Prius Brand May Be Headed For Expansion

The auto industry's most successful hybrid brand may be sprouting additional models some day soon. Toyota's Prius could grow into a "sub-brand for a broad family of low-emission, high-mileage hybrid vehicles," according to Reuters. But the move, "controversial within the company," according to one senior Toyota executive, wouldn't occur for more than a year.

Toyota executive Bob Carter told an auto summit Monday he thinks Prius's iconic status is reason enough to grow the brand into a family of vehicles. Carter envisions a day when the Prius sub-brand includes larger vehicles for families and smaller vehicles for commuting. Carter anticipated that by the 2020s, every Toyota would offer a hybrid model.

The move to a sub-brand would be unusual for a car company. The convention for most automakers is to introduce model names under a major brand name: Toyota Corolla, Buick LeSabre, and Ford Fusion, for example. While multiple versions of those models may be available, the main brand remains prominent.

A Prius sub-brand could gain the status of a separate brand -- not unlike Lexus, a stand-alone brand made by Toyota. But Carter was careful to distinguish the potential Prius sub-brand from "a separate franchise" like Lexus.

It could be smart to build on Prius's brand awareness and grow it into a product family. Who knows... could Toyota turn out to be the Procter & Gamble of the auto industry?