Toyota Prius Priced to Compete with Insight

As expected , Toyota has cut the price on their new 2010 Toyota Prius to compete with the cheaper Honda Insight.  Just keep in mind that if ...

As expected, Toyota has cut the price on their new 2010 Toyota Prius to compete with the cheaper Honda Insight.  Just keep in mind that if you go for the cheapest option at $21,000 (plus $750 fee), you won't be getting all the bells and whistles and that's if you can find it.  Buyers shouldn't expect every dealership to have the cheapest model.

Let's face it, most people won't be interested in the cheapest model, anyways.   You may not want leather trim and heated seats, but if you're interested in Bluetooth integration, for instance, you have to move up to the Prius III, which starts at $23,000.

The new Prius goes on sale in May.

Toyota Prius Priced to Compete with Honda Insight
The Honda Insight II is the cheapest full hybrid on the road, with a MSRP of under $20,000.  At most, in other words with every option offered, the Insight will cost you somewhere slightly north of $24,000.  The Prius, if you opt for everything, could cost you in the mid $30K. 

Toyota had already announced they would be cutting the price in Japan, along with keeping the older generation Prius around as a cheaper option.  Toyota is also working on a Yaris Hybrid, which is more likely to compete legitimately with the Insight price tag. 

Although, in the current climate, you might just broker a deal with your local dealer to get either car for lower than you expected.  Or maybe not, since Toyota already has 20,000 pre-orders for the Prius.

Toyota has yet to let everyone know what's in the lowest tier Prius, but don't expect much.



Standard Equipment
MSRP
Prius I
To be released at a later date
$21,000
Prius II
1.8-liter Atkinson cycle engine
$22,000

P195/65 R15 all-season tires with alloy wheels & covers


Smart Key (driver’s door) and Push Button start


EV, Eco, and Power modes


Multi-Informational Display with energy monitor and fuel consumption history


AM/FM/MP3 CD player with six speakers and satellite radio capability and auxiliary audio jack


Cruise control


STAR Safety System and active front headrest


Seven airbags including driver knee airbag


Four-wheel disc brakes


Tilt/telescopic steering wheel with audio and HVAC


Controls with Touch Tracer Display


Six-way adjustable driver seat


Auto up/down on all windows


Color-keyed foldable power heated side mirrors

Prius III
In addition to Prius II features:
$23,000

 
JBL AM/FM/MP3 six-disc CD changer with eight speakers


Integrated satellite radio capability


Hands-free phone capability via Bluetooth® wireless technology

Prius IV
In addition to Prius III features:
$25,800

 
Three-door Smart Key system


Leather-trimmed interior


Heated front seats with driver lumbar support


Driver and front passenger water repellant windows


Plasmacluster™ ionizer


Auto dimming mirror with HomeLink®

Prius V
In addition to Prius IV features:
$27,270

17-inch alloy wheels and P215/45 R17 tires


LED headlamps with auto leveling and washers


Integrated foglamps



Optional Equipment
MSRP
Prius II
Prius III
Prius IV
Prius V
Navigation Package
$1,800
NA
Available
Available
Available
Voice-actived touch-screen DVD navigation system with JBL AM/FM/MP3 four-disc CD changer, eight speakers, integrated satellite radio capability, XM NavTraffic capability, hands-free phone capability and music streaming via Bluetooth wireless technology and integrated backup camera
 





Solar Roof Package
$3,600
NA
Available
Available
NA
Includes Navigation Package equipment plus power tilt/slide moonroof with Solar Powered Ventilation System and Remote Air Conditioning System
 





Advanced Technology Package
$4,500
NA
NA
NA
Available

Includes Navigation Package equipment plus Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC), Pre-Collision System (PCS), Lane Keep Assist (LKA), Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA)
 





 




TORRANCE, Calif., April 21, 2009 - - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., announced manufacturer’s suggested retail prices (MSRP) today for the all-new 2010 Prius midsize hybrid, scheduled to go on sale beginning in late May at Toyota dealers nationwide.

