Prius Prime 2021 Upgrade with Technology Canada no traffic data in nav system

Yeah, it sucks, we Canadians get hobbled cars.

However, I can confirm that XMTraffic was available in 2014, as my (Canadian) PiP of that year does support it. I cancelled XM long ago though (and never subscribed to Traffic as it is ridiculously expensive), though it did go on free preview once or twice and I got to play with it. Nowhere near the detail and coverage (only highways??) of Waze or Google Maps though (which are free...). So I would never pay the $10 additional monthly fee or whatever it was on top of an XM subscription. As a side note, I got rid of XM and got Spotify instead, which gives much more versatility and control at a lower cost, lol.

I do hold out some hope that maybe the ‘22 model in Canada will get Entune 3 and/or the connectivity apps...

 

If we're talking 400km, I doubt it would be a PHEV, that would be wasteful... I do think Toyota will make an EV Prius at some point though, probably around that range. I could see the next gen Prius PHEV around 70km or so like the RAV4 Prime though.

Yeah, it is unfortunate that the Prime doesn't offer some of the luxury features like its closest competitors such as Ioniq and Niro, including mobile app (in Canada), moonroof, rear heated seats, memory seats & mirrors, etc. None of those features are deal breakers IMO, but definitely nice to have as I always choose the loaded model (the feature I miss most is the moonroof, which I loved on my Integra before getting into Prius... but I want the plug so I can't get the moonroof ). But on the other hand, those cars don't have the heat pump like Prime, so they need to run the engine to heat like a PiP which seems wasteful. Also doesn't have rear USB ports (?) and also don't have the Toyota HSD legendary reliability (long term reliability still unknown). And they are virtually identical price to the Prime. Aesthetically, I much prefer the look of the Prime, which I think is sharp and unique - especially the quad headlights - while the Kia and Hyundai look more generic, IMO. Anyway, I digress and don't mean to derail this thread any further, LOL.

Re the comment about the Mobile app not available in Canada due to more expensive data plans, not sure if that argument makes sense, as several other models such as Camry and Corolla (!) offer Safety Connect (and have for several years), yet the Prius still doesn't. Feels like 2019 all over again when CarPlay was available pretty much throughout the Toyota lineup... except Prius. Boggles the mind, really.

I hold out hope that this small change (adding connectivity) may be added to the '22 model in Canada, since it is already available in the US anyway, I don't see this as being a major shift? Is it too much to ask to be able to check charge level or precondition the cabin from my phone like ever other lazy driver these days?

Sigh.

 

I’d be happy with a BEV Prime that drives like my current one in EV only mode. I don’t need neck snapping acceleration. I find myself wishing my Prime would stay in EV mode a lot further, not necessarily to save even more money on gasoline (though that would be nice) or for environmental reasons (though they are important) but just because I enjoy how the car drives in EV only considerably more than in regular hybrid mode (the latter is fine, but EV is just that much better).