How Toyota is the new Apple

Share with us how you plan to maintain 50MPG with the same HSD system, and same battery chemistry, without spending 0.5 billion dollars for R&D to come up with what is essentially 4th Gen tech.

 

JimboPalmer - unfortunately your link does not work anymore - an updated one here.

I find the comparison a bit weird though and questionable.

No weight is mentioned, no 0-60mph/100km/h is mentioned. How can one say that the fuel consumption is good or bad compared to what the different models offer? the other 3 models have from 23 to 66(!!) HP and 10 to 54lb/ft more than the Prius v.

Just by looking at the table, it seems that either the Prius v is underpowered (no mention of performance) or extremely light (very good fuel consumption in comparison)... The table is in absolute terms, in relation to mpg, of no use. In relative terms (mpg is *all* that is of importance), then the table is "interesting" but nothing more.

Toyota is for some odd reason not telling the weight of this model and it's making a mistake - without the weight, all sorts of theories and judgement on the mpg values are being made. We need the weight!!!

PS: there is also no mention of (base) price, which plays also a big role in the grand scheme of things (how much fuel do I need to save to offset the xxx$ I invested in a better drivetrain?) - Toyota also in this case is not helping...

 

Yes this ^^^ is what I meant. The 'current technology' to which I referred is the current HSD / THS technology. It's not the next Gen technology that will be debuted some time later in the decade.

At the moment, using the current HSD technology, the Prius v cannot exceed or meet the fuel usage standards of the Gen 3 Prius now being sold simply because of the laws of physics. It's impossible no matter what you might hope and wish for.

If you were hoping for new technology to be introduced this year along with a larger vehicle then you misread the pre-announcements and you built up your hopes erroneously. Sorry.

 

OP makes a funny point but I have to blame us for hyping V more than Toyota, we're the ones let run with it.

 

I'm not quite sure why 50mpg is a goal, but those that say of course its possible are not holding the HSD system static. This is the future, and there is no reason by the time the prius v is out toyota can not have a lithium battery developed. Ford and hyundai will have phev and hybrids shipping with lithium at this time, and toyota needs to either buy or spend the r&d for the phv prius. The 2009 engine tech also does not need to remain static, and toyota could add DI as ford and hyundai are doing. It's not $500M of R&D, the numbers for these changes are quite small. The troubling thing about the announcement was the 40mpg combined with no increased power to carry the heavier load or any exiting improved technology. Toyota's big headline with the prius v was it will have a plastic moonroof instead of glass to save weight. Combined it is underwellming and I had low expectations. The media did seem to cover the similar ford C-Max much more, and ford announced it at CES and surprised with a PHEV version.

 

Link dead?

I think the car is certainly competitive in its field if one doesn't include the Prius in the field, then it gets more cargo area but a substantial sacrifice in performance and speed.

To me the issue is simply that Toyota raised the bar so high that the V does not represent a jump over it, yet.

 

Aw - I was getting excited for a lengthy post about how Toyota retains customer loyalty, enhances features within their industry, etc. You let me down!

BTW - I own a Prius and a new 27 inch iMac so both of these companies have my loyalty - very satisfied customer.

 

It's interesting as the car company that typically comes up in Apple comparisons is BMW and sometimes M-B. I never thought about Toyota in this vein but it works.

 

is it true that the The Prius v is not in the same class as the Fiesta, it's two levels above it in both size and amenities. The 'v' is a lot larger and heavier than the current Gen 3 so it should get lower fuel economy. There's no way to avoid the laws of physics. More weight = lower fuel economy.?

 

I also agree that the It's interesting as the car company that typically comes up in Apple comparisons is BMW and sometimes M-B. I never thought about Toyota in this vein but it works.

 

So what happen if the the car is certainly competitive in its field if one doesn't include the Prius in the field, then it gets more cargo area but a substantial sacrifice in performance and speed.?

 

Fiesta averages 40 highway. Average likely 34. And Prius v much larger than a Fiesta.