Toyota Worried About Honda's Insight? Will Market Old And New Prius Side By Side For Now

Toyota bosses are in for a real shock! That’s because pictures of the new Prius hybrid have been leaked. And that’s not the only scoop – Auto Express has details of a cut-price version of the petrol-electric model, too.

The latest Toyota is expected to be more expensive than the outgoing model, starting from around £20,000. However, Auto Express has learned that bosses plan to keep the current Prius on sale – and to compete with Honda’s forthcoming Insight, it will be at a new low price.

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BimmerGuyFL78 - 10/23/2008 10:23:57 AM

+2 Boost

Toyota should be worried. The new upcoming Honda Insight has a much better looking exterior design that looks fresh and modern.

IMO the new Prius pictures that leaked out make the new Prius look more bland and not as distinctive like the 2nd Generation model. At first the 3rd Generation model looks closer to the design of the 2nd Gen Toyota Matrix, and that's not a good thing.

Honda's Insight under cuts the current prius by at least 5 grand and that's a big enough difference to steal a boat load of sales from the Prius, espically if the new Prius price is going to increase over it current model.

Watch out Toyota.

veyron1001 - 10/23/2008 12:43:09 PM

+2 Boost

Also the mpg rate of the Honda will be higher as well. I have read that they were getting 70mpg combined with the car. Its makes me laugh when the best competitor from the US is the Chevy Volt with costs twice as much and makes a little better mpg.

ceric - 10/23/2008 3:16:33 PM

+2 Boost

Well, I think you were misled. 70mpg is based on Japanese testing cycle, which is usually much higher than what we get here in US. Prius also got 70mpg+ in Japanese testing cycle. Popular belief is that the new Insight will have about the same MPG as the outgoing Prius, but at $2-3K cheaper. The on-coming Prius will reach 60mpg+ at slightly higher price than the 2nd gen.
It will eventually come down to this
- a Honda Insight with 50mpg
- or a Toyota Prius with 60mpg but $2-3K more expensive.
I think Honda Insight will do very well, considering the good styling relative to the new Prius.

investor27 - 10/24/2008 1:21:58 AM

+2 Boost

Not to mention that if the new Insight handles like the Honda Civic, the Honda Hybrid will have a much bigger impact on the Toyota Prius 4th Gen's sales numbers than Toyota had originally estimated.