Can the Toyota Prius c Compete With Econoboxes?
It turns out Toyota delivered a modest 4,006 units of the sub-$19,000 hatchback. The Prius v added another 3,847 sales to the nameplate in April, while the Prius Plug-in found 1,654 shoppers.
The Prius Plug-in outsold the Chevy Volt despite a veritable pittance of hype about its release compared with the blitz surrounding the Volt. The similarly hyped Nissan Leaf managed sales of just 370 units.
So if a plug-in version of the Prius can leapfrog its competition — albeit a small field — can the Prius c compete against traditional economy cars?
If April is any indication, it’s unlikely, but with a starting price and fuel economy figures that make it affordable in the long run, there’s a small chance. Consider how the Prius c stacks up among last month’s entry-level sellers today.
April 2012 Sales: Entry-Level Cars
• Kia Soul: 10,716
• Nissan Versa: 8,335
• Chevrolet Sonic: 6,387
• Hyundai Accent: 6,160
• Ford Fiesta: 5,135
• Toyota Yaris: 4,274
• Kia Rio: 4,006
• Toyota Prius c: 4,006
• Fiat 500: 3,849
• Honda Fit: 3,202
A handful of bit players — the Scion xB, xD and iQ, the Nissan Cube, the Smart ForTwo — sold fewer than 2,000 units apiece. The Prius c beat those, but Toyota dealers will need to crank up supply for shoppers to start biting. Cars.com’s new-car inventory has just 927 examples nationally, versus 7,721 regular Prius models.
Perhaps as gas prices continue plateauing at higher prices each year like they have in the recent past, a 50 mpg Prius c may seem more attractive to shoppers than cars with lower figures on the window sticker. If the original Prius became a best-seller as an alternative to midsize sedans, it’s possible the Prius c could do the same to subcompacts.
