Toyota announced that it is discontinuing production of the Prius C. The Prius C, Toyota's most compact and least expensive hybrid design, has been on-sale since 2012. The 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid will reportedly replace the Prius C in Toyota's line-up.
Autoblog reports that a Toyota spokesperson has already confirmed there are only about 700 units of the 2019 Prius C left in stock. While the Toyota Prius C is going to be retired soon, consumers will still have the option of purchasing the full-size Prius or the Prius Prime. Also, Toyota will roll out its newest hybrid vehicle - the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid.
The Toyota Prius C never had the chance to overtake the original Prius in terms of sales but Toyota clearly considers that it has succeeded with the Prius C. "The Prius C has served its purpose well," said the vice-president of Toyota Marketing Ed Laukes.
The Toyota Prius C became one of the favorite mass-market compact cars since it came out in 2012. In terms of efficiency, the Prius C offered its owners a respectable 5.1-liter per 100-kilometer consumption. Back in 2012, the US government's Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ranked Toyota's full hybrid gasoline-electric subcompact hatchback as the most fuel efficient compact car (not counting the plug-in electric vehicles).
That notwithstanding, the Prius C now must take its final bow and give way to the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid. According to Justin Westbrook of Jalopnik, the 2020 Toyota Corolla Hybrid is a better-looking vehicle when compared against the Prius C but it also has comparable fuel efficiency to the soon to be discontinued Prius C.
Again, the fuel economy for the Toyota Prius C is one of the main reasons why it was a popular choice for people who favor hybrid vehicles. And it seems like Toyota has learned all it can from the Prius C and putting all the improvements to the upcoming Toyota 2020 Corolla Hybrid.
The Toyota 2020 Corolla Hybrid will come in different trims. The L and LE trims are equipped with the 1.8-liter power train and are rated at 33 miles per gallon (city-driving and highway combined. The XLE trim is rated at 29 mpg (city), 37 mpg (highway), and 43 mpg (combined). The XSE is rated 31 mpg (city), 38 mpg (highway), and 34 (combined). Meanwhile, the SE is reportedly going to be equipped with a 2-liter, four-cylinder with a CVT or a six-speed transmission.
Toyota will start shutting down the Prius C line as the launch of the Toyota 2020 Corolla Hybrid comes closer. The 2020 Corolla Hybrid is going on sale in spring of 2019. As of press time, Toyota hasn't announced the pricing of the Corolla Hybrid.
