Toyota Prius Persona Series Special Edition: Is it really that special?

By Stephen Edelstein Published October 17, 2012

Toyota has been trying to expand the Prius “family” by adding new models like the Prius C and Prius V, as well as the MPGe master Prius plug-in. Each new Prius permutation was meant to make Toyota’s signature product do something different. The latest version, the Prius Persona Series Special Edition, is not a completely new car, but it’s trying to accomplish the same mission as the other Priuses (Prii? Priot?) by being a bit classier.

The key word here is a bit. Like most automotive special editions, the changes that make the Persona are not substantial. On the outside, Toyota added new 17-inch wheels and three unique paint colors: Black Cherry Pearl, Blizzard Pearl, and plain old Black. None of this makes the Prius Persona more efficient or luxurious.

Recommended Videos

The interior gets SofTex leather seats with red stitching and a SofTex-wrapped steering wheel. The shifter and door panels are trimmed in chrome. That should make this Prius’ interior a little more interesting but, again, the changes aren’t significant enough to make the Persona Special Edition that special.

Nothing in life is free, so the Persona costs $27,890, a noticeable hike from the base Prius Two’s $24,960 base price. However, it’s possible to spend more on a Prius. A fully loaded Prius Five starts at $30,765, and the Prius plug-in starts at $32,760 and a loaded Advanced model costs $40,285.

You know a car has truly arrived when its maker rolls out a special edition. The Prius Persona may just be new paint and leather seats, but Toyota knows that, because it’s a Prius, people will still buy it and at least feel like they got a little something extra. That’s because those buyers will be thinking more about how much they want a Prius than how much they want it to be special.

That should be good enough for Toyota, especially since the company has had trouble producing a truly upmarket purpose-built hybrid. Lexus’ HS 250h sedan (since discontinued) and CT 200h hatchback haven’t been that successful, and there may be a limit to how much people will pay for a regular Prius.

With four distinct models already on sale, the Prius already has plenty going on. Those models may not carry a “special edition” badge, but they should be everything most buyers need from a hybrid.

Stephen Edelstein

Former Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Topics

Cars

Smart brings back its original two-seater as an all-electric car with 180 mile range

The iconic Smart two-seater is back, and its bigger battery could make this tiny electric car more practical beyond city streets.

smart #2 Premium

Smart unveiled the all-electric smart #2 at the Paris Motor Show - the same stage where it revealed its first two-seater concept 30 years ago. This new model keeps the tiny footprint that made the original Fortwo a city darling, but it fixes the one thing that held that car back. You're now looking at nearly double the range and a proper fast-charging setup to match.

What makes the Smart #2 better than its predecessor?

Cars

Modern cars love to collect data. Their companion apps appear to be even worse

Think your connected car tracks too much? Take a look at its phone app

Transportation, Vehicle, Car

We've known for years that modern cars aren't particularly shy about collecting data. It turns out the little app you install alongside one is apparently another cause for concern. Researchers at Northeastern University (via Vucense), working with Consumer Reports, tested 21 late-model vehicles from 19 brands and 30 manufacturer companion apps to see where their network traffic went. Nineteen of the 21 cars contacted at least one third party over Wi-Fi, while 11 reached domains classified as advertising, tracking, or analytics services.

For most of the vehicles tested, adding the manufacturer's companion app at least doubled the number of advertising, tracking, and analytics companies contacted. Seventy percent of the apps reached more than five such domains, compared with 29% of the cars.

Cars

Citroën promised us a cheap electric 2CV. The charming concept is finally here, with egg holders and turtle pedals

Citroën’s electric 2CV concept is smaller, lighter, and costs just 15,000 Euros

Citroen 2CV Concept Featured

A few months ago, Citroën told us one of France's most recognizable cars was coming back as a cheap EV. Now we finally know what that actually means. The Citroën 2CV Concept has made its debut at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, previewing the production model Citroën intends to put on European roads by 2028.

Just as promised, it is a fully electric car that is built to be simple and small enough to slot between the tiny Ami and C3 in Citroën's lineup. And sticking true to its legacy, it keeps some of that unique strangeness of the original 2CV.