Toyota Delayed 2016 Prius to Liven Up Exterior

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Toyota H-CR Concept (Credit: Toyota )

In case you haven’t noticed, Toyota is going through a pretty dramatic transition in the design of its entire lineup of vehicles. Beige is going out the door in favor of a design language that is more aggressive and “exciting.” Of course not everyone is a fan, but as they say you can’t please everyone all the time.

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The Prius has been rightfully characterized as ugly (among other things) but that’s changing with the next generation of the famous hybrid. According to Automotive News, the launch of the new Prius was pushed way back because Toyota’s CEO Akio Toyoda rejected it for being too plain and boring. Originally, the new generation was supposed to launch in the spring of 2015.

The Prius team was forced to go back to the drawing board. Apparently the redesign was so severe it necessitated some serious tweaking of the mechanicals as well. What emerged was something that was met with definitive approval from Toyoda.

Exactly what the 2016 Toyota Prius will look like isn’t quite clear right now. According to various sources, the C-HR Concept is the most closely related in looks. While the hybrid hatchback is still a strong presence in the market, it’s wise of the company to push the design forward. After all, there are rumors that the second generation of the Chevy Volt will borrow liberally from the design of the C7 Corvette Stingray.

There will be a plug-in version of the car again, but Automotive News says some anonymous sources claim it will have a more buttoned-down appearance.

Instead of just tapping into the self-righteous notions of certain car shoppers, Toyota looks to be making a connection with people’s need to drive a vehicle that looks exciting. Hopefully what’s under the skin also delivers the goods, because that might mean future Prius drivers could break 50 mph while camping out in the left lane.

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Steven Symes

Since the picture is of a concept vehicle, those tend to have wilder styling than actual production vehicles. Like I said in the article, the plug-in version o the Prius will have a more conservative look to it, at least that’s the rumor right now.
Greg Ellis

Wow. That’s about as pretty as a Nissan Juke. Toyota should just concentrate on making the most efficient Prius possible. And dry to drop the 0-60 times by a second or two. That in itself will appeal to Prius buyers, new and old.