What was once a single model that defined Toyota's commitment to environmental performance and superior fuel economy has become a line of cars - an obvious sign of success. My guess, then, is that the ultimate sign of success for Toyota will be to have Prius become a verb, much like Google has.
"We Priused our way to Florida, averaging five litres per 100 kilometres." OK, that's reaching.
The second entrant in the Prius hybrid lineup, the Prius-V, is an extension of the (third-generation) original, with essentially the same powertrain but in a more wagon-like hatchback body style designed to meet - if things go according to Toyota's marketing plans - the needs of growing families. (The Prius c - for city - an "urban-friendly" hatchback, will be available next month; the Prius Plug-in Hybrid in 2012.)
From a purely esthetic standpoint, the v is by far a more attractive hybrid than the fourdoor liftback model, said third-generation model launched for the 2010 model year. (To be fair, the liftback is much more mainstream than its two predecessors, which seemed to revel in an overt, funky green smugness.) The v, though, blends in (or stands out, depending on your interpretation) with the likes of the Mazda5 and Kia Forte5 as a more versatile - hence the v suffix - family car with minivan/crossover overtones and an emphasis on cargo space.
In a normal review, I would start with the powertrain and then move to performance and handling dynamics. But, this is a Prius, people - it's not an especially fun car to drive for motor heads. It's sort of slow - especially when accelerating from a standstill - changing to glacial when in Eco mode and on an incline. Push the consolemounted Power mode button and acceleration improves noticeably, as does the ruckus from the 1.8litre gasoline engine when bigtime passing power is called for. Anybody who expects anything but is dreaming in technicolour. But people dig this car because its hybrid technology is still cool and it boasts miserly fuel consumption. Plus, it gets a big thumbs up from both Hollywood and the environmentalists.
If you are serious about keeping your hard-earned dollars out of the hands of the oil companies, you can't go wrong, especially with the new body style. My week with the tester generated a parsimonious 6.3 litres per 100 kilometres, without me going to any great lengths to be eco-friendly.
What makes the v a better Prius than the standard model is its genuinely roomy cabin, with excellent sightlines out the front and side windows. Even with the front seats back in their tracks, there's (just) enough room in the rear for leggy six-footers, with plenty of headroom to boot.
Popping the rear hatch reveals a wide, deep cargo area with 34.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which Toyota claims makes the v the most spacious dedicated hybrid vehicle on the market. Dropping those sliding, second-row, 60/40-split perches all but doubles the hatch's capacity. Plus, the front-passenger seat folds flat for longer items.
"We Priused our way to Florida, averaging five litres per 100 kilometres." OK, that's reaching.
The second entrant in the Prius hybrid lineup, the Prius-V, is an extension of the (third-generation) original, with essentially the same powertrain but in a more wagon-like hatchback body style designed to meet - if things go according to Toyota's marketing plans - the needs of growing families. (The Prius c - for city - an "urban-friendly" hatchback, will be available next month; the Prius Plug-in Hybrid in 2012.)
From a purely esthetic standpoint, the v is by far a more attractive hybrid than the fourdoor liftback model, said third-generation model launched for the 2010 model year. (To be fair, the liftback is much more mainstream than its two predecessors, which seemed to revel in an overt, funky green smugness.) The v, though, blends in (or stands out, depending on your interpretation) with the likes of the Mazda5 and Kia Forte5 as a more versatile - hence the v suffix - family car with minivan/crossover overtones and an emphasis on cargo space.
In a normal review, I would start with the powertrain and then move to performance and handling dynamics. But, this is a Prius, people - it's not an especially fun car to drive for motor heads. It's sort of slow - especially when accelerating from a standstill - changing to glacial when in Eco mode and on an incline. Push the consolemounted Power mode button and acceleration improves noticeably, as does the ruckus from the 1.8litre gasoline engine when bigtime passing power is called for. Anybody who expects anything but is dreaming in technicolour. But people dig this car because its hybrid technology is still cool and it boasts miserly fuel consumption. Plus, it gets a big thumbs up from both Hollywood and the environmentalists.
