It would be fine with me for Toyota to create a "Prius" brand, it would not only water down the Prius name, but slowly eliminate the green-halo enjoyed by the Toyota brand. What other models would be marketed under the Prius brand? SUV's, large sedans, sports cars, pickup trucks? i would think Toyota has learned its lesson with "Scion", much the same way that GM learned the hard way with Saturn.

Oh God Please make one a mini-van. Make a US verision of the Estima

a mini van is sorely needed. there has to be an option for 2+ kids and camping gear that does better than 30 mpg

Perhaps Mr Lentz was reading my posting in Priusonline, I dreamed then but it looks it is becoming reality,
here is what I wrote then.
>
Wishing A Happy, Healthy, and Prousperous New year 2008 to all PriusCentis & Dreamers.

This posting is in anyway pertinent to Toyota's future marketing. Solely personal perspective.

I'm going to dream for the new year that: Toyota is going to do the following.

What I want is: A stand alone Prius Hybrid franchise, consisting of: Prius ( Various models PLUG-IN ) plus the Camry Hybrid, plus the Midium sized SUV and Compact and large Trucks, Sport car, all under the Prius umbrella. Let us have the Prius Brand as an "Off Spring" of Toyota Brand.

Prius Brand: "To come before" with echology,technology and economy for us the future generation to come, and already here ! nice naming indeed. What you Guys and Girls do say?

There is already out there, a hard fact deployment of_ Stealth Marketin' plans_ of future Gen III Prius-plus and its siblings.
I know, Can not say, till "Spring Snow Melts", All these Prius branded New Gen Plug-In Hybrids, LoL.... 2008 year, deployment of the multi-models of " The car that shook the World-all over again "!

It is well known within GM that Saturn has never made any profit for GM. Even getting GM's best product first the sales numbers have been a dismal failure. Toyota needs to stick to its core business and not get full of itself like so many predecessors have. Then again it would be good for me so how about it toyota, lets have a Prius badged line of hybrid toyota's!
Scion
Prius
Toyota
Lexus

Things are different now though.

When GM exploded into many brands, the products were basically just copies of models available elsewhere.

For a "Prius" line, that wouldn't be the case. The vehicles named "Prius" would be successors... long-term planned replacements intended to phase out non-hybrid vehicles once sales justify the shift... which is what the core business will become.

.

Ditto on the mini-van: 3 kids, wife, dog, cat.

A Prius brand specific to the US that is MADE IN THE USA would be very attractive for me.

I know some people are very disappointed with US automakers and their greed, lack of foresight and poor quality, but they are getting their just due. I still feel we need domestic auto manufacturing facilities here, even if foreign owned. IMHO, very patriotic of Mr. Lentz to try and bring more of it here.

I like to see A-BAT becoming the Prius truck.

as long as they ome up with better names than they did for scion.

prius g3
prius r7
prius b9

eh doesn't sound that good

You are correct...Saturn is believed to have just taken business from other GM brands. The loyal fans of Saturn had dedication to the vehicle and business model of the dealers...similar to the same loyality of Prius owners. And many still do...

The Saturn asset and problem...GM had to make Saturn a totally independent company to keep the "bad business" away from Saturn. So instead of using the GM overhead support groups (Accounting, HR, management, etc.), the groups were created just for Saturn.

Toyota should be careful with too many brands. Focus will be lost on the core nameplate...Toyota. The success of the Prius is amazing...fixing something that is not broken is risky.

But who knows? A Prius brand could be the right thing for Toyota. It would show considerable more committment to HSD...depending on their approach.

Regardless of it being branded solo or within the Toyota umbrella

1) Give us a Hybrid Minivan! Please! Pretty Please! We love our Sienna, however, I'd gladly give it up for an equivalently reliable Hybrid Minivan. My wife would thank you, my kids would thank you, my Golden Retriever would thank you.

2) Please do make a smaller, super hybrid. Something for the folks that commute but don't need to put people in the back seat of their car (the Prius can do that just fine). Have it get ridiculously good mileage and really raise the bar on other brands.

3) Please do NOT go the hybrid sports car route. If folks are going to buy a sports car, they are going to BUY A SPORTS CAR (Teslas not withstanding). Please see Accord Hybrid.

Here is why it makes great sense to create a separate Prius brand ... As every automaker is developing hybrids, unlike "hybrid synergy drive," "PRIUS" completely separates Toyota from the competition and gives it an elite brand status with respect to hybrids. By expanding this "Prius" name out across more models, the success of the Prius name will be carried throughout all Toyota hybrids and not just be limited to one model. I'm guessing that this is exactly what Toyota is thinking. On the contrary, if hybrids fizzle out (like Scion seems to be doing), then it Toyota can cast it away without it harming the mainstream Toyota name.

Fast forward ten years .... At first, ICE Toyotas sold better than Prius hybrids and EVs, but then hybrids and EVs far outsold ICEs, and now Toyota is only the corporate name - the public knows the company as "Prius." Grandfather Toyota is disappointed that the company no longer bears his name.

How unfortunate that this seems to be happening.

The "welcome to Prius post" a couple of days ago looks different now with maybe another "piece of the puzzle" on the table.

If this happens, with the creation of a new dealership network, management and infrastructure, it will not make the company better-that's been shown before as other posters have pointed out.

A switch to hybrids and EV's by the public will weaken the Toyota brand, not strengthen it, if the vehicles are marketed within a different brand. The public will not be more inclined to choose such vehicles under a new company moniker. I always had the concern that there had to be an unnecessarily fancy Lexus version of the Prius...too GM for my liking.

Spend the money on development of the sort of non-ICE vehicles requested here, badge them "Toyota" and drop the unpopular models, letting the Toyota fleet adapt to the needs of the public. That's good business, not selling the cars of the future under a new brand. It hasn't worked with GM, it didn't work with Scion, and I would have thought Toyota was smarter than that.

I'd rather see the USA get over its toy truck fetish than see a hybrid truck with a Prius badge on it. Maybe a penis enlargement clinic could open for those not happy with their manhood along side each small car dealer. Would that help?
A people mover with 7 or 8 seats would be good and a hybrid which can tow a caravan or boat but it doesn't need to be an F150 replacement.

The Prius has been an anomaly, it is still the only hybrid to sell in any real volume. Do you really think a Prius minivan or crossover is going to be a big enough seller to justify the investment for Toyota? Toyota has proven with Scion that two makes in the US is all it can really handle. A separate brand for the current prius and a people mover of some sort?