with WMA/MP3 playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, remote keyless entry, driver door Smart Key System, power door locks and power windows with auto up/down control, cruise control, tilt/telescopic steering wheel, driver seat vertical adjust, Push Button Start, electronic shift lever, 60/40 split fold down rear seats, Touch Tracer Display, Front, side, curtain, and driver knee airbags, 4-wheel disc brakes, STAR® Safety System, active front headrests, EV/Eco/Power modes, Multi-Information Display, 15” alloy wheels with wheel covers, halogen headlamps, rear wiper, heated outside mirrors. There might be a few other features missing, but I don't think Toyota will go as far as the Japanese base Prius and take out the audio system. The base Prius in Japan is right around $21,000.
What else do you think they'll take out to reach the $21,000 price point?
