Mini Prius Not For Europe… So Who Is It For?

Edward Niedermeyer
by Edward Niedermeyer

Though not technically a new debut at this year’s Detroit Auto Show, the “Prius C” concept was probably the most interesting vehicle Toyota showed at Cobo Hall this year. If nothing else, it certainly shows the promise of an expanded Prius brand far better than the “Prius V.” And if there’s a single market where this “baby Prius” can give Toyota’s eco-brand spin-off a boost it would be Europe, where small, efficient cars rule. But, it seems, this is not to be. Autocar reports

The strength of the Japanese yen seems almost certain to keep a production version of Toyota’s near-80mpg hybrid supermini based on the Prius C Concept hatch out of Europe.

The Auris hybrid and forthcoming Yaris hybrid (with which the C Concept, revealed at the recent Detroit motor show, shares a platform) are built in the UK and France respectively, which gives them much stronger profit margins than a small Prius model sourced from Japan.

But isn’t spinning off a brand supposed to be about long-term marketing rather than short-term profits? Isn’t Toyota giving up on ever making its Prius brand a player in Europe by cannibalizing it with a Yaris Hybrid? And if so, why spin off the Prius brand at all? Against the backdrop of Hyundai/Kia’s recent passing of Toyota to become the top Asian automaker in Europe, this move seems all the more short-sighted and reactive. Especially considering that

despite the supermini being unlikely to reach Europe in production form, the concept has been conceived with European-flavoured driving characteristics. “European drivers demand a high level of agility and feedback in their driving, so our planning is taking that into account,” said chief designer Elvio d’Aprile.

It’s ironic: Toyota built itself into one of the most trusted brands in the world through sheer focus… and now it’s headed for an oh-for-two record on its brand spin-offs.

Edward Niedermeyer
Edward Niedermeyer

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  • Forraymond Forraymond on Jan 21, 2011

    A convertible version of this car would hot.

  • Forraymond Forraymond on Jan 21, 2011

    How long til we run out of places in the world that offers cheap labor (and no ecological standards and no worker safety rules)?

    • PeteMoran PeteMoran on Jan 22, 2011

      Decades. There's Africa yet - although the Chinese are trying to buy most of it.

  • ToolGuy "Honey, someone is trying to cross the moat again"
  • Rochester "better than Vinfast" is a pretty low bar.
  • TheMrFreeze That new Ferrari looks nice but other than that, nothing.And VW having to put an air-cooled Beetle in its display to try and make the ID.Buzz look cool makes this classic VW owner sad 😢
  • Wolfwagen Is it me or have auto shows just turned to meh? To me, there isn't much excitement anymore. it's like we have hit a second malaise era. Every new vehicle is some cookie-cutter CUV. No cutting-edge designs. No talk of any great powertrains, or technological achievements. It's sort of expected with the push to EVs but there is no news on that front either. No new battery tech, no new charging tech. Nothing.
  • CanadaCraig You can just imagine how quickly the tires are going to wear out on a 5,800 lbs AWD 2024 Dodge Charger.
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