Toyota to Sell Older Prius Along with New (more expensive) Prius to Stay Competitive with HONDA

The new Prius is expected to be more expensive than the outgoing previous generation.

Here is the upcoming Honda Insight!

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.

Surfacing on the Internet ahead of its launch next year, these images show how the new model evolves the look of the current car with a more distinctive front end. In profile it’s near identical, but the shape is tweaked to improve aerodynamics. The new Prius is slightly larger than the outgoing car, and has a more compact hybrid powertrain, so there will be extra space for passengers and in the boot.

Under the bonnet lies a more powerful 1.8-litre engine, which works in tandem with an uprated nickel hydride battery pack. It will help the car return 75mpg combined, and emit less than 100g/km of CO2.

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.

The next Insight is tipped to weigh in at less than £15,000 when it arrives here in March – undercutting the Prius by at least £3,000 for now. So, Toyota aims to tempt buyers into showrooms by marketing the current version at around the same price as its rival.

Source;

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/autoexpressnews/229797/secrets_out_on_new_prius.html