This is the car I've been waiting for ever since it was the
FT-CH concept vehicle. The numbers are in and its looking pretty good. It has a city rating of 53 mpg (highest of any non-plugin car) and 46 hwy (which is still better than my 2nd gen Prius' 45 rating which routinely gets 55 @ 60 mph in summer). Combine that with a starting price of under $19,000 and I think we have a winner.
The downsides I see are the lack of aero consideration in this car. Obviously with shortening the vehicle up you compromise things. With a bit more finesse this thing could have had a 50 mpg hwy rating. A boat tail or kamm back I'm sure would do it wonders. I'm sure aftermarket PHEV kits will be available at some point too. Although it is disappointing to see max EV speed only at 25 mph. My guess is they geared it more for acceleration than the other Prius (mine can do 34 mph).
2012 Toyota Prius C: 50-MPG Subcompact Hybrid For $19K, Detroit Auto Show Details
