The biggest change that I noticed in the new Prius was the way it handles. The handling of this front-wheel-drive car is sublime as it can corner well without making the occupants nervous. I remember that the earlier car had a very neutral handling, which was all right back then. The engineers seem to have taken the handling of the new Prius seriously and have induced some real fun into it. It doesn’t really hug the corner as well as a sports car but then again it is not meant to do so. Nevertheless, stability, cornering ability, body-control, and steering have all been improved to make the new Prius a good handler in a variety of conditions. The independent suspension also does its job perfectly well, keeping body-roll at bay while providing a good ride quality.
The new Prius is safer as well with a host of safety features that come as standard, including traction control, blind-spot monitoring, HUD, and stability control. Braking is good as well with ample feel, feedback and bite to stop the Prius well.
Overall, our short drive proved to us that this green machine is a well-balanced city car. It looks brilliant and the on-board equipment list is exhaustive. The Hybrid Synergy drivetrain is one of the best out there and the new Prius feels more like a fun car rather than just a piece of technology.
So should you buy one? Well, that depends. If you are an eco-warrior who wants to save the environment by doing his bit, then, sure, go for it. But in order to own one, you’ll have to wait for some time because Toyota are still to launch the car in India. We expect the company to announce the Prius before the end of the financial year and we expect it to be priced around Rs 40–45 lakh (ex-showroom), which will be higher than before, but for a new platform and more technology, we trust it’s worth it.
