Featured Prius C is discontinued

We got the FOCUS Activ here - and the WAGON (hint TOYOTA, we'd like your Hybrid Wagon):

 

It's occasionally worth remembering that they're only discontinuing the c from the USA.

It's still selling well in Japan. It has not dropped off the top-10 list since it was introduced 7+ years ago. Most cars need a second generation to pull that off, and the Aqua did it with tiny facelifts.

It's as if Ford announced they would no longer be selling the F-150 in Belgium.

 

Yep (I put some statistics in post #13).

But I later noticed this in WIKI:
Since its introduction, a total of 1,154,500 units have been sold in Japan through January 2017, representing 83.6% of the model global sales.[18] In addition of being the best-selling new car in Japan for three consecutive years, 2013 through 2015,[21] the Toyota Aqua is considered the most successful nameplate launch in the Japanese market of the last 20 years.

AND

As of January 2017, with 1,380,100 units sold worldwide, the Aqua/Prius c is the second top selling TMC hybrid after the regular Prius.[12] The top market is Japan with 1,154,500 Aquas sold, capturing 83.6% of global sales, followed by North America with 192,700 units.

 

The minute statistic I haven't been able to find- is the Aqua still in the running for fastest-to-2-million-units produced/sold? It was for a while.

I draw a lot of confidence in our choice of this car simply because Toyota has had a lot of practice building them. There just don't seem to be any rough edges or details not considered at this point.

 

If you GOOGLE something like "Japan best selling cars", you can (maybe) find the per-quarter figures - my post #13 shows 34686 for Q1 2019 - and add them to the "January 2017, with 1,380,100" figure above, you might be able to extrapolate something - assuming that sales are still 83% Japan?

 

Japan has some of the most snowy areas in the world and many people who own cars live in mountains or other rural areas so no, that's not it. (Like literally, the deepest snow packs in the world are in Japan and several villages are UNESCO sites for their deep snow). The use of cars is very different though, public transit and walking are prevalent compared to the US and people accept being unable to access certain areas with a car. For those in super snowy areas, Toyota has offered an AWD Prius in Japan for a long time, but it's unwise to drive at all in these areas if snow is heavy.

 

Once upon a time, the US got the Focus wagon. I remember it had the same amount of cargo space as the Rav4 of the time.

Toyota choosing not to supply the US with their own Yaris may have played a big part of why the c was cancelled.

The rest of the world should be getting a new Yaris next year. I expect the Aqua will become a badge engineered version soon after.

 

Our company carpool had only Toyota vehicles to drive (I worked for Toyota). The vehicles we could use for company trips were Avalon, Camry, Rav4, Prius , Prius C and Sienna. The popularity of vehicles people choose where- Avalon, Camry, Sienna, Rav4, Prius and Prius C in that order. If multiple people went on the same trip the Sienna jumped to the front of the line for most desired vehicle.

They actually began using a vehicle reservation system because of the undesirability of the Prius C. People who would get assigned the Prius C for trips where sure to raise hell about it. Through the reservation system they would just say you should have used the system to reserve a more desirable vehicle.

I would try to reserve the newer Prius I have always been attracted to that vehicle and really enjoyed the technology and efficiency of that vehicle. I thought they were very enjoyable to drive.

 

My 2005 Prius wasn't the most comfortable car for long trips. I don't see how a smaller Toyota could be better.

 

Prius c sales fell steadily every year from a high of 41,979 in 2013 to just 8,399 in 2018. There's no business case for numbers like that, and certainly not enough demand to continue selling it. For comparison, Porsche sold more 911s last year than Toyota did Prius c--and the 911 has a much higher profit margin.

I'm sorry you feel personally offended that Toyota chose to discontinue it, but--you already bought one, and so did everyone else who wants one, apparently. Manufacturers don't care about brand loyalty unless it translates into sales.

 

The FOCUS WAGON 575 litres, RAV4 580 litres. But looking at them, I suspect the FOCUS has greater "acreage" - it doesn't look as high, but appears to be greater floor area - need to have them side by side to be sure, and I'm certain the dealer would not be happy with that idea!!!

Pity the FOCUS isn't Hybrid (or Diesel).

 

I own a Prius C & I own a Nissan Titan. I weigh 147 lbs. But then everyone in my family is built like a stick. I'm not sure people drive trucks because their fat though.

I personally like the looks of the C, and this is the first I've heard of a leaking timing chain cover. Doesn't the C utilize an updated Gen 2 ICE? I'd have never purchased a regular Prius however. Their just too darn ugly. Especially the newer models. I grew up working in the dealership (GM/Toyota). For as long as I can remember people here have always liked "bigger". From the old Impala's to the Avalon. Now it's SUV's and pickups. But their pricing I think is starting to hit a cap so this may be about to change or at least "peak". One can only hope.

 

The comparison I made would have been for models from the late '90s. The values would also be EPA, which is cubic feet rounded to the nearest whole number. 5L would be about one and third gallons.

I think the minivan/MPV based on the Focus platform had a diesel option in Europe.

 

Since your location shows as "Kentucky", I understand that perfectly.......since it is a LONG trip to get anywhere from Kentucky.

Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

My family is on our 4th C.

Some of the short term decisions that are being made today will look pretty stupid when the gas price goes WAY back up again.......and it will, it's just a matter of time.

At least companies who still sell their small cars overseas will be able to recover fairly quickly.

 

Not a direct causal relationship the way you stated it.............
But there IS a relationship.

 

Yep, we had Diesel till 3 or 4 years ago. I had a 2008 6sp Man Diesel FOCUS - probably the best car I've ever had. But when I went to replace it, they only were selling it here with PowerShift Twin Clutch which I didn't like, so bought a FIESTA Manual Diesel.

 

Not if its too your local bourbon distillery

 

Kentucky is home to Toyota Motor Manufacturing of Kentucky which may still be the largest automotive manufacturing plant in the world, Toyota Powertrain Assembly Plant, a Toyota Engineering Headquarters as well as two huge Ford Automobile Assembly Plants and home of The General Motors Assembly plant for the Corvette. It is also home for the support industries for all this automotive manufacturing such as huge Johnson Controls Plants for Seat Manufacturing etc.

The Kentucky Plant is also considered the Mother Plant for the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Plant in Indiana and provides assistance to Toyota Plants in West Virginia and Alabama as necessary. The Toyota Plant in Kentucky was a big contributor to staffing the Management in the Toyota Texas Plant. When NUMI in California went belly up after General Motors abandoned it many of the Toyota California workers were absorbed by the Toyota Kentucky Plant.

Currently Toyota Kentucky makes the Avalon, Camry, a Lexus model and is ramping up to manufacture the new Hybrid RAV4.

The southeast is an Automotive powerhouse hosting large automotive manufacturing facilities from Toyota,Nissian, BMW,KIA, Hyundai,General Motors, Ford and many more.

Kentucky is in a great position geographically to be involved with this automotive manufacturing explosion in this area.