The world’s favourite hybrid, Toyota Prius, is completely revamped and redefined after almost two decades, making it more pleasant driving and greener than ever.
Toyota, the trailblazer of hybrid cars, for the very first time has used its new, light-weight TNGA (Toyota Next Generation Architecture) platform which provides 60% more torsional rigidity than before. This combined with the new multi-link rear suspension lowers the centre of gravity by about an inch, making the all-new Prius more fun and engaging to drive than the outgoing version – This was the core idea behind updating the Prius.
The design of the Prius has been completely overhauled and is more aerodynamic than ever. Toyota claims that its coefficient of drag is lowest among all mass-production cars in the world. It features more slippery, somewhat polarizing contour at the front and looks equally young and aggressive against its ever increasing competitors. The rear end design hasn’t been changed much and remains an eyesore for most.
The Toyota Prius continues to use the same 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine though Toyota has made several mechanical changes to the engine which has resulted in a thermal efficiency of 40%, which is greater than any mass-produced engine in the world. This engine now produces 95 BHP of power. The electric motor is also updated and it now produces 71 BHP of power. Toyota claims that they have tuned the electric motor to offer better low-speed acceleration and also the overall weight reduction has in-turn resulted in improved performance.
With the Prius, the emphasis has always been on efficiency and the new Prius is a step ahead of its predecessor. It now delivers an overall economy of 22.1 km/l on the normal variant and 23.8 km/l on the new eco variant. The new version is also more environmental-friendly exhaling 70 g/km of carbon dioxide as compared to 89 g/km on the outgoing variant.
The cabin of the new Prius is similar to its predecessor and is very futuristic. The quality of materials is much better now. It now sports a dual 4.2-inch customisable colour display which is easier to read. The Prius comes with safety features like lane departure alert, adaptive cruise control, Toyota Safety Sense Program (TSSP) which includes a pre-collision warning and braking system as well. Along with being the most fuel-efficient hybrid, expect it to become more popular than ever.
2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid
– Produces a fuel efficiency of 23.8 km/l
– Based on the new light weight TNGA platform
– Comes with a 1.8-litre, 4-cyl engine
