News broke in late 2018 that Toyota will be giving its iconic Prius an available all-wheel drive option for 2019.
The logical reaction to this would be to ask why all-wheel drive?
The logical answer is that Toyota is trying to keep its hugely successful Prius relevant and competitive.
Everybody knows that the Prius is already a great car – love it or hate it. When it comes to adding things to it, all-wheel drive makes sense. It adds to the car without changing it or making it something it was never intended to be.
In fact, this is a long time coming.
Nissan announced that their Altima will be available with all-wheel drive also starting in 2019. Dodge even announced a couple years ago that their Challenger would receive the option for all-wheel drive. If Dodge can add the option to the Challenger, it shouldn’t be surprising when it’s made available on any other car.
Other cars already offering an all-wheel drive option include the Ford Taurus, Ford Fusion, all the Subaru models, Mini Cooper, Dodge Charger, Audi models, Volkswagen Golf All-Track, and a few others.
Of course, the advantage the Prius has is its stellar gas mileage. It is projected to get a combined 50 miles per gallon, which is far and above what the RAV4 and Highlander hybrids get, not to mention any of the all-wheel drive cars already mentioned.
The reasons behind the all-wheel drive Prius seem obvious then, even though we all know this doesn’t all of a sudden make the car an off-roader or even give it the all-terrain abilities of an SUV.
Usually, adding all-wheel drive to any vehicle will decrease its fuel efficiency. This still inevitably happen when adding the option to the Prius as well, but the difference is going to be just 2 miles per gallon, an amount that shouldn’t upset anybody.
The Prius has cemented itself as a legend when it comes to hybrid vehicles. Toyota made it right, and it has withstood the test of time. Still, the Prius isn’t immune to changing trends and consumer opinion. Its sales, like so many other car sales, has been on the decline.
The additional practicality and all-weather usability this new option gives probably won’t thrust the Prius back into the place it once had. After all, the car itself isn’t all new, though it was recently redesigned.
Instead it will offer a compelling argument for new car buyers looking for a hybrid vehicle. The Prius’ price is still cheaper than many SUVs, and even though it isn’t a huge car, it will reign supreme over any other hybrid in terms of gas mileage for an all-wheel drive vehicle.
It also offers a far better value than vehicles like the Tesla Model S and Model 3, even though it isn’t a full electric vehicle.
All in all, Toyota is doing something very Toyota-like.
They aren’t offering anything absolutely cutting-edge, overwhelming, or remarkable, while also not being the first ones in the industry to offer it.
The Prius with its new option will be a solid choice for anybody.
Without going crazy and offering some off-the wall new vehicle or ridiculous new technology, Toyota is just doing what they do best: offering a great value vehicle that doesn’t need to be flashy or showy.
It serves them well, and the new Prius with its newly offered all-wheel drive option will serve its buyers well.
