Toyota Greenlights Prius Subbrand

Owch!

I was hoping to see something like a Scion xB hybrid. My concern is a Prius brand might not include vehicles that become small utility trucks or even a hybrid pickup.

There are a lot of small utility vehicles whose fuel and operating expenses come right out of the profit margins of service companies. I'm thinking everything from HVAC, plumbing, and other small contractors. But I don't see a credible supplier of hybrid utility vehicles.

Bob Wilson

 

The Prius box-truck would be great, but y'know I'd take an Estima
as a contractor van if Toyota had had the sense to bring them
to the US in the first place. They're still missing a huge
potential market here.
.
_H*

 

Glad this is going to give everyone a lot to chew on. And suffice it to say we're going to be a busy Prius Team for awhile!

Keep in mind a couple things regarding any future Prius brand. First, what really is a Prius brand? We think it should be a combination of elements that exemplify "Priusness". (Fun question, do you know what they are? OR put another way, what do you think they should be?) Depending on what you think that is, the scope of possible product options could be very small or quite big.

Second, a Prius brand would not exclude other models having hybrid drivetrains as well. In fact, quite the opposite, we've already said our goal is to have every model in the lineup have a hybrid drivetrain eventually. So fear not about small SUVs, trucks, etc. We'll get there.

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

A Prius mini-minivan would be excellent. Something about the size of the Mazda 5 - but with removable / folding passenger seats please!

 

I think "Priusness" includes:

1. Products at the leading edge (bleeding edge, at times);
2. Hi-tech emphasis, as opposed to same old, same old with a new package on it;
3. The place to find an EV;
4. High fuel economy;
5. Sensible sizing and weight for vehicles;
6. Not transportation for the masses, but the right vehicles for a whole lot of clear-thinking people everywhere;
7. Special technology often found only on "luxury" cars, but that works to make Prius cars better at what they do.

I probably have a lot of others that will come pouring out, but this is what I got to in 60 seconds.

 

If Toyota comes out with a "Scion xB hybrid" or similar I would be all over it. We routinely need a vehicle to haul bulky items but don't need the weight capacity of a real pickup. I would love to get rid of my 20mpg mini-van for a 40+mpg Scion xB no later than 2013.

 

You could have a whole discussion board for nothing but that question.

Your competition has a commercial that says, "it used to be that performance was about being responsive. Now, performance is also about being responsible." That's part of it.

Priusness is...
...the quality of feeling like a kid again when you're acting like a grownup.
...knowing that there's something cool about treading lightly on the planet.
...that feeling you get as your dash reads 60mpg, and you're passed by a teenager doing 60mph on the surface roads, only to meet up with him at the next red light.
...the sort of rebellion that makes an old man smile.
...a keen appreciation of good engineering as well as the knowing nod of being "in style."

 

oh gawd ... PLEASE tell me the subbrand will FINALLY include the PHEV version!

 

Hmmmmmm :tape2:

Hmmmmmm hmmmmm :tape2:

Cough :tape2:

Doug Coleman
Prius Product Manager
Toyota Motor Sales, USA

 

What he said! The Estima mini-van should have been the second hybrid vehicle over in the USA .:cheer2:

 

Oh-oh, Danny's gonna need more moderators and another website reorganization!

Still waiting for the Rav4 Hybrid...

 

"We think it should be a combination of elements that exemplify "Priusness". (Fun question, do you know what they are? OR put another way, what do you think they should be?)"

Prius = 1. value, 2. intellegence, 3. high-mileage, 4. reliability, and 5. a bit of whimsy.

I've liked the idea of Prius since the news first hit, but buying meant I had to buy value. Consumer Reports convinced me per mile this was the cheapest way to go, while driving a great car. The examples of intellegence fill several PC threads, but the essence is a smart car, without bragging too much. Green is necessary but not sufficient. A solid, long-lasting car must be incredibly challenging to build using new ideas and machinery, but I won't buy a car that doesn't shine in reliability. And the whimsy in the car, and your posts, provide the fun that some folks find lacking in Prius. That shifter light, your marketing, the overkill on mpg info on the display: all say serious but just a bit playful - "We remember there's a person behind the wheel." Good luck with the brand.:juggle:

 

Two versions:

• with glass and an approved 'camper' configuration, after-market outfit (aka., they have to be technically qualified to handle adding camper stuff to vehicle.)
• w/o glass - a utility vehicle ... made in the USA with left or right hand drive as an option (aka., USA Postal vehicles) and designed for fleet operations ... one designed just for urban, non-mountainous operation ... and City governments.

Bob Wilson

 

well, Toyota's other brands, Lexus and Scion only have a small handful of models so i am guessing the Prius will be about the same.

a mini-Van, larger Car, smaller car. some would add an SUV, but not me. simply not right for this.

now, what makes a Prius a Prius? to me its technology. hybrid uniqueness is what brought us to the Prius, but its the technology in other areas that keeps us there. why else would hybrid technology instituted anywhere else suffer a 30% reduction in performance? the Insight is smaller and slower and still has lower gas mileage.

then again, we could just go for different variations of the same Prius

hybrids; gas/electric, CNG/electric, plug in, full blown EV,

 

When I think of a Prius I think of

1) Great MPG
2) Practicality
3) Environment
4) Technology

And it is a lovely marriage of all 4 items. Honestly, many cars can get good gas mileage, but to be able to fit 4 adults....COMFORTABLY in them in an impossibility. But not for the Prius. I used to drive a 1988 Honda CRX HF (45/51 mpg), I had to give the car up when my first child came due to it only being a 2 seater. The prius is a car my whole family can "grow" in.

I would LOVE to see a hybrid minivan. With 2 kids, a Golden Retriever, and all our gear, a prius would not be large enough for a long road trip, but a minivan would be perfect.

A hybrid small pickup truck could be a great market, although you might have to "break through" some psychology (read stupid machismo) to succeed in that market.

When I think of using the hybrid engine for a sporty car, I think of how poorly the accord did. Basically, people buying a sports want a sports car and likely don't give a flying diddly about environment and gas mileage (see how highly the muscle heads think of the Tesla roadster.....again, testosterone poisoning).

 

Too bad they already killed the A-Bat concept hybrid truck:

 

cough cough...

you have some med that can make him talk?