This one has been in the rumor mill for long and has finally made its way out of the mill, with a badge saying ‘its true’. Prius is on its way to become a brand for Toyota. Toyota envisages the Prius marque to span an entire lineup of hybrid vehicles, with a distinctive styling that will yell loudly about the vehicles’ green credentials.
The new brand is likely to see an entry into dealerships by 2010. Speculations say three models, currently dubbed the Prius ‘A’, Prius B and Prius C will come with the launch of the brand.
Prius may be among the top selling hybrids yet, but with all automakers gearing for a push into this segment, with new and innovative technologies, the new brand may find itself in dire straits. Moreover, with the ‘hybrid option’ getting common across vehicle lineups, a separate marque for hybrids may not be a feasible idea.
Flipping to the other side of the coin, the marque gets a head start from the Prius name and image. Moreover, as hybrids become ubiquitous, a separate and specialized brand will be in a position to handle things better.
Speculators don’t see great merit in creating a Prius brand, but with Toyota’s capability to manufacture vehicles in a short development time, they may just pull this one through. The scenario would have been much better if Toyota had not been on a vehicle recall spree in the past months, putting a question mark on the reliability and quality of its vehicles.
http://www.hybridcarnews.org/entry/prius-not-just-a-model-anymore-to-become-a-brand-soon/
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