Perhaps Toyota is getting a bit worried by the Hyundai Ioniq, a cheaper and more efficient alternative to the quintessential Prius hybrid, because it has dropped the price of the 2017 Prius by a significant $1210 as part of a midyear change. The lineup now includes a Prius One trim level?it had previously started off, illogically, with the Prius Two?and has a lower base price of $24,360.
That’s still $1325 higher than the Hyundai Ioniq Blue?s starting figure of $23,035 and $575 more than the related Kia Niro?s $23,785 base MSRP, but it narrows the gap between the Toyota and those upstart Korean competitors. And the Prius One is not completely stripped out, either: standard equipment includes automatic climate control, cruise control, a backup camera, and, impressively, active-safety features such as forward-collision warning and lane-departure alert. All that the Prius One is missing compared with the Two is a spare tire, a rear wiper, and seatback pockets on the driver and passenger seats.
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The 2017 Prius One doesn’t differ at all mechanically from the more expensive Two, Three, and Four models, and it should achieve the same 52-mpg EPA combined fuel-economy rating. Even more miserly shoppers should look at the Prius Two Eco, which achieves 56 mpg combined. That still doesn’t quite top the Hyundai Ioniq Blue...