Next-gen Toyota Prius: bigger, stronger, more Prius-like than ever before

We already know that Toyota has an eye to the future with the Prius, likely switching up the batteries and adding a plug-in option, but now we've got a little more news on what shape the next generation fuel-saver will take. According to Auto Observer, the new model (said to be showing up at the 2009 Detroit Auto Show) will sport a larger, 1.8 liter engine, a ten percent increase in fuel efficiency, and will undergo a fairly noticeable redesign (though we doubt it will end up looking like the concept car above). Pundits say the new Prius will be larger, may be available in a wagon version, and there are suspicions that Toyota will grow the brand and include a compact version of the hybrid as well. One thing's for sure: with an increase in production of 60 percent for the next iteration, the eco-friendly car is sticking around.

[Via AutoblogGreen]

[happy_penguin @ Apr 29th 2008 1:45PM]

The new Prius. Uglier than ever before.

[System48 @ Apr 29th 2008 2:10PM]

With gas prices going up, I could care less about the looks just as long as I'm getting 50+mpg.

[Tim @ Apr 29th 2008 2:16PM]

I know that shape probably helps make the car more efficient (wind resistance, etc.), but I'd really like to see a more, well, "normal" looking hybrid from Toyota.

[miko34 @ Apr 29th 2008 2:26PM]

Of course, even at 50 mpg, by the time this car gets released... gas will be $5/gallon and we'll still be paying a lot more per fill-up than we did in 2002 with a 20 mpg car at $1.25/gallon.

I'm amazed at anyone buying an SUV right now. Until we get off oil, I'll take any car over 40 mpg (even though choices are slim).

[Craig @ Apr 29th 2008 2:52PM]

I heard this morning that GM was reporting sales of full-size SUVs down 25% compared to this time last year. I, too, find it hard to imagine buying an Escalade at this point. Probably those SUV sales will continue to fall.

[sadida @ Apr 29th 2008 2:56PM]

Hey Tim, is the Camry "normal" enough for you? How about the Highlander? Both of them are available in hybrid models.

[JJV @ Apr 29th 2008 3:01PM]

harder better faster stronger

not so much.

[DakStaka @ Apr 29th 2008 5:01PM]

The F series is the highest selling vehicles in the US... and they are *the* ugliest thing.

[GreezyG @ Apr 29th 2008 1:46PM]

Anyone know how often you have to replace the batteries and how much it may cost?

[Rex @ Apr 29th 2008 2:44PM]

The batteries are designed to last the life of the car. Several people have put over 200,000 miles on first generation Priuses(Prii).

[Headset @ Apr 30th 2008 12:04PM]

I currently own a 2007 Camry Hybrid and I plan to replace the battery pack with a plugin compatible unit (High capacity Li-Ion) well before it wears out. I figure that at MOST 5 years from now, high capacity batteries will be $1000 or less. At the moment, I average 43MPG summer, 35MPG winter (New England).

[MeatyPi @ Apr 29th 2008 1:46PM]

how about making a prius that is not so god damn ugly that it makes me shit myself in utter disgust. Toyota seems to think people will only recognize hybrids as being super ugly, but they fail to see that many more would sell if they didn't look like a bag of shit.

[Christian @ Apr 29th 2008 3:20PM]

You do realize that Toyota sells the Prius at several orders of magnitude faster than they produce them, and that the Prius is perpetually on a months-long waiting list at most Toyota dealers, right? I think the biggest auto company in the world knows more about selling cars than you. In fact, I know it.

[parki @ Apr 29th 2008 4:03PM]

Function over form. Their design is limited by the need to make the vehicle aerodynamic while still having decent space in the interior (and enough room for the batteries!). I understand about the looks thing, but gas prices have gotten to the point where I care more about mileage than the looks (I have a pretty long commute). I would guess that gas prices will only go higher, and you might reach the same point as well.

[Brian @ Apr 29th 2008 4:55PM]

Meaty,

Please don't mince words. Tell us exactly what you think.

[MeatyPi @ Apr 29th 2008 6:04PM]

I don't know where you're from but every Toyota dealer I've been to has plenty of the cars, and really the only people who bought these cars were the type of people that wanted others to know they have a hybrid, but as of now more people are interested, and I believe they would sell many more if they were not so hideous. I for one would never consider owning such a car.

[Citrico @ Apr 29th 2008 7:03PM]

The Prius won't look like anything normal as long as a healthy portion of its market wants the world to know they're not driving a regular car. That's a huge part of why it's the most successful one.

While I would personally prefer something that looked more normal as well, you can't fault Toyota for knowing their market.

[jhaks @ Apr 29th 2008 10:39PM]

RTFA

[ugg.tryptophan @ Apr 30th 2008 1:30AM]

americans like conservative cars, but they also like to make a statement. The prius is ugly enough to blend in with the other fugly econoboxes, while distictive enough to show people that they care about the environment by driving a car that makes no sense (unstable, heavy, blindspots galore, toyota interior, price premium, looks like a steel manatee with wheels).

