Now that an entire automotive industry is all about crossovers, SUVs, and trucks, especially if they are of the full EV variety, very few might remember the model that just a little over two decades ago was considered the ultimate life hack. But just like the North, the virtual realm remembers.
Back in 2000, Toyota’s Prius was not the first hybrid car on the market but just like with Apple’s iPhone no one cares about what came before it. Today, it has also been relegated to that position because we all only have eyes for battery-powered vehicles. Sure, the Prius remains on sale for 2022 and no one should worry about its real-world well-being since it still sells like hotcakes.
The $24,625 price might have something to do with it, even though people can also buy a cheaper Corolla Hybrid at $23,750. However, that one does not come with the same sustainable wow factor that would allow owners to stand out in any quirky crowd. So, the Prius remains a historically important figure along the path to electrification and Earthly redemption, just that it has become a little too niched for its safety.
No worries, where there is a will, there are always virtual solutions. Such is the case with the pixel master better known as SRK Designs on social media, who has suddenly remembered to show some love and appreciation to a car that was once the most hyped thing ever. And the CGI expert also opted for a signature twist, of course, as in between EV and pickup truck transformations this author sometimes loves to give popular nameplates an adventurous off-road-focused makeover.
Now, this unsuspecting Toyota Prius has quickly morphed into the hybrid car that is ready to undertake an overlanding road trip at the end of a behind-the-scenes making-of video that is only going to capture about ten minutes of your lifetime. And, hopefully, make people appreciate the Prius for a different type of uncanny potential yet again...
Aurel has aimed high all his life (literally, at 16 he was flying gliders all by himself) so in 2006 he switched careers and got hired as a writer at his favorite magazine. Since then, his work has been published both by print and online outlets, most recently right here, on autoevolution. Full profile
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