What Do We Think?

[stompe]

http://www.toyota.com/priusc/#!/Welcome Is it not an Auris Hybrid?

[FROSTYBALLS]

Sold as the Prius C in the US, and as the Aqua in Japan.

Built on the same platform as the Yaris, and is a full 11 inches shorter than the Auris.

The Yaris Hybrid uses the Prius C/Aqua powertrain.

[stompe]

Wonder if it's coming here?

Sent from my SM-G900F using Toyota OC mobile app

[FROSTYBALLS]

No it's not - Europe has the Yaris Hybrid

[stompe]

Bet it is better appointed then the Yaris.

Sent from my SM-G900F using Toyota OC mobile app

[FROSTYBALLS]

Questionable whether the Prius C is better equipped than the current Yaris Hybrid. For example the Prius C One (the base trim level) has a tyre pressure monitoring system, a more basic audio system (3.5 TFT display,four speakers) though it does have bluetooth, and doesn't have an engine immobiliser, split rear seats, boot light, or a luggage cover/parcel shelf. As with all US market vehicles, it is cheaper than the European equivalent.

The facelifted Yaris will have to have a tyre pressure monitoring system to pass EU legislation coming into effect November 2014.

[PeteB]

I certainly prefer the dash on the Prius C - before settling on another Prius, I test drove a Yaris Hybrid because I wanted a smaller, but roomy car. It was a lovely drive, and that would have done it for me, but the following put me off:

1. less roomy than smaller previous versions of the Yaris (no sliding, reclining rear seats)

2. low rear roof made it harder for taller (and well built!) people to get in and out the back, and poorer headroom (unlike previous versions of the Yaris which were excellent)

3. must be the poorest front oddments space in the world - previous Yaris versions were among the best in the world

4. Hybrid version has tiny fuel tank, so although mpg is better, range is poor (I love doing 500-600 miles between fill-ups)

5. I hated the instruments big time (but acknowledge not everyone loves digital instruments like I do)

6. the fairly loud indictor clicker is the most cheap and nasty sounding I've ever heard on a car - would tempt me to stop giving signals!! (or wear ear plugs!)

7. Better equipment comes with bigger wheels (and 6 feet bigger turing circle - previous Yaris had excellent turning circle)

8. Even top model doesn't get electric folding mirrors - this is not 1990 for goodness sake.

I wanted so much to like the Yaris Hybrid - just driving it without looking at the instruments or signaling, and without wanting storage space and a roomy but flexible rear accommodation and it ticked almost all my boxes.

All previous Yaris generations had major advantages over most competitors in terms of flexible accommodation, head room and oddments space, with instruments that genuinely reduced fatigue on a long journey. I really don't understand why they threw all that away when designing the new model.

Don't get me wrong, I still think the latest Yaris has a lot going for it, but it could have had so much wider appeal if they'd retained its parents' best features. Toyota aren't alone in doing this - in the mid 1990s Nissan offered an amazing Continuously Variable Transmission on the 2nd generation Micra - just about every review said it was the world's best small automatic, but when they brought out the next model they reverted to a conventional 4-speed box.

If they'd fitted this Hybrid unit in a Mk 1 Yaris, I'd have been in heaven.

[Cyker]

I'm right with you mate, including the digital dash!

The Mk3 is by no means a bad car but it is a boring conventional design and not really very Yarissy at all. (I always thought it looks like a Vauxhall Astra! ). It has more in common with an Auris than any Yaris!

The Mk1 and Mk2 had that japanese quirkyness that made me fall in love with mine, but the Mk3 did away with almost all of that. :(

I'd miss the centre dash, digital speedo, sliding rear seats, sunroof AND aircon and more cubbys and storage places than you can shake a stick at! :D

It's a shame that hybrid conversion kit MIRA were developing never took off!

[FROSTYBALLS]

The Prius C was introduced in 2011 - so is approx the same age as the current Yaris and I suppose is due for its mid-life facelift as the Yaris is - which would call into question the viability of widening the exports of a model halfway through its shelf life.

In the States the current Yaris is only sold with the 1.5 litre engine, regardless of trim, and will be replaced next year by the Mazda built (in Mexico), Mazda 2 based new model - though whether it will use Mazda SkyActiv engines or Toyota engines is open to question.

One other area of collaboration has been the Mazda 3 Hybrid - which uses Toyota Prius running gear with the Mazda SkyActiv engines.

[orangezorki]

Bet it is better appointed then the Yaris.

For me, the digital dash would have been a complete deal breaker. I like the idea of a 'regular' car that happens to be a hybrid, and I guess that Toyota have found that to be a better way to go for the overall European market. In the USA in particular, petrol prices, even though they like to complain about them all the time, are much much cheaper than anywhere in Europe. For that market, the benefits of the car have to be made a lifestyle choice (don't get me wrong - it's a good one), as the cost savings are rarely there when you take total cost of ownership into account. In that situation, making the Yaris hybrid part of the Prius 'family' makes perfect sense, even if it is engulfed in sickening advertising spiel. For me, I'm really glad that here in the UK we get the benefits of the platform without the Piousness.

