Hybrid Corolla - Death Knell for Prius?

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Speaking of Prius, I watched a CrisFix video where he replaced the battery pack and tbh it didn't look like that terrible of a job. Just a tonne of bolts/screws.
 
The new Prius will have an AWD option, plus it's technically a midsize car so it's a bit more upscale. I would guess the Prius C or whatever it's called will be killed.
 
They could use a bit more size … and hopefully that provides more passenger protection …
 
I think they serve somewhat different markets, in that the Corolla is very traditional looking while the Prius is more modern / trendy / strange (choose per your taste).

The Prius seems to be where so much of Toyota's hybrid technology started and developed; it's leading edge, if you will.

Some people love the Prius styling while for some it's too ostentatious ("look at me"). I am not in the car marketing biz but can see a good demand for both.

Some will want the perceived (and real) hyper-reliability of the Corolla and will be drawn to the hybrid if the cost difference isn't too high.

Re the CVT, I have it in my Avalon hybrid and am very happy with it. Toyota's CVT technology is very different from other manufacturers, and seems very reliable. And it doesn't take a special ATF to service it.

JMHO.
 
And the Corolla Hyb is getting Ni-MH batteries, not Li-ion. Must be cheaper; certainly durable enough and proven over the last 20 years of use. Article says it's get 50+ MPG, I hope so, since the current Camry (more mass) Hybrid LE gets 52 MPG, so yeah.

Originally Posted by bullwinkle
It sounded good, until I read the letters "C-V-T"! At least Toyotas seem to be somewhat better than some other manufacturers on those.
That's not the cone-type CVT, if thats what you're thinking, this is completely different, its the usual power-split device which combines 2 electric motors with a gas engine thru a planetary gearset. Prius had one in 1999 and still does. That setup works very well, lots of torque off the line & smooth.
Originally Posted by LotI
The new Prius will have an AWD option, plus it's technically a midsize car so it's a bit more upscale. I would guess the Prius C or whatever it's called will be killed.
The Prius (not the C model) is about the same size as a Corolla. A Prius is { 179″ L x 69″ W x 58″ H } & compare that to an '18 Corolla's { 183″ L x 70″ W x 57″ H }, Corolla is a bit bigger. ......Maybe the Prius will stick around in one form or another. The Corolla is much bigger than a Prius C, so that market segment isn't duplicated here. ... With this Corolla Hyb, this is just the latest in a long line of putting a Hybrid powertrain in a LOT of cars and CUVs (Avalon, Camry, Highlander, Rav4, Lexus models, etc.) so this isn't news in that sense.
 
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I don't know how true this is for newer models, but one of the reasons the Prius (and other purpose built electric/hybrid vehicles) do better than the standard vehicles with a hybrid system added is that they were designed from the ground up to use that technology. In a lot of gas -> hybrid cars, there's a big battery pack taking up space in the trunk since it was an afterthought, compared to the Prius and other EVs that have the battery integrated into the chassis.

I don't know if the Corolla is the same way though.
 
Originally Posted by Danno
Originally Posted by bullwinkle
It sounded good, until I read the letters "C-V-T"! At least Toyotas seem to be somewhat better than some other manufacturers on those.

https://youtu.be/162BWwkcy5
Quite interesting.



Does a Prius have a CVT tranny ? I know the Nissan Leaf did not have a tranny , just a gear reduction box .
 
The point about the Prius floor pan being purpose built to be a hybrid is a good one. A SIL has a Camry hybrid. Where did they put the batteries.? The car looks just like my gasser.
 
The Prius has a CVT, but it's not the troublesome belt-chain type CVT. It's a series of motors and generators that vary their speeds and loads to change gear ratios. The Corolla is equipped with a similar system to the Prius.
 
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Originally Posted by LotI
The new Prius will have an AWD option, plus it's technically a midsize car so it's a bit more upscale. I would guess the Prius C or whatever it's called will be killed.


This would be my guess. How many Prius C's are they selling, anyway? I see as few of them on the road as I do V's around here (limited sample size, I know...)

The Prius will evolve before anything else in the line can take it's spot. It has too much clout as the ultimate green-mobile to ever be simply superseded by something like the Corolla.
 
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Originally Posted by 4WD
They could use a bit more size … and hopefully that provides more passenger protection …

The Prius is actually a pretty safe car, unless a brodozer hits one(or anything that isn't a Freightliner or Kenworth). I'd rather be in a Prius than a Fit, Fiesta or SmartForTwo in a crash.

The Corolla Hybrid will find fleet buyers and yes, Uber drivers. But, the Prius is roomier than the Corolla - I have my parent's old 2nd gen and I can comfortably make a Costco run. I've hauled almost 50 gallons of motor oil in 6-gallon pit packs with room to spare. I've taken home a mini fridge and a Corny keg for homebrew as well. Of course the seats were folded down.
 
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Originally Posted by andyd
The point about the Prius floor pan being purpose built to be a hybrid is a good one. A SIL has a Camry hybrid. Where did they put the batteries.? The car looks just like my gasser.

The Prius is based off the Echo/Tercel platform(for the 1st gen cars), and the 2nd-3rd gen cars are Corolla/Scion xB based. The newest 4th gen cars are based off TNGA. The new TNGA-based Camry Hybrid also has fold-down seats, the old one didn't.

The Prius traction battery is bolted up just before the rear seats - Toyota designed a second "trunk" to fill the space between the trunk floor and the cargo decklid as hidden storage. Ditto with the Camry Hybrid, but the last two iterations didn't have fold-down seats. The battery itself is compact - but not the cooling air ducts and fan.
 
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Originally Posted by gathermewool


This would be my guess. How many Prius C's are they selling, anyway? I see as few of them on the road as I do V's around here (limited sample size, I know...)

The Prius will evolve before anything else in the line can take it's spot. It has too much clout as the ultimate green-mobile to ever be simply superseded by something like the Corolla.


Toyota only sold 532 of them in October (all time high month was 5,478 sold) . It's down 31% year-year from 2017. It's pretty much dead.
 
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The Prius name has plenty of brand cachet, so I don't see it being doomed.

Too bad they stopped selling the Prius V here
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A hybrid Corolla is a perfect idea for a decade ago. Why is this only happening now? Hybrid Camrys, Highlanders and various Lexus models have been around for a minute. They're confused about what to do because both Corolla and Prius have massive brand cache. Maybe launch a Corolla Prius (like Celica Supra)
 
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