Toyota has confirmed what we already suspected: The 2010 Prius will start at $21,000, a full $1,000 less than the outgoing model, but the price-leader won’t be available at launch. Prius will offer five option packages and, later in the year, will come standard with Toyota’s Safety Connect system.
Exact specifications and an on-sale of the $21,000 Prius have yet to be determined, however. For now, buyers will have to settle for a $22,000 entry-level Prius until Toyota can figure out exactly what they want to do with a base model. If you’re confused, you’re not alone.
If we were to hazard a guess, we’d estimate that the Smart Key, alloy wheels, cruise control and heated mirrors standard on the $22,000 Prius II trim level will be dropped from the $21,000 Prius I – but that’s pure speculation at this point.
The Prius III adds $1,000 to the Prius II, as well as an eight-speaker JBL audio system with six-disc CD changer and Bluetooth capability.
The Prius IV, at $25,800, includes a more advanced Smart Key system that can unlock all four doors rather than just the driver’s, heated leather seats with lumbar support for the driver, front driver and passenger water repellent windows, a Plasmacluster ionizer and an auto-dimming rearview mirror with integrated Homelink.
Topping the line is the – you guessed it – Prius V, which starts at $27,270, and adds 17-inch alloy wheels, auto-leveling LED headlamps and integrated fog lamps to the equation.
Optional on the Prius III, IV and V is a $1,800 voice-activated navigation system. Prius III and IV (but not V) offer a $3,600 solar roof panel package that also includes the navigation system. Finally, Prius V offers a $4,500 Advanced Technology package that includes the navigation system, adaptive cruise control, pre-collision protection, lane change assistance and the Lexus -sourced Intelligent Parking Assist.
Don’t forget about the $750 destination fee, which Toyota says might vary for Priuses delivered in areas served by its independent distributors, Gulf States Toyota and Southeast Toyota.