David

P.S. I do still wonder if the aerodynamic shape of the C would improve mpgs and I apologise to any Prius owners here if they are offended - I love you still, honest!

[FROSTYBALLS]

Drag coefficients:

Toyota Prius: 0.25

Toyota Prius C: 0.28

Toyota Yaris: 0.287

[PeteB]

Drag coefficients:

Toyota Prius: 0.25

isn't .25 only the T3? I seem to recall the T4 and Sprit (with 17" wheels) were .27 (worse than the Gen 2's .26!!!) which accounted for the worse mpg and CO2

I haven't seen CD figs for the Yaris with larger wheels, but I understand they add 6 feet to the already poorer turing circle

[PeteB]

...For me, the digital dash would have been a complete deal breaker. I like the idea of a 'regular' car that happens to be a hybrid, ...

P.S. I do still wonder if the aerodynamic shape of the C would improve mpgs and I apologise to any Prius owners here if they are offended - I love you still, honest!

I come back to why can't they come up with a graphical dash that has user selectable round dials or big numbers (or mixture of both a la glass cockpit jets) - surely this would broaden the appeal - some people don't care what their instruments look like (judging by the number of people making any attempt to drive legally, I wonder how many ever look at them?) but many will find one type or the other a marmite matter! I did hear of someone who wanted a regular (non Hybrid) small car trading his 10 year old Yaris for a Renault Twingo to get digital; instruments, sliding rear seats and oddments space!

p.s. - I think the amazing drag factor of the Prius (especially those on 15" wheels like T3 and Plug In) would probably help it do better than a Yaris or Auris Hybrid on a long journey with lots of higher speeds

[FROSTYBALLS]

Manufacturers tend to quote the optimal drag co-efficient - some versions would be worse. What doesn't help the Prius C and the Yaris is the short rear end, and the same would apply to the Auris certainly in hatchback format

[Cyker]

...For me, the digital dash would have been a complete deal breaker. I like the idea of a 'regular' car that happens to be a hybrid, ...

P.S. I do still wonder if the aerodynamic shape of the C would improve mpgs and I apologise to any Prius owners here if they are offended - I love you still, honest!

I come back to why can't they come up with a graphical dash that has user selectable round dials or big numbers (or mixture of both a la glass cockpit jets) - surely this would broaden the appeal - some people don't care what their instruments look like (judging by the number of people making any attempt to drive legally, I wonder how many ever look at them?) but many will find one type or the other a marmite matter! I did hear of someone who wanted a regular (non Hybrid) small car trading his 10 year old Yaris for a Renault Twingo to get digital; instruments, sliding rear seats and oddments space!

That was one of the things about the Mk3 - It has this giant MFD in the centre console but you can't customize what it displays!

I'd love to copy the awesome dash from a Nissan GTR onto that MFD

[Grumpy Cabbie]

Consensus on the US Priuschat forum is that they prefer the Yaris HSD to the Prius C.

They get the normal Yaris over there and wondered why they didn't get a hybrid version. Maybe it's politics? The Yaris HSD is built in France. The Prius C is from Japan. I have an idea which will have better long term reliability.

They're also expanding the 'Prius' name as a range more in the US. The Prius C does appear to get better mpg's than the Yaris HSD appears to be getting here. Why there are reports of poor Yaris hsd comsumption is strange, but the numbers from long term members give the impression there's a problem rather than troll attacks.

[Dapple]

All previous Yaris generations had major advantages over most competitors in terms of flexible accommodation, head room and oddments space, with instruments that genuinely reduced fatigue on a long journey. I really don't understand why they threw all that away when designing the new model.

If they'd fitted this Hybrid unit in a Mk 1 Yaris, I'd have been in heaven.

I'm with you too on this one. SWMBO had a mk1 Yaris and it was inspiring.

I have driven many latest generation Yaris models including the HSD. The HSD is the only one that is even slightly interesting, and I mean slight.

Its like the latest model slipped through a bland timewarp straight from 1998 leaving the mk1 still looking futuristic and desirable.

[FROSTYBALLS]

All previous Yaris generations had major advantages over most competitors in terms of flexible accommodation, head room and oddments space, with instruments that genuinely reduced fatigue on a long journey. I really don't understand why they threw all that away when designing the new model.

We looked at the first generation Yaris a couple of times when considering a new purchase, and for us, even using it as a second car and taking the sliding seat into consideration, the boot was too small. Went instead for a Corolla 1.3 GS 3 door, which was later replaced that with a Honda Civic 1.4 SE 3 door. Personal choice really.