2 door, sporty Toyota Prius on the way
Toyota must challenge the CR-Z hybridSometimes when you sit atop the world, it's quite easy to become complacent. Well, when it comes to Toyota's hybrid kingdom, there certainly has been no complacency.
Not long ago there were rumors that the 2010 Third Generation Toyota Prius was going to cost more than the eventual sticker price. However, Toyota didn't want pricing to be too high, as it might provide a competitive advantage for Honda's Insight hybrid. Thus, Toyota reacted with new pricing and a new base model.
Likewise, now that Honda is preparing to roll out the hot looking CR-Z sports hybrid, AutoWeek is reporting that Toyota is developing a 2-door sporty hybrid, based upon the third generation Prius, to compete with Honda's next hybrid.
Also, according to the reports, the new design of the 2-door Prius will be developed by an Italian design studio. That could mean a vehicle that not only breaks out of the Prius design mold, but the design box of Toyota altogether. Than alone could be exciting.
Labels: honda cr-z hybrid, Hybrid Vehicles, toyota prius
posted by Dahcredyns at
1:12 PM
7 Comments:
Yea lets put the cart before the horse :(
A hybrid 'racer' is not exactly what the public had in mind. How about getting to the public a COMPACT whose price is under- say $17500. Now THAT would be neat....I know they are coming anyways ha, but for Toyota to focus on a super small percentage of buyers ( wanting a hybrid 2 door only racer)- I say please - give me a break ...that being said the car DOES look beautiful ha...but you noticed NO mention of PRICE ?? Ill wager with any options - $36.ooo++ ;(
that's the Honda CR-Z in the picture.
still, i don't think this comes at the expense of a compact toyota hybrid. inevitably, toyota has stated that it wants to offer a hybrid in every segment.
and i'll bet under $30,000 for sure.
hmmm.. would I want the Honda or the Volt?
They ought to rename the VOLT to OBE.
if the decision were based on looks alone, i'd love the CR-Z.
still, if money were no object, i'd have to take the Volt. for the money, however, i'd rather have it look like the Volt concept.
all i can say is that i hope that GM's Volt hype is based on battery R&D that is far ahead of the pack. if so, the Volt might not be a success, but GM should be able to parlay the battery technology into profits.
I think this would be a good offering.
I know a lot of people who are looking for more style from hybrids before they buy one.
I know a few more who say they won't buy a hybrid until it comes with a convertible option.
Hybrids don't have to be ugly....
To Anonymous, it's your opinion based on few facts about what the CR-Z is. Yes, it's small. Yes, it looks sporty. No, it's not a sports car. No, it's not a screamer. I don't think anyone knows yet what the mpg is, at least I haven't seen anything on the mpg yet. Personally, I'm very interested in the CR-Z as a car to commute to work in if the mpg at least as good as the Insight and hopefully better. From what I've read, I believe the price tag is going to be in the low to mid $20,000's, at least I hope so. I'm almost 60 and I'd consider buying. Not everyone wants a boring hybrid no matter what the price. Call me superficial, but I would like to have a car that I not only enjoy because it's safe and fuel efficient but also because it's fun to drive and enjoyable to look at. I think Honda realizes that to reach the masses of Americans with a fuel efficient vehicle they can't just throw appearance and the pleasure of driving out the window. I dislike driving enough. Why should I want to make my driving experience even less enjoyable by driving a tin can.
absolutely, robby-d, fuel efficiency does not have to be boring.
i think in LA, my local market, well styled hybrids could sell very well.
and, to be fair, toyota has played around with this segment in the past. two years ago or so, toyota was showing off the FT-HS sporty hybrid concept (i think that was the name).
however, i think honda took a more sensible approach that forced Toyota's hand, as the hybrid king simply doesn't want to be out-flanked.
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