It wasn't so long ago that the Toyota Prius was the go-to hybrid vehicle of choice. As a low-cost vehicle, it was easy to pick one up for just over $20,000, enjoy 44 mpg and then sell it with a lot of value because demand was high for the Prius.
The third-gen Prius looked great and it flew off dealer lots. Now we've got the fourth-generation Prius and there's a couple of things that stand out about it.
First, it looks atrocious. We're not quite how it went from a relatively clean design with a pretty nice interior to a total abomination, inside and out, but Toyota managed to achieve it.
Second, the interior is awfully chintzy with white painted plastic and an optional large screen that provides more glare than a great user experience. It makes you wonder if Toyota's designers were in love with the Chevrolet Volt or something.
And now we've been bestowed with an all-wheel drive variant. But we're pretty sure that won't make a huge difference in the Prius' sales, which have dropped off significantly.
According to reports, Toyota's executives are aware of this and have even commented on it. They admit the fifth-generation vehicle, which is expected to appear early in the next decade, will need to reinvent the nameplate.
Having said that, we're curious: IF you were at the helm of Toyota, how would YOU reinvent the Prius brand? Is the obvious answer to produce a Prius-branded sport-utility vehicle? Should there be a halo? Should it simply stick to cleaner and more impressive designs now that the competition is taking it out at the knees — e.g., Tesla Model 3.