Should Toyota Consider Taking A Gamble With A Totally Restyled Prius?

There is a dweeb market segment, that Toyota owns, that likes this basic shape and would find the concept car too "sexy" for them. As long as the dweeb market is growing keep them happy with variations of the current basic style. Take the technology and wrap it in new sexy design, not called Prius, to go after the market segment that wouldn't be caught dead in a Prius. The goal ought to be grow the volume of the basic technolgy to get its cost per unit down.

...Wow, Toyota turning up the heat. They know they have to do whatever it takes to stay on top their game and way ahead of the compitition. Especially when this so called people percetion of desiring cheaper brands over name brand. Increasing their product line is one way to keep their loyal fans. They have enough cash on hand to change their entire product line with that fun factor and lower the cost and keep quality above the cheap compitition, like Hyundai, Kia and Chevrolet for instance. Hot looking Prius I'd say!!

No. The vehicle has to remain instantly recognizable so the owners can assert their "holier than thou" greenness.

Good lord that's ugly.

Here's an interesting article on Prius' upcoming changes. I would discount the rendering shown but focus on the details in the conversation.

http://www.motortrend.com/future/future_vehicles/1211_radical_new_toyota_prius_in_pipeline/

As to the topic here, yes, I think it would be great for Prius to take on "new" shape. Remember all those people that knocked Prius when it first came out, be it snide comment about its shape or its hybrid technology or its financial viability or its market-acceptance? Well, let's count how many companies are offering hybrids now. So let Toyota be a leader again and if they fail, so what, at least they're innovating, they will undoubtedly take away the successful elements and discontinue the failed elements, and force the industry to keep up.

Toyota = Apple

They can restyle, invent, and change whatever they want, and their same customers will be lining up to buy it

Let Toyota remake the Prius into a copy of the Volt that way they can call their version the Revolting.