A dark black Toyota Prius (XW20), seen in the beautiful summer of 2024 in the Chinese capital Beijing. The good Prius was in fine shape, painted in metallic black, and fitted with the original six-spoke alloy wheels.
The Toyota Prius was made in Japan from 2003 until 2009. It was produced in China from 2005 until 2009. The manufacturer of the Toyota Prius in China was the FAW-Toyota joint venture. The Prius was manufactured in the great city of Changchun, the capital of Jilin Province in Northeast China.
The Toyota Prius was an impressive technology package. It was a hybrid electric vehicle, combining a 1.5-liter ICE with an electric motor. The combined output was 150 hp and 400 Nm. Toyota China didn’t disclose any performance figures at the time, but they did say the fuel consumption was 4.7 liters per 100 kilometers, which was quite impressive at the time.
The interior was not the Prius’ strongest point. Loads of ugly black plastics, faux leather, a single cup holder, and a tiny infotainment screen. Most Chinese car owners use after-market seat covers to protect the original seats, but not in this car.
However, the biggest problem for the Prius was its powertrain. In the mid-2000s, China started a wide-ranging subsidy program for new energy vehicles (NEVs), which include: EVs, PHEVs, and FCEVs.
NEV buyers could get purchase subsidies at the central level and additional subsidies at the local level. But the Prius, being a HEV, was not eligible for any such subsidy. Under the Chinese subsidy system at the time, and that’s still the same today, HEVs are classified as ICE vehicles.
No subsidies! No wonder sales of the FAW-Toyota Prius were extremely slow. It was a real oddball without buyers, it sold in super small numbers, even in its early years. So whenever I see one on the road, I got to have it on film!
The badge on the back: 一汽丰田 · 长春 (Yīqì Fēngtián· Chǎngchūn, FAW Toyota · Changchun). The joint venture still exists today, but they don’t make the Prius anymore. Instead, the company produces a cool China-only electric sedan called the Toyota bZ3.
