Toyota May Scale Back the Prius Lineup

2016 Toyota Prius c (Credit: © Toyota)

The Prius was the pioneer in the hybrid-vehicle revolution, and in 2011, with fuel prices still reaching record highs, Toyota expanded its lineup. With this expansion came the tiny Prius C, the Prius V wagon, and the Prius Plug-In. Today, a new report from Automotive News indicates that the Prius lineup may get reduced to just the base Prius liftback in the coming years.

The report indicates that Toyota is seriously considering eliminating the both the C and V, but the most at-risk model for elimination it the latter. The V, while a neat twist on the Prius liftback that added a tad more cargo room, never sold too well. Making matters worse is the all-new 2016 RAV4 Hybrid delivers much more cargo room and usefulness than the Prius V while still delivering stellar fuel economy for a crossover. As a proud owner of a 2016 RAV4 Hybrid—yes, I need a fuel-savvy hybrid to complement my gas-guzzling Focus ST—I can say that it lives up to the hype and then some.

The Prius C, unlike the Prius V, isn’t in nearly as tight of a spot. Sure, the C has only sold a few thousand more copies than the V, but it sits in a unique niche that Toyota likely wants to keep to itself. At just over $19k, looks that are sportier than the liftback and up to 53 mpg city, the C gives younger, entry-level buyers access to a thrifty hybrid rig that could rope them into the Toyota brand for life.

At the end of the day, however, the final decision will come down to profitability. Given the low price of the Prius C and the cost of its hybrid powertrain, there may not be enough of a margin to warrant producing it. This lack of profit could combine with the lowest fuel prices in years to create the perfect storm that may force Toyota to, at the very least, temporarily suspend production of the C.

As for the plug-in hybrid version, it has sold the fewest examples at 42,293 since its debut, but its limited availability has artificially stunted its sales. My gut says that Toyota will, at some point, add the plug-in option back into the Prius lineup in this new generation.

We’ll continue to monitor the potential shrinking of the Prius lineup and bring you the latest details as they become available.