[Mobius_1 @ Apr 30th 2008 7:09AM]

@ Christian

Ferrari also has a very long waiting list (a year for F430 I think)

[fanman @ Apr 29th 2008 1:47PM]

Why cant they just make a NORMAL car that runs on the light from the environmentalists arse rather than one that's as ugly as sin.

[Temple @ Apr 29th 2008 5:02PM]

Its called the Civic Hybrid and Camry Hybrid.

[David @ Apr 29th 2008 5:49PM]

i think the Prius is getting to that Honda Civic point.. where i liked it at first, and then ALL I EVER SEE IS FREAKIN HONDA CIVICS.
i see the prius EVERYWHERE. and it lost its freakin appeal and uniqueness really fast when i saw them all over the place.
i hate them now, just fyi.

[Tony @ Apr 29th 2008 11:38PM]

FFS this is a concept released nearly TWO YEARS AGO.

CONCEPT.
TWO YEARS.
CAPS LOCKS!!!!!!

GET IT THROUGH YOUR HEAD.

[slarity @ Apr 29th 2008 1:47PM]

"Do you really drive one of those? You know when you stick your arm out the window going down the highway it makes the car turn."

[John Stracke @ Apr 29th 2008 1:52PM]

That's a feature. Most people don't know it these days, but, if you stick your arm out the window, you're signalling a turn. The car is just obeying you.

[Matt @ Apr 29th 2008 5:45PM]

Except that when you signal right, the car turns left.

[Sirius @ Apr 30th 2008 11:07PM]

@Matt

What?? if you signal right, the car will turn right... You'd know if you kayaked before; sticking the paddle into the water on your right would make you turn right... mostly the same concept here..

Then again.. if the car is so light I can turn it by hand-signalling... I don't think i'd want to drive that car anywhere that has +15kph winds...

[StephenD @ Apr 29th 2008 1:48PM]

A wagon version? Like on Little House on the Prairie?

[andy @ Apr 29th 2008 1:48PM]

I think it's obvious that they fail to understand why the prius sells.


It's a pretty normal commuter car that you can also put the kids in to run to the store or whatever, and it gets exceptional gas mileage.


Why can't they just go with what works? The cheaper it is and the more it looks and acts just like every other car (except gets 3x the gas mileage), the more it'll sell.

[bluestate @ Apr 29th 2008 1:58PM]

Well, no, that's not the case at all. The reason the Prius outsells its hybrid counterparts ten billion to one is exactly because it looks different. There already is a 'normal commuter car' that 'looks and acts just like every other car' - it's called a Civic hybrid. And it doesn't sell. Many people are willing to pay a premium for a car that gets modestly better gas mileage than a much less expensive economy car because it communicates their (perceived) commitment to the environment. Much like someone will pay a premium for a Volvo because it communicates its own set of values. You've got it backwards - the more hybrids look like everything else on the road, the less they sell.

[Craig @ Apr 29th 2008 2:43PM]

Bluestate's right: If you follow the car industry and read the marketing research reports, the reason the Prius did so well when the Civic and Accord hybrids did not is that the Prius was BOTH (a) better technologically, and (b) was distinctive looking.

[bluestate @ Apr 29th 2008 3:11PM]

According to greenhybrid.com, the avg. MPG for a 2007 Prius is 48, Civic Hybrid is 46, a difference of 2 mpg. In 2007, the last full year for which sales figures were available, the Prius sold 181, 221 to Civic Hybrid's 32, 575. The Prius sells more than all other available hybrid vehicles combined (and that includes nearly 50,000 Camrys and 16,000 Highlanders of Toyota's own making). Meh - I'm just throwing these statistics out cause I find them interesting. As stated as well by Craig, Toyota has a powerful market differentiator. No one else can claim a Hybrid-only model - although that will certainly change in the next few years.

[andy @ Apr 29th 2008 3:21PM]

I still think that the "more normal" cars do better.

I do agree with the marketing and trademark issues though.



I think Honda would have done much better with the exact same car (civic Hybrid) if they had marketed it under a totally different brand. For example, they could have called it the Honda Jevis, Honda Geex, or Honda Pinto, whatever. You get the idea.

Marketing differentiation is good for these cars. However, making them nonfunctional or extremely ugly is not very helpful (see also Honda Insight).

[Charles S @ Apr 29th 2008 3:34PM]

Actually, if a person is SERIOUS about shopping for a hybrid, then they would know that the Prius has a lot more to like than a Civic Hybrid.

First of all, the back seats folds down in a Prius. On top of that, it is a hatchback, so the total usable cargo space is far better than a Civic Hybrid, which due to its batteries, cannot fold down.

Second, the Prius has a "real" EV only mode while the Civic Hybrid can only do EV-only mode under a very specific condition, only when cruising at low speed.

Third, the Prius has an extra mode in the gear shift for extra braking, for better energy recovery.

There is a lot more to say about the Prius, but my point is that the Prius really have a lot going for it. It certainly is more than just looks, which I also find to be very functional and appealing.

[Wil @ Apr 29th 2008 4:54PM]

I don't know about this buying a unique-looking car to show my "commitment to the environment" because, quite honestly, that sounds a bit smug. I would, however, see buying a uniquely designed car because it looks awesome. That concept design looks pretty sweet.

