Lexus to get its own Prius for 2009 Detroit show {Autoblog Green}

Feb 26th 2008 5:30PM I think there's room for this. I actually passed on leather in my Prius because the idea of unheated leather is just... cold. I've been thinking about a Lexus version of the Prius for the last few months, and the gap isn't that far off. Start with a loaded Prius, add in all the goodness that the next generation product will no doubt add to the 2004-2008 model, and then add:
1. Heated leather seats. Maybe slightly fancier leather. Minimal weight. Energy consumption for the heat is seasonal and still not that much.
2. Make the plastic interior bits fake wood instead of fake metal.
3. Unique styling so you can justify extra price.
4. A little more sound insulation. Yes, this will add a little weight, but I bet they can do a lot with 20 lb. Prius is very quiet at low speeds but only average-quiet at high speeds.
5. A little more performance. A lot of this can be achieved by using a larger battery. There's room in the price for a more expensive battery in a Lexus version. The added weight penalty can be largely recovered by additional battery capacity for regen and EV type operation. I'm also betting we'll also see direct fuel injection and fancier valve timing on at least the Lexus version; that kind of thing can improve performance AND economy.
6. Smoother ride. I bet this is already in the works for the '09, even in the Toyota version. They need a little more suspension travel (to allow for softer shock and spring rates) and some better quality tires.
7. The door is open/fasten belts/lights are on chime needs to sweetly sing "bong, bong, bong" like a Lexus, not "beep-beep-beep" like a Matrix.
8. The next layer of gadgets that they wanted to put into the Prius anyway can start out in the Lexus version and trickle down to the Prius after a few years. This will probably show more in telematics, navigation, audio, etc.

The engineering behind the Prius is still highly aware of cost-sensitive. They did a good job of not making the cost-cutting too obvious, but they can raise the bar a lot with more money. They *could* also ruin it by turning it into a greenwash hybrid, though. We'll just have to wait to see.

P.S. I have no inside information, this is just a highly educated guess.