Toyota Prius c Concept
With nearly a million Prius sales in the U.S. over the past 10 years, Toyota is looking to expand its hybrid business, and it will do so by growing the Prius family. At the 2011 Detroit auto show, the company unveiled three upcoming family members: a Prius MPV, a plug-in hybrid Prius, and this, the Prius c concept.
Toyota used last year’s Detroit auto show to introduce the idea of a smaller Prius with the FT-CH concept, and the c is a clear evolution of that design. We’re hopeful that this iteration of the concept is close to what the production car will look like because it’s surprisingly good looking for something still recognizable as a Prius. In spite of its familiar roofline and greenhouse shape, the c boasts a personality all its own with an abbreviated front end, bug-eye headlights like those on the Nissan Juke, and upright rear glass. Inside, seating for four is in concept-standard, thin-shell seats wrapped in mesh—perfect for expanding the space visually, but perhaps not the most comfortable for sitting.
Despite the similar appearance, the c is significantly smaller than the current Prius—although the company shared no technical details at this time, it did say the FT-CH was 22 inches shorter than a regular Prius. Company representatives confirmed that the c rides on a separate platform. Given the short time to market, we expect it to use a version of the existing Prius powertrain. The same powertrain powering a tidier package will pay off in efficiency; Toyota says that the c will achieve the highest efficiency of any non-plug-in hybrid. With the regular Prius rated at 51 mpg city and 48 highway, the c’s numbers should be plenty lofty.
Production Decision Made: Expect This Soon
Toyota uses the word “will” a lot in discussion of the c because, although this car is a concept, the vehicle has already been approved for production and will arrive in showrooms sometime in mid-2012. It’s unclear what the car will be called, but the Prius MPV also unveiled in Detroit will be called Prius v, for “versatility.” Whether that establishes a Prius-family naming convention—with this car carrying over the c moniker—remains to be seen. The other big unknown is cost, but we expect the c to duck below the $20,000 mark. Considering that the only other contender in the sub-$20K-hybrid space is the two-door—and multi-compromise—Honda CR-Z, the prospects look good for the c to continue the success of the Prius family.
With nearly a million Prius sales in the U.S. over the past 10 years, Toyota is looking to expand its hybrid business, and it will do so by growing the Prius family. At the 2011 Detroit auto show, the company unveiled three upcoming family members: a Prius MPV, a plug-in hybrid Prius, and this, the Prius c concept.
Toyota used last year’s Detroit auto show to introduce the idea of a smaller Prius with the FT-CH concept, and the c is a clear evolution of that design. We’re hopeful that this iteration of the concept is close to what the production car will look like because it’s surprisingly good looking for something still recognizable as a Prius. In spite of its familiar roofline and greenhouse shape, the c boasts a personality all its own with an abbreviated front end, bug-eye headlights like those on the Nissan Juke, and upright rear glass. Inside, seating for four is in concept-standard, thin-shell seats wrapped in mesh—perfect for expanding the space visually, but perhaps not the most comfortable for sitting.
Despite the similar appearance, the c is significantly smaller than the current Prius—although the company shared no technical details at this time, it did say the FT-CH was 22 inches shorter than a regular Prius. Company representatives confirmed that the c rides on a separate platform. Given the short time to market, we expect it to use a version of the existing Prius powertrain. The same powertrain powering a tidier package will pay off in efficiency; Toyota says that the c will achieve the highest efficiency of any non-plug-in hybrid. With the regular Prius rated at 51 mpg city and 48 highway, the c’s numbers should be plenty lofty.
Production Decision Made: Expect This Soon
Toyota uses the word “will” a lot in discussion of the c because, although this car is a concept, the vehicle has already been approved for production and will arrive in showrooms sometime in mid-2012. It’s unclear what the car will be called, but the Prius MPV also unveiled in Detroit will be called Prius v, for “versatility.” Whether that establishes a Prius-family naming convention—with this car carrying over the c moniker—remains to be seen. The other big unknown is cost, but we expect the c to duck below the $20,000 mark. Considering that the only other contender in the sub-$20K-hybrid space is the two-door—and multi-compromise—Honda CR-Z, the prospects look good for the c to continue the success of the Prius family.
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