Its Best Days Behind It, Toyota Prius Prepares to Mark an Anniversary

It’s the Toyota Prius’ party and it can cry if it wants to. Two decades after its North American debut, the Prius is reportedly set to mark the occasion with a special edition. Whether or not the new reigning champ of the hybrid scene, the Prius’s own RAV4 Hybrid stablemate, is invited to the bash remains unknown.

Yes, the Prius has come a long way since its 2001 introduction, but time can either solidify a front-runner’s position or see it fall behind the pack, overtaken by changing trends. The Prius falls into the latter category.

As reported by Cars Direct, a 2021 order guide reveals the presence of a Prius 20th Anniversary Edition for the coming model year. The first such edition rolled out back in 2017 to mark the model’s debut in Japan.

When it shows up later this year, expect a loaded-up front-drive model with badges galore, baby. Low-end and volume mid-range trims will continue to be offered with electric all-wheel drive — a new addition introduced for 2019 to boost the Prius’ appeal and potentially reverse sliding sales. Of course, a year later the Corolla Hybrid came along, ready and willing to cannibalize sales of the company’s dedicated hybrid model.

It’s to the Prius’ credit that the large-and-in-charge (and volume-leading) RAV4 Hybrid and newly electrified Corolla exist. Indeed, the Prius, as the initial cheerleader of Toyota’s evolving hybrid drive technology, has a lot to be proud of. It helped make the brand a hybrid powerhouse, so much so that rival automakers now benefit from Toyota’s investments.

Still, it must be a little bittersweet for the Prius to see the success of other hybrid models coming at the expense of its own sales. The Prius, as Tim Cain told us recently, is not the model it once was. Back in the early days, the model’s name was so synonymous with virtuous green machines, it found itself lampooned by the likes of South Park and Family Guy.

As the model’s annual sales tallies fall, you could point to the styling excess of the fourth-generation Prius (later dialed back) as a major misstep, or you could blame the proliferation of hybrid technology and the rise of crossovers as America’s leading bodystyle. You can blame the model’s own earlier success for creating a stigma about the type of person who drives a Prius.

Whatever the reality of the situation, hybrids now await buyers at almost every showroom, and fully electric vehicles are the new hotness (or they were, back when dealers were open, trade shows could take place, and gas wasn’t cheaper than bulk grain). Toyota still doesn’t have an EV, though it does have a plug-in hybrid in the form of the Prius Prime. That’s another bit of credit due.

[Image: Toyota]