Toyota have revealed an all-new, fourth generation model of the Prius, the car that single-handedly changed what hybrid cars were supposed to feel like.
The Prius has been one of Toyota’s best-sellers, if not the best-selling hybrid car. Over what has come to be nearly two decades, the Prius has shone in the green brigade’s books, become the star car for celebrities who want to do their bit for the environment, and made people in general aware that green cars are definitely here to stay, if not in fact, embody the way forward.
The all-new Prius has been recreated from scratch to be all-new in every aspect – inside and outside. The exterior is redesigned to be more emotional and striking than the earlier design, which too, was contemporary for its time back then.
The new Prius is 60 mm longer, 15 mm wider and 20 mm lower than the previous-generation model, which means that it now has a lower centre of gravity, and, together with a more responsive suspension set-up, makes it more fun to drive too, Toyota say. There’s more, the aggressive design is thanks to a lower bonnet, with LED headlamps offered as standard. The launch colour is an all new sporty shade which Toyota call ‘Hypersonic Red’.
Underneath the skin, the Prius boasts of the latest hybrid technology which adopts a smaller and much lighter hybrid drive system. There’s also a higher energy density in the battery pack, and an improved combustion engine with a record 40 per cent thermal efficiency to give the electricity the back-up it needs in the best way possible. Fuel economy is expected to be 10 per cent higher, with a corresponding reduction in emissions as well.
Safety too has been in focus, and with more demanding NCAP standards, come improved features. The new Prius monocoque has a new rigid framework for better strength and crash safety. It also features Toyota Safety Sense, that has a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection and automatic braking, full operational speed radar-based cruise control, automatic high beams as well as a lane departure alert system that has steering assist.
The new Prius should replace the existing model in India soon after its global launch. Check back here for more updates on this front.
Story: Jim Gorde
