Tag Archives: Prius

Toyota Sells 3 Millionth Prius Worldwide

prius_twoLast week, Toyota announced that 3 million Priuses have been sold worldwide.

It has been 16 years since the Prius was first launched and a whole decade since the introduction of the second generation Prius. In 2009, Toyota introduced the third and most recent generation Prius which produces only 89 g CO2 per km.

The Toyota Prius, one of the first and most popular widely-available hybrid vehicles, also has the distinction of receiving the NHTSA 5-Star Overall Safety Rating. Kelley Blue Book rated it a 9.1 out of 10, and Edmunds awarded it a 4.9 out of 5-star rating.

At the time of publication, the starting price for the 2013 Prius is $24,200. Standard features for the 2013 Prius Two include LED daytime running lights, climate control, UV reduction glass windshield, touch-screen audio player with iPod connectivity, fuel consumption history and rear spoiler with LED center high-mount stop lights.

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Toyota Offers Major Discounts to New York Drivers

In an effort to match their 2012 sales, Toyota is offering massive discounts and refunds on the 2012 Prius plug-in including some deep price cuts for Manhattan-area drivers.

While these discounts will vary by region and dealership, New Yorkers can get approximately $6,500 off on a 2012 Prius plug-in or $4,650 off a 2013 Prius plug-in. They are hoping that the discounts will make car buyers take another look at Prius instead of going with other popular hybrid and electric models such as the 2013 Ford C-Max, the 2013 Nissan Leaf, or the 2013 Chevy Volt.

In an interview with Wards Auto, Toyota Div. Group Vice President Bill Fay acknowledged that the price cuts would make the Prius more competitive, but their main focus is making the car more affordable for the average driver. “I think we have to be cognizant of the world those shoppers are operating in…and we have to be sure we offer the same kind of value when they go to buy the vehicle.” This isn’t a bad idea considering that hybrids and electric cars have been relatively expensive in the past. Perhaps Toyota’s discounts will push more drivers to make the switch to a more environmentally-conscious car.

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“Invisible” Backseat: Gimme or Gimmick?

Car technology is progressing at a frightening pace. Self-driving cars are in the near future. Smart phone sync technology is becoming standard in new models. Some cars can even measure the driver’s heart rate and turn off driver distractions.

Most of this new technology is pretty amazing, but occasionally, a new car gadget or gizmo is more confusing than cool.

Researchers at the Keio University in Japan will be at the 2012 Digital Content Expo in Tokyo to show off an “invisible” Prius. The backseat of the Prius is covered with retroreflective materials, jokingly referred to as the “invisibility cloak” from the Harry Potter series. The material allows the driver to see through the backseat, and theoretically drivers will have less trouble parallel parking or driving in reverse. Masahiko Inami, a professor at Keio University’s School of Media Design, described the experience as “driving a glass car” and was confident that the technology would be widely used in the future.

I still have no idea what to think about the “invisible” Prius. While I hate parallel parking just as much as the next driver, I feel like the experience of driving a “glass car” would make parking tougher. Is the driver’s depth perception affected in any way? How is the “invisible” backseat an improvement on the rear-view cameras that are already available? So far, I think the “invisible” Prius is fun to show off at a technology expo, but I am not convinced that drivers will want it or manufacturers will want to pay for it.

Readers, we want to hear what you think! Do you like the “invisible” Prius? Would you want to see through your backseat? Leave a comment below, and tell us what you think!

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