Probably, the Toyota Prius is the most talked about car currently on the road. Toyota essentially re-wrote the book about what an eco-conscious car is with this thing. Sure, it’s not without its negatives (weight, battery recycling, highway fuel mileage etc.) but overall, if you want to show the world your green cred while tooling around the Toyota Prius is pretty much THE way to do it. Just ask Honda, who’s going pretty much goofy trying to get people into their Insight hybrid. At the rate Toyota sells these things, pretty soon, saying “hybrid” to a person will give them a mental picture that equals “Prius”. Unless there are more alternatives out there for sale, Prius will be to hybrid what Kleenex is to wiping your nose. The name will simply become the product.
Speaking of selling, Toyota, who just rolled out the latest generation of Prius, has finally gotten around to announcing prices.
There’s no big price hike here, if that’s what you’re worried about. Going on sale in May, the third-generation Prius will be available in one grade with a starting price of $21,000. The Prius will be offered with five levels of popular standard equipment combinations. There will be a new base model with a lower level of standard equipment is scheduled to be available later this year, essentially a factory stripper aimed at “… the most cost-conscious businesses and consumers,” says Toyota. Also who that is aimed at is people who are looking at the Honda Insight, that starts at just under $20K.
The Prius will come in five trim levels (to use an old term). The first level is the stripper version. The second features most of the Prius stuff you’re used to like the Multi-Informational Display with energy monitor and fuel consumption history. All the new Prius feature a bigger engine, at 1.8 liters, and the Prius II (as this version is referred to) also features AM/FM/MP3 CD player with six speakers, cruise control, seven airbags including driver knee airbag, four-wheel disc brakes etc. etc. etc. all for the low-low price of $22,000
The Prius III give you a nicer stereo (JBL AM/FM/MP3 six-disc CD changer with eight speakers) with integrated satellite radio capability as well as hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® wireless technology, but it also makes your wallet a grand lighter, ringing out at $23,000. The Prius IV gets you all the previous stuff plus a Smart Key system, Leather-trimmed interior, heated front seats with driver lumbar support, and a Plasmacluster™ ionizer whatever the hell that is. The Iv also cashes out at $25,800. Finally we get to the Prius V with which you get 17-inch alloy wheels and P215 tires, LED headlamps with auto leveling and washers and Integrated foglamps, all for a measly $27,270.
Or, the short version is that the new Prius costs about what the old one did, but you get more stuff but it’s still more expensive than Honda’s challenger.
So now, the real question becomes one of just how much of a dent Honda will make. If they make a considerable one, as Toyota is planning for with their upcoming budget hybrid, then perhaps the Prius will end up being the upper end of the hybrid game, and everything else will move more & more down market.
Time will tell.
Here’s the Toyota press release:
Toyota Announces Prices for 2010 Prius
TORRANCE, Calif., April 21, 2009 - - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the all-new 2010 Prius midsize hybrid, scheduled to go on sale beginning in late May at Toyota dealers nationwide.The third-generation Prius will be available in one grade with a starting MSRP of $21,000. The Prius will be offered with five levels of popular standard equipment combinations.
“The 2010 Prius delivers outstanding mileage, performance and advanced technology at a great price,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division.
Carter sees the most popular model starting at an MSRP of $22,000, equipped with a high level of standard features, “This model provides more than $2,000 added value, including the features most buyers want, at the same price as the current base model” he said.
A new base model with a lower level of standard equipment is scheduled to be available later this year. It is designed to appeal to the most cost-conscious businesses and consumers.
Celebrated as the benchmark for cars of the future, the Prius has delivered superior fuel economy and ultra-low emissions to more than 1.2 million owners worldwide for over 10 years. When it goes on sale, the 2010 Toyota Prius will once again set new standards for innovative hybrid design and technology, raising its level of convenience features and performance to new heights, including EPA fuel economy estimates of 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway and 50 mpg combined (EPA MPG estimates, actual mileage will vary).
The third-generation 2010 Prius will offer enhanced performance and innovative design features. It will be quieter, roomier, and equipped with advanced standard and available features such as four driving modes, steering wheel touch controls that display on the instrument panel, a moonroof with solar panels, and Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA).
The Prius is equipped with Toyota’s industry-leading Hybrid Synergy Drive and certified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), emitting over 70 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle. A larger and more powerful yet more efficient 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine produces 98 horsepower at 5,200 rpm. Together with its electric motor the hybrid system in the new Prius will generate a combined net horsepower of 134, an increase of 24 horsepower over the previous generation.
All Prius models offer Toyota’s Star Safety System™ as standard equipment, which includes enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) Systems, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). Other standard features include electric power steering and four-wheel disc brakes.
Starting fall 2009, select Prius models will include Toyota’s all-new telematics service, Safety Connect™, which will offer four safety and security features: Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and Roadside Assistance. Safety Connect will be available by subscription, with an included one-year trial subscription.
Adding to the appeal of Prius is an additional array of standard convenience features on most models that include automatic air conditioning equipped with an electric air compressor; AM/FM/MP3 CD player with six-speakers and satellite radio capability; driver door Smart Key system with Push Button Start and remote illuminated entry; a Multi-Informational Display with an energy monitor and fuel consumption history; six-way adjustable driver seat; power door locks; auto up/down on all windows with window jam protection; cruise control; tilt/telescopic adjustable steering wheel with audio and HVAC controls; color-keyed foldable power heated side mirrors; dual sun visors with vanity mirrors; and tonneau cover.
Prius also brings many new firsts to the Toyota lineup. To help increase fuel efficiency, the 1.8-liter engine is beltless, uses an electric water pump, a new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, and an exhaust heat collection system.
Other Toyota firsts include a new Touch Tracer Display, which features touch sensors on the steering wheel switches that are designed to reduce driver eye movement for better concentration on the road; an available sliding glass moonroof is packaged with solar panels that power a new ventilation system; a remote air-conditioning system functions on battery-power alone, and allows remote operation so the driver can cool the interior temperature for comfort before getting in the car.
Also new to Toyota is an available Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system that uses advanced millimeter wave radar. The system also enables Lane Keep Assist, which helps the driver stay safely within the lane, and the Pre-Collision System, which retracts seatbelts and applies the brakes in certain conditions when a crash is unavoidable.
Base MSRPs do not include a delivery, processing, and handling (DPH) fee of $750. The DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST)
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