The third-generation Prius will be available in one grade with a starting MSRP of $21,000. The Prius will be offered with five levels of popular standard equipment combinations.

“The 2010 Prius delivers outstanding mileage, performance and advanced technology at a great price,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division.

Carter sees the most popular model starting at an MSRP of $22,000, equipped with a high level of standard features, “This model provides more than $2,000 added value, including the features most buyers want, at the same price as the current base model” he said.

A new base model with a lower level of standard equipment is scheduled to be available later this year. It is designed to appeal to the most cost-conscious businesses and consumers.

Celebrated as the benchmark for cars of the future, the Prius has delivered superior fuel economy and ultra-low emissions to more than 1.2 million owners worldwide for over 10 years. When it goes on sale, the 2010 Toyota Prius will once again set new standards for innovative hybrid design and technology, raising its level of convenience features and performance to new heights, including EPA fuel economy estimates of 51 mpg city, 48 mpg highway and 50 mpg combined (EPA MPG estimates, actual mileage will vary).

The third-generation 2010 Prius will offer enhanced performance and innovative design features. It will be quieter, roomier, and equipped with advanced standard and available features such as four driving modes, steering wheel touch controls that display on the instrument panel, a moonroof with solar panels, and Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA).
The Prius is equipped with Toyota’s industry-leading Hybrid Synergy Drive and certified as an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emissions Vehicle (AT-PZEV), emitting over 70 percent fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle. A larger and more powerful yet more efficient 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine produces 98 horsepower at 5,200 rpm. Together with its electric motor the hybrid system in the new Prius will generate a combined net horsepower of 134, an increase of 24 horsepower over the previous generation.

All Prius models offer Toyota’s Star Safety System™ as standard equipment, which includes enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC) Systems, Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD) and Brake Assist (BA). Other standard features include electric power steering and four-wheel disc brakes.

Starting fall 2009, select Prius models will include Toyota’s all-new telematics service, Safety Connect™, which will offer four safety and security features: Automatic Collision Notification, Stolen Vehicle Location, Emergency Assistance Button (SOS), and Roadside Assistance. Safety Connect will be available by subscription, with an included one-year trial subscription.

Adding to the appeal of Prius is an additional array of standard convenience features on most models that include automatic air conditioning equipped with an electric air compressor; AM/FM/MP3 CD player with six-speakers and satellite radio capability; driver door Smart Key system with Push Button Start and remote illuminated entry; a Multi-Informational Display with an energy monitor and fuel consumption history; six-way adjustable driver seat; power door locks; auto up/down on all windows with window jam protection; cruise control; tilt/telescopic adjustable steering wheel with audio and HVAC controls; color-keyed foldable power heated side mirrors; dual sun visors with vanity mirrors; and tonneau cover.

Prius also brings many new firsts to the Toyota lineup. To help increase fuel efficiency, the 1.8-liter engine is beltless, uses an electric water pump, a new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system, and an exhaust heat collection system.

Other Toyota firsts include a new Touch Tracer Display, which features touch sensors on the steering wheel switches that are designed to reduce driver eye movement for better concentration on the road; an available sliding glass moonroof is packaged with solar panels that power a new ventilation system; a remote air-conditioning system functions on battery-power alone, and allows remote operation so the driver can cool the interior temperature for comfort before getting in the car.

Also new to Toyota is an available Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system that uses advanced millimeter wave radar. The system also enables Lane Keep Assist, which helps the driver stay safely within the lane, and the Pre-Collision System, which retracts seatbelts and applies the brakes in certain conditions when a crash is unavoidable.
Base MSRPs do not include a delivery, processing, and handling (DPH) fee of $750. The DPH fee for vehicles distributed by Southeast Toyota (SET) and Gulf States Toyota (GST) may vary.

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