[Paul Rivers @ Apr 30th 2008 11:48AM]

"According to greenhybrid.com, the avg. MPG for a 2007 Prius is 48, Civic Hybrid is 46, a difference of 2 mpg."

But according to the EPA, the Prius gets 48/45, and the Civic gets 40/45. The combined mileage is 46 for the Prius and 42 for the Civic - a difference of 4 mpg. Still probably not that big of a deal, although consumer reports has different figures. They rate the Prius at 35/50, and the Civic at 26/47. Their combined mileage is 44mpg for the Prius, and 37 for the Civic - that's a significant 7mpg difference. In other words, according to their figures the Prius get 19% better mileage than the Civic.

I think that really, the point is that people who wanted to pony up the extra cash to buy a hybrid (and it is many thousands of dollars) simply wanted to get the one with the best mileage, and that was the Prius. Whether it's a small difference or a larger one, people just think "Hey, if I'm spending all this money anyways, might as well get the best!".

[Jeremy K. @ Apr 29th 2008 1:52PM]

FYI: This is just a concept car, not the next year's Prius model.

[huh @ Apr 29th 2008 1:52PM]

I don't understand, I honestly think the Prius is gorgeous.

But you know what, I think every American built car I've ever seen is damn ugly. So basically macho in design, or retro in their tribute to the past, all of them.

Except the Aztec, I admit I have a soft spot for the Aztec.

[happy_penguin @ Apr 29th 2008 1:54PM]

You're weird, Marcie.

[MeatyPi @ Apr 29th 2008 1:57PM]

I sincerely hope you're joking with your aztec reference, that was quite possibly the ugliest vehicle eve made, and nearly destroyed pontiac.

[Jeremy K. @ Apr 29th 2008 1:57PM]

lol huh, you're missing the tag.

[huh @ Apr 29th 2008 1:59PM]

MeatyPi, believe it or not I'm serious. At least you can say they took chances.

[peshue @ Apr 29th 2008 1:58PM]

No offense, but I think liking the Prius and Aztec confirms that you just have bad taste.

[huh @ Apr 29th 2008 2:23PM]

Different folks, different strokes. Don't mod me down, bro'!

I can't understand why a gadget freak wouldn't like the Prius. It looks different, it has an innovative drive system, nice visual feedback for operations, leading edge bluetooth integration, and it's nearly silent in city operation. Sounds pretty cool to me, though I haven't tried one and am afraid it wouldn't fit my height well. Seems like most of you folks just want the same old same old.

The Aztek, ok, I can't logically explain it.

[creanium @ May 6th 2008 12:05PM]

It's not so much people hating on the cars as they are hating on perception of that all Prius drivers are self-righteous pompous people who want to announce to the world how "environmentally responsible" and "forward thinking" they are.

It doesn't help that you see people driving around in Priuses with license plates that say things like "GREENED" or "FUEL MZR" or "TREE HGR" or "MPG FTW" (all license plates I've seen in person).

People buy Priuses specifically to make a statement, which is made evident when you compare the Prius numbers compared to any other hybrid model, including Toyota's own Camry and Highlander hybrids. People buy Priuses not just for the fuel savings, but because it's a Prius and they're making a statement.

Also, the Prius itself makes a statement about the driver, and it's not necessarily a pleasant statement for many people. Many people take the South Park episode about the Prius to heart: you want to drive a Prius, by all means go for it; just don't be so damn smug about it.

Do I agree with the negative perception or think it's deserved? Not entirely. I can appreciate the technology in the Prius and the continually advancing hybrid technology, but it's hard to not let a few bad apples spoil the perception of Prius drivers everywhere.

[Dan Davis @ Apr 30th 2008 11:56AM]

I passed out in on the back seats of an Aztec once.

Best drunk sleep I've ever had in a vehicle.

[huh @ Apr 30th 2008 12:12PM]

creanium, I see a hell of a lot of people gloating about how unapologetically environmentally unfriendly they are, they can't seem to keep their mouths shut about how much meat they eat when they run across a vegetarian (believe me, I know). Granted, I don't think it helps anything but I think most people who buy a Prius genuinely are in search of a "greener" solution, the people who are agitating should be ignored. I agree about the bad apples / South Park point. But I would only buy a Prius because of the green / high tech factors, if someone thinks I'm doing it to gloat it's their own problem, maybe they should reevaluate their choices.

Dan Davis, I confess one reason I like the Aztec is you can sleep in the back, must be the survivalist in me.

[Nick M. @ Apr 29th 2008 1:52PM]

hopefully the increase in production will help bring costs down a little bit, but i doubt it.

[catachip @ Apr 29th 2008 1:53PM]

Good to hear. Let's hope they start ramping up production of plug-in hybrid vehicles - that is where this technology needs to go. Most people drive about 30 miles per day, meaning they could be running exclusively off of the electric batteries; however, you'd still have the reserve fuel tank for the 10 hour drive to Aunt Ester's in Indiana.