Prius c, a small five-door member of the growing Prius hybrid line, is predicted to offer EPA class-leading fuel economy of better than 50 mpg city.
Toyota Motor or TMC (NYSE: TM, 7203T), has launched in Japan the Aqua compact hybrid, which will go on in the U.S. next spring as the Prius c after its unveiling in January at North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
In Japan the Prius c comes in seven models with a price ranging from $21,750 to $34,500 for lavishing equipped models for handicapped people. Nevertheless, Toyota expects to sell 12,000 of its latest hybrid model each month, since the starting price is roughly $4,000 less than the larger Prius. These prices are not tenable in the U.S. of course for a small car – and they include high Japanese consumption taxes and exclude what will likely be lavish Japanese taxpayer financed rebates.
Look for the Japanese-built Prius c in the U.S. to start somewhere under $20,000 with several more expensive option packages. AutoInformed is betting here that Toyota will continue to use aggressive ‘comeback pricing’ and incentives next year to regain market share lost post-tsunami and Thailand floods this year. With the introduction of the all-new reduced price Camry last October, Toyota has regained 2 percentage points of U.S. share in the last two months with Camry as the best selling passenger car.*
The Prius c – an inside look.
The Prius c is a small five-door member of the growing Prius hybrid lineup is predicted to offer EPA class-leading fuel economy of better than 50 mpg in the city, which – if true – is the highest city mpg of any non-plug-in vehicle.
Fuel efficiency ratings in Japan are a leading 35.4 km/L based on the Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism’s (MLIT) JC08 test cycle; and 40.0 km/L under the MLIT 10-15 test cycle.
| Prius U.S. | Prius c | Prius | Prius v | Prius Plug-in |
| Length (in.) | 157.3 | 176.4 | 181.7 | 176.4 |
| Width (in.) | 66.7 | 68.7 | 69.9 | 68.7 |
| Height (in.) | 56.9 | 58.7 | 62 | 58.7 |
| Wheelbase (in.) | 100.4 | 106.3 | 109.4 | 106.3 |
| Gas Engine | 1.5-liter dohc | 1.8-liter dohc | 1.8-liter dohc | 1.8-liter dohc |
| Emission | sulev | sulev or at-pzev | sulev | sulev or at-pzev |
In spite of such clear fuel economy benefits and high U.S. fuel prices, hybrids remain a tiny portion of the U.S. auto market – a little over 2% of sales YTD – because mainstream buyers refuse to pay a premium amounting to several thousand dollars over a comparable gasoline-fueled car.
*AutoInformed on
- 50 MPG Predicted for Toyota Prius c Hybrid
- Honda to Show AC-X Plug in Hybrid at Tokyo Motor Show
- Ford Taking Orders for 2012 Focus Electric at $39,995
- 2012 Honda Insight Hybrid Ups Fuel Economy at Under $20,000
- Chevrolet and Nissan Succeed with Plug-in Hybrids and EVs as the Business of Plugging In Shows First Product Results
- Toyota Prices 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid at $32,760 and $40,285
- Ford and Toyota to Develop a New Hybrid System for Light Trucks and SUVs as well as Future Telematics Standards
- Muscle Hybrids Decried for Performance in Hybrid Scorecard
- Toyota Offers New Prius Plus Performance Package for $3,699
