Toyota Prius EX older model sold in Japan

When it became clear that the Honda Insight was chasing the lower end of the hybrid market, and generated a lot of interest, Toyota got nervous. Their upcoming all-new 3rd-generation Prius was loaded with gadgetry and therefore premium-priced to match. So then Toyota decided to reduce the base price of the upcoming 2010 model, while also still offering a 2nd-generation Prius alongside the new model.

Ultimately, Toyota confirmed that they will continue offering the old Prius only in Japan. That JDM model is now called the Prius EX, and is going on sale in its home market, mostly to fleet customers, in June.

The EX is only available in black, silver or white with a grey interior. Dual stage airbags and air-conditioning are standard, but accessories such as hubcaps and foglights will now be dealer-installed options. The base price of the Prius EX is about the equivalent of $19,700 in Japan, or about the same as that of a JDM Honda Insight.

Toyota hopes to sell about 2,000 Prius EX units a month. Toyota chose not to offer this model in the United States because updated on-board diagnostics regulations for 2010 would require a significant amount of software development, which apparently won’t be worth the investment.

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