2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

 

1. The 2012 Toyota Prius V will start at $27,160 when it goes on sale in late October, while the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid will start at $32,760 when it goes on sale in 14 launch states in March. Prices include a $760 destination charge.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid undercuts the Chevrolet Volt by $7,235. GM recently cut the Volt's base sticker to $39,995, including an $850 shipping charge. Nissan raised the price of the Leaf to $36,050, including an $850 shipping charge.

The rechargeable Prius Plug-in Hybrid goes as far as 15 miles solely on electricity, after which it runs as a standard 49-mpg Prius. The Prius V gets an estimated 44 mpg in city driving and 40 mpg on the highway, said Toyota in a statement.

Toyota says the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is expected to qualify for a federal tax credit of $2,500.

The uplevel Prius Plug-in Hybrid Advanced will start at $40,285, including shipping.

The base Prius Plug-in Hybrid's standard features include heated front seats, a remote air conditioning system, a charger timer, 15-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels and a smart key. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid Advanced adds such standard features as a charging station map, pre-collision system and head-up display.

The Prius Plug-in Hybrid will first launch in California, Oregon, Washington, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia. A national rollout is set for 2013.

Toyota said the uplevel Prius V Three will start at $27,925, including shipping. The top-of-the-line Prius V Five will start at $30,750.

Standard features on all Prius V models include 16-inch alloy wheels, a 60/40-split sliding and reclining rear seat and Bluetooth.