Toyota Plans Affordable Hybrid to Compete with Insight

It will be a smart move for Toyota. A mini Prius can claim the lowest price hybrid AND the highest MPG at the same time!

The Insight is at the bottom of the compact class, with 100.9 cubic feet (the federal standard for compact is 100-109.9 cubic feet).

2010 Prius's combined cabin and cargo space is 115.6 cubic feet which is in the middle of the mid-size federal standard (110-120 cubic feet of combined interior volume). 2010 Camry has 115.9 cubic feet while the Camry Hybrid has 112 cubic feet of volume.

 

i think the options for cars will be greatly expanded here with the right political environment.

EVs, both NEV's and highway could be popping up from a dozen sources here if the government would get the right climate going. plug ins, super small efficient hybrids, etc... the original insight was a good idea, but priced too high. it was about the same cost as the Pri. get a stripped down version for $18-20,000 that gets 60+ mpg on EPA testing and that will sell.

get a mini-van that does the mid 30's and that will sell. get an EV that does 100+ miles at freeway speed for $25,000 and under and it will sell.

tons of available markets here. all currently empty

 

Why do I have this feeling that Toyota may have already tested a Sienna minivan with the same drivetrain used on the Camry Hybrid?

(It's not as far-fetched as it seems, since the Sienna is derived from the same platform used on the Camry.)

I think it's even possible for Toyota to offer a Sienna hybrid minivan using a modified version of the Lexus RX450h drivetrain, but then the minivan would end up costing around $40,000!

But seriously, I think Toyota may be looking a reduced-size Hybrid Synery Drive system that could work on a smaller vehicle. Maybe they could put it in modified version of the Toyota iST (or Scion xD as it's known in the USA)?

 

geeus...i said $25,000 not $45,000.... might push to $30,000 for the mini van, but i dont think it go much more than that

 

I think Honda's product management and marketing team have made a very shrewd move.

Even though the Insight is not in the same class as the Prius size wise, to many consumers looking to buy a hybrid this may not be that big of a deal. Technical differences aside, the Insight will allow more people to enter the hybrid market who previously were priced out of this segment. And the timing of its release couldn't have been more opportune, as people are even more cost conscious these days than before.

I also think it's great to see Toyota having to react to this new threat. I'm a bit surprised that they didn't see this coming...

 

well for Honda to do anything else would have been a mistake. the insight has no new technology to speak of so having two hybrids at the same price point would be foolish

 

According to the report, the Prius-lite model won't be available until 2011. It seems to me that this was an afterthought and not part of the original Gen3 lineup.

 

I believe the unannounced Insight competitor will be the Mark I.

 

True. If they did, they probably wouldn't be ready to launch it in 2011.

Nevertheless, I believe Toyota got a little blindsided by Honda's decision to compete on price. Had they anticipated such a move, they could plan for the Prius-lite to come out around the same time as the Insight, not 2 years later. Who knows how much of the hybrid market share Honda will have grabbed by then.

All in all, I think it's great to have this kind of competition. In this case those who can't afford $23K still can buy a hybrid car. The Japanese sales number seems to indicate Honda has struck a sweet spot.

 

Jim - What is the "Mark I" you mentioned?

 

Ha ha. Omniscient? Heck no. Studious? Oh yes. But know that you'd be surprised about what we were actually surprised about. And as far as looking reactive, well, we have 10 new hybrids coming globally in the next few years... we're bound to look reactive with some of them. Goes with the territory.

Can't wait til I can share some of these secrets, BTW... too bad I'm good at keeping them (that, and I want to keep my job)

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

Careful, now, I may decide to sit on my hands and wait for that sports car or the A-bat!