Oh, damn. Do I like the new Prius? I mean, really like the new Prius? Split-a-Slurpee-and-listen-to-Broken-Social-Scene-in-the-IHOP-parking-lot like the new Prius? We only have European stats, but those stats show a cleverly redesigned plug-in hybrid with a huge increase in power (almost 100 HP!) and usability with no sacrifice in range. It’s eating your cake and having it, too.
Again, the major caveat here is that the U.S. version of this car has not been revealed so we’re having to go off what’s been released globally and for Europe. Here are the global specs for the plug-in hybrid (called Prime in the United States), straight from Toyota’s global press release:
- A 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid with 220 horsepower!
- A 0-62 mph time of 6.7 seconds!
- A 50% increase in pure-EV mode to maybe 50 miles!
- Similar (though not released) total efficiency!
I know I’m Upton Sinclair-ing with the punctuation, but this is a big deal. The current Prius Prime in the United States gets 121 combined horsepower and only 25 miles of pure EV range. [UPDATE: Someone in the comments correctly checked my math here so it’s worth clarifying EV range. In the US, the Prius Prime has an EPA estimated 25 miles of range. In the UK it’s estimated as 39 miles miles of range. A 50% increase would mean about 58 miles on the UK standard and a little shy of 40 miles on the US standard. In reality, owners in the US tend to report EV ranges closer to the UK so I think 50 miles of EV range in practical experience is possible – MH] That’s fine, but it’s also slow, with a 0-60 mph time in the low 10s. If the version we get is anything like the European version (and it probably is) we’re talking a car that is a vast improvement in performance.
Toyota is playing up the sportier aspects of this car as well, stating:
The second-generation TNGA platform was developed as an ongoing improvement of the matured TNGA platform to achieve the exhilarating styling and driving performance of the new Prius, allowing for a lower center of gravity and large-diameter tires.
I feel like “exhilarating driving performance” is not something usually associated with the Prius, which seems to be getting MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone setup at the rear.
Additional improvements include an optional solar roof and this trick little window attachment so you can use the built-in accessory ports to charge off of the battery (Toyota, as of now, has not revealed the battery size).
On the outside, the car’s got larger wheels and a stretched wheelbase (although it appears to be slightly shorter) to give it a more athletic stance while still retaining the overall Prius shape that’s built around the warped-canoe greenhouse. I like it.
On the inside the Prius picks up the brand’s new “island architecture” design language, with a large floating screen for the driver and passenger and a driver-focused screen for the relevant gauges and information. The best feature might be a mood strip that’s tied into the car’s safety systems and can adjust the lighting to alert the driving about incoming objects.
There’s also a new series hybrid version in the classic Prius flavor that also gets the 2.0-liter motor and has about 190 horsepower, which is still a rather large increase in power over the various versions offered globally. I’m assuming we’ll also get this version, but it’s possibly we only get the PHEV.
Damn. I am excited about this.
[Editor’s Note: I saw this car in person a few months ago at Toyota’s HQ in Plano, Texas, but was not permitted to take pictures or talk about it. Since it’s revealed, I suppose I can talk about it, and I have to say it is a dramatic improvement over the outgoing – and, really, all the others – Prius. In person, the proportions are great, it feels nice and wide in the hips, and the face is so much better than the riot of creases and folds and flaps that Toyota design was spiraling into. The new design language is hectares cleaner and sleeker. It’s so much better. – JT]
UPDATE: The US Version Is, Indeed, Quite Similar
Consistent with what’s written above, Toyota announced that the U.S. is getting both the plug-in version (still called the Prius Prime) and the non-plug-in version. The basic hybrid comes in FWD or AWD and gets 196 combined horsepower. In Prime trim, there is indeed a “nearly” 100 hp increase to 220 hp, and a 0-to-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds, From a Prius.
