A 5-seat Toyota Prius Prime is on the way

instead of guessing, they should have asked. i think most people figured a new platform would be designed to handle the shortcomings of the pip, which was a prius afterthought.

 

I think a lot of the reason for the solar panel, as well, is the fact that many Japanese homes are apparently only set up for 100 V service, with 100 V 6 A outlets being common.

So, when all you get from the grid is 600 W, another 180 W from the solar panel actually helps a lot.

 

Like how the gen2 Volt addresses the criticisms of the first model.

Apparently, the market for the Prime doesn't care about what the PiP did or didn't have.

I'm sure it will, but it raises the possibility that Toyota is making the same mistake they did with the PiP in focusing the design for the home market. The short range of the PiP covered more of the typical Japanese commute than it did in America, and Toyota was projecting twice as many sales for the car in Japan, than the rest of the world. It ended up selling more in the US, even when limited to 14 states.

In catering to the home market, has Toyota hurt sales of the Prius Prime elsewhere?

 

I think you've hit the nail on the head here. As much as I want to swap my lift back for the prime, the more we find out about it, the more I want to wait for the mid cycle refresh. If they want to sell these, they need to design them for the market they're selling in. It's great I can get one with the steering wheel in the right (correct as in the left) side, but Americans need more than that. If it had double the range, I'd jump on it at release. Other than that, the missing seat doesn't affect me but I can understand a lot of families with children can't use it. Why not give us a choice... Extended range or a 5th seat. Design a car for America to sell in America. Don't adapt a Japanese car for us.

 

I suppose if Toyota was able to do a partial redesign and make Prime a 4.5 seat vehicle, that wouldn't be good enough. You'd say the new middle seat was half assed.

 

Redesign cost is an exposure. How much is that rarely used seat actually worth?

 

$75.

 

Depends on how much more the other car I'll need to take instead of my Prius when I have 5 costs to drive.

 

People buy pickup trucks and SUV for that 10% of the time that they actually need the space. In my 6 years of owning the Prius, I has 5 passenger in my car for a total of 20 minutes. But still, I would not buy a 4 seater. It's nice to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

maybe a new thread, how many times have your rear passengers said, 'i wish your car had rear buckets like all the other cars i ride in.'

 

Also, the PIP was conceived when Fuel Prices were high, released about when they started to drop.

It's difficult to know when they'll skyrocket again - but if it coincides with the Prius Prime, it'll be a winner, and demand for Prius will increase too.

I fronted up to my daughter's place and the 3 grandchildren wanted to look at the new car, so my daughter in the front passenger seat looking bewildered at the instrument panel and buttons - meanwhile the 3 children took up positions in the back seat. Made me glad I hadn't got a 4 seater. Someone would be standing on the sidewalk watching.

 

That looks horrendous. It really does, and no were near the PiP. Did they just keep the same, aged technology and bolted two together?

Just how much did we or the car gain from its new rear independent suspension? Yeah, its handling gave a small, positive impression to overly demanding and petty car reviewers. If it just had a torsion beam with the battery pack between the wheels, instead of sitting ontop of it. The engineering involved is just enough to swoon me away, but the packaging is something completely else.

The shallow floor is a deep compromise for me (ah hu). I'd hate to think what buyers and reviewers would make of it. Certainly little now would be able to block the rear window or touch against the glass.

 

Well, the thing is, the overall emphasis on handling made it more appealing to some people... like me, frankly.

Granted, you can make a torsion beam handle, but the rear end ends up being awfully non-compliant, and the vehicle's upset on rough roads. Independent rear suspension doesn't just give you a handling benefit, it gives you a ride quality benefit.

But, yes, packaging almost certainly suffered as a result.

 

Look closer for some perspective. Notice where the rear passenger heads are in the Volt? Also, consider what you still get compared to a sedan like Fusion or hatchback like C-Max, attempting to deliver similar capacity. There are tradeoffs. That's why a variety of choices to follow will be important. Don't get too worked up about the first. Think about it. The next shouldn't take anywhere near as long as the wait from others... especially when that vital aspect of MSRP comes into play.

 

that would all be true if we were talking about the lift back.