The Toyota Prius started as a car model in 2000 but is now a sub brand of Toyota. At least in my mind it was since I own a Plug-In and thought I had read that Toyota was making it its own little brand. But to my surprise Toyota includes the Prius line up (Hybrid (original), V (Versatile – larger like the first minivans), c (City – shorter to fit into those hard to find curb parking spots in urban areas) and Plug-In (Hybrid with 4.4 KwHr battery for 10 miles on battery only) under the Hybrids and EV category (Toyota 2014). So basically, each one of the cars is treated as its own model and there is no official sub brand. The official Toyota sub brands are Daihatsu, Lexus, Louwman & Parqui, Scion and Subaru (sub brands 2014). I’ll …show more content…
"The appeal of excellent fuel economy, driving dynamics and the quality of our vehicles combined with our dealers' dedication to customer service makes Toyota the undeniable leader in hybrid technology." (PR News 2014).
If the car fits your needs and there was a range of vehicles to choose from then there wouldn’t be a need to leave the Prius brand or Toyota. The highest trim levels offer all the bells and whistles so you don’t need to move to Lexus if you still want the highest efficiency vehicle. Prius and Ford F-150 customers were ranked as the most loyal for 2014 according to the Polk Automotive Loyalty Awards. (Edmunds …show more content…
The messaging would be a line of vehicles that offer gas savings and high technology which are also practical, attractive and functional. With the distinct body styling to tie the whole brand together, offering either hybrid or plug in, with commonalty of platforms to spread engineering cost over larger volumes, the Prius brand would be no brainer and would lead the market in efficiency and high