4th generation coming 2015!

There is NO concensus on "Styling"!

 

Weirdly enough, that's one thing I see over and over and over again in the reviews of the Prius.

1) Styling is poor.
2) Drive feel and acceleration are poor.

And I say this as a person who is on his third Prius (2001 Gen 1, 2004 Gen 2, 2012 PiP).

 

I thought it was interesting that the Ogiso book indicated the (Gen 2) Prius was originally designed to be easy to get into and out of, like a minivan. I always wondered about the high seating position and roof, and assumed that it was necessary to be aerodynamic while also fitting in the hybrid drivetrain. Maybe it was just an ergonomic choice? If so, we now have the Prius V to serve as a minivan, so the liftback is free to be lowered like a typical sedan. Wouldn't this tend to improve mpg's? The biggest downside I can think of is the ease of ingress/egress, which may be why Toyota keeps emphasizing the appeal to youth? Maybe "styling" has less to do with the redesign than ergonomics, utility, and efficiency.

 

Why does one need the opinions of "reviews" when you are the perfect reviewer!

Some of the same reviewers describe this as "Stylish", some do not mention anything about its look, Go figure!

 

The Prius v makes for a lousy minivan. Somehow they've managed to DECREASE legroom in the Prius v vs the gen 3 Prius. Not only is this reflected in the Prius v specifications, it's made the Prius v a complete non-starter for me as a family car, because of my rear-facing child car seats. My child car seats are admittedly larger than average, but they're still common ones. They won't actually fit properly in the Prius v, even though they fit OK in my Gen 2 Prius and in my PiP.

The point is a lot of people don't like the styling, and therefore they refuse to buy the car partly for that reason. We are not part of that demographic. Presumably Toyota would like to see more people buying Toyota cars, and one way of doing that is to change the styling of the ones where people have consistently criticized the styling.

Ironically, I like the styling of the Gen 2 and Gen 3/PiP. What I don't like is the poor rear visibility as a consequence of that styling though. Mind you, I really didn't like the styling of the 2001 Prius, but I got that car anyway.

 

I just worry that Toyota will compromise MPG improvements for the sake of styling and sportier performance.

 

At my next tire purchase, I will compromise MPG for the sake of lower road noise, by going with quieter non-low-rolling-resistance tires.

 

At 50mpg combined, the current Prius has only two real competitors on fuel economy in the US; the Accord hybrid with 47 combined, and the Jetta hybrid with 45. The gen4 with likely get 55mpg. If it only appeals to the same customer base, a few MPGs more aren't going to make much difference on the US gasoline consumption. Correcting the perceived flaws will grow sales, and get more people from an ICEV to a hybrid.

 

Agreed, but the competition from other hybrids is much fiercer in Japan. For that reason alone I can't see Toyota sacrificing mpg's.

 

So, you are happy Prius liftback is currently selling in something like 25th place of all sedans in US?

Obviously, legions of customers are more than happy to buy a sedan that gets 30 combined give or take a couple.
Prius needs to be a GOOD VALUE for the money and now it's looking like a poorer value and seems to be stacking up on dealer lots.

I'm not saying it needs sportier styling. I think it should retain its shape, but it needs more appealing overall look outside and and it needs to LOSE the WEIRDNESS INSIDE.

 

True now...but not so the next time a "hiccup" occurs in OPEC-land and runs prices up & over $4-$5 or more.

There's a HUGE difference between drivers who "plan" for tomorrow and those who merely "let it be" (sorry Lennon & McCartney).

 

I think they can make the changes to making it a more compelling buy in North America without sacrificing the MPGs. Cargo utility will likely go first if it comes to it.

In Japan, the Aqua/Prius c is Toyota's mpg champ. A 81.1mpg to the Prius' 76.7mpg on the JC08. It is also the more popular model in sales. While the Prius numbers do beat it at time, those numbers also include the alpha/v sales.

And people will buy the Prius then because of the fuel economy, but they want like it, and may come to hate it for being 'forced' into buying it. When it comes time to replace it, they'll ditch it for something else. Perhaps something not as thirsty as their car before the Prius, but having people buy your product out of necessity isn't the best way to build consumer loyalty.

 

The Camry XSE is profiled in AutoWeek and said they about the seats:

"The seats are supportive, too, I’m assuming these are the sportier versions, but I’d option them in every Toyota they make."

 

Nice, looks like the same seat in my 2012 tsx SE!

 

I've been blown away by 2015 Prius C and V frontal makeover. Mind you not in a good way.
Has Toyota's Styling Gone Too Far? | PriusChat

 

I agree that the rear door's window arch is odd. Most of the styling is overlayed with taped on disguises. There does appear to be a new dash with an information display popping up.

 

Well it's either the popup display from the CT200h, a Garmin type Nav unit or cell phone.

 

This body style may be one of several early built prototypes, but, I would not be surprised if offered in Liftback and Sedan(trunk), knowing that they can put the battery between the front seats or under rear seat; just speculating!.

 

Or it could be the byproduct of TNGA. Meaning that the door is designed to be shared btw sedan and hatchback.

 

Thinking it will not be just the Liftback, although I prefer a Liftback for myself!