If you are serious about keeping your hard-earned dollars out of the hands of the oil companies, you can't go wrong, especially with the new body style. My week with the tester generated a parsimonious 6.3 litres per 100 kilometres, without me going to any great lengths to be eco-friendly.
What makes the v a better Prius than the standard model is its genuinely roomy cabin, with excellent sightlines out the front and side windows. Even with the front seats back in their tracks, there's (just) enough room in the rear for leggy six-footers, with plenty of headroom to boot.
Popping the rear hatch reveals a wide, deep cargo area with 34.3 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats, which Toyota claims makes the v the most spacious dedicated hybrid vehicle on the market. Dropping those sliding, second-row, 60/40-split perches all but doubles the hatch's capacity. Plus, the front-passenger seat folds flat for longer items.
Like the Prius, the v's Hybrid Synergy Drive system uses two high-output motors, one 60kilowatt (80-horsepower) unit that mainly works to power the transaxle and another smaller motor that primarily works as the electric power source. The nickelmetal hydride battery pack is the same as on the Prius liftback but with a cooling duct located under the rear seat. Hybrid Synergy Drive is a series-parallel hybrid system that can provide power from the gas engine alone, the motor alone or a mix of both. It uses a start/stop system and regenerative braking to conserve fuel and recharge the battery under deceleration. The drive system is built around the 98-hp 1.8L Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine and, working together, contributes to a total of 134 hp.
In addition to the standard driving mode and Eco and Power modes, there is also the EV mode, which allows the Prius v to run on battery power alone for very short distances (1.6 kilometres maximum) and lower speeds. In Eco, the engine management system emphasizes fuel economy, manages throttle response and limits power consumption from the air conditioning.
The Prius v retails for $27,200, a reasonable price for a hybrid of its size and intent and with the number of standard features it carries. The tester, however, was loaded to the max with a $9,675 Touring + Technology package (a combination of three separate available packages), weighing it down with a far heftier $36,875 sticker. A panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, premium audio system, Intelligent Parking Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, voice-activated DVD navigation system, synthetic leather seats and a ton of stuff more are all included. Maybe it's just me, but I felt this was overkill, trying to turn the v into some sort of luxury hybrid, which it's not.
That aside, the hatchback proved to be a pleasant driving experience. While still maintaining a portion of the Prius iconoclasm that isn't present in more mainstream-oriented hybrid sedans (Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, for example), the v's design and space utility make it an easy fit into the hybrid segment. It's a welcome addition, one that will help evolve the Prius line.
By Brian Harper, Postmedia News
In addition to the standard driving mode and Eco and Power modes, there is also the EV mode, which allows the Prius v to run on battery power alone for very short distances (1.6 kilometres maximum) and lower speeds. In Eco, the engine management system emphasizes fuel economy, manages throttle response and limits power consumption from the air conditioning.The Prius v retails for $27,200, a reasonable price for a hybrid of its size and intent and with the number of standard features it carries. The tester, however, was loaded to the max with a $9,675 Touring + Technology package (a combination of three separate available packages), weighing it down with a far heftier $36,875 sticker. A panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, premium audio system, Intelligent Parking Assist, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, voice-activated DVD navigation system, synthetic leather seats and a ton of stuff more are all included. Maybe it's just me, but I felt this was overkill, trying to turn the v into some sort of luxury hybrid, which it's not.
That aside, the hatchback proved to be a pleasant driving experience. While still maintaining a portion of the Prius iconoclasm that isn't present in more mainstream-oriented hybrid sedans (Ford Fusion, Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima, for example), the v's design and space utility make it an easy fit into the hybrid segment. It's a welcome addition, one that will help evolve the Prius line.
By Brian Harper, Postmedia News
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