Finally, big T makes the Prius almost interesting. However, I think that we need to sit down and have an honest chat with them regarding the name. In the states, the Prius nameplate seemed to have divided the public between those who adore and those who scorn. Given that EV’s (and certainly hybrids now) are normalized, can we just rename the damn thing already to move away from that divisive legacy? Could even be an opportunity to resurrect another storied name from their past – like the Cressida or something. And we all know that their bizzaro naming experiment that gave us the busy forks (that’s how its pronounced, right?) was a disaster, so let’s stick with Cressida. Could also leave them with an opportunity to rename the Tacoma back to the Hilux. Just sayin’.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: PHEV > BEV for 99% of consumers. No range anxiety, all battery use for most cases. I have to drive my Volt to Denver and back a few times a month, and those are the only times I have to fuel up. Otherwise it’s all electric around town. Prius / RAV4 Prime is high on my wish list for a replacement when I need it, assuming they can even be found. Used RAV4 Primes with 60k+ miles are still selling used for above MSRP. People bag on Toyota for not having an EV, but I think this is the way to go for the next 5-10 years until we can figure out more sustainable battery chemistries.
what about carying all the extra weight of the dual powertrains? To be honest i haven’t bothered looking at the specs of comparable vehicles PHEV and BEV
This is one of the best designs I’ve seen out of Toyota in, like, ten years. What is HAPPENING
It looks like my 2017 Volt. Which, make no mistake, is a good thing. This is the first Prius ever that wasn’t beaten hard with the ugly stick.
Squint your eyes and hit it with the shrink ray to get a Honda CRX/CRZ successor.
Looks good. Hope they sell a ton of them.
That looks real similar to my ’13 Dart.
Will a good looking Prius sell to the people who buy Prius’s’s?
More importantly, will there be a way for them to program it to never exceed 4 under in the left lane?
They can probably deal with the external looks, since the island design still looks like a bunch of tablets jammed on with double sided tape inside, but if they can’t easily disable this unnecessary horsepower, dedicated Prius owners may revolt.
It’s kinda ugly and utterly uninspiring.
But it’s also the perfect car. Half of everybody should be driving one of these. It’s the solution to everything wrong with full BEVs and regular cars.
The typical person would burn no gas 90% of the time with this car, and it would still work perfectly in the other 10% of their use-cases where a BEV would leave them utterly fucked. (Or out a bunch of money to rent something.) And it’s going to be crazy reliable, and highly practical, and it’s not stupidly oversized, and it’s safe, and it’s going to be affordable, and…..
A significant improvement! Unfortunately the prime is nearly unobtainable like most cheaper electric/hybrid cars these days….
Whatever they are putting in the water at Toyota HQ I hope they keep doing it. This little runabout is gorgeous. I foresee that a not insignificant number of these will be debadged.
I actually love this. I’ve always been “meh” towards the Prius, but for the first time it’s something I would consider. Interested to see the price. Will it qualify for the new tax credits?
“and this trick little window attachment so you can use the built-in accessory ports to charge off of the battery”
But holy moly lose the window attachment. Just put a dang plug outlet under a flip-up license plate or something.
Something that can be locked and breakaway. Otherwise, expect to replace windows.
Damn! They even put the gauges where they belong and the interior doesn’t look like a cheap Fisher Price knockoff. I’m sure it’s bland to drive, but as a commuter, as long as the seats are comfortable, I would put this at the top of a shopping list (assuming no dealer markup). Quite the turn around from the hideous, slow mess of the current one.
I personally have found the Prius to range from hideous to merely ugly across generations. The current gen in particular is a hot mess…my neighbor has one and it’s just a weird overstyled blob, not to mention the exterior lighting is ridiculous overkill. The thing is SO BRIGHT at night…he’s pulled it out and scared my dog multiple times.
This is a serious improvement. I don’t consider it to be conventionally attractive, but it’s definitely clean and it isn’t burdened by the Japanese manufacturer tendency to over design every little touch. I’ll never forget Clarkson calling the FK8 CTR “the car that they wouldn’t stop designing”. Now I see those sorts of cars everywhere.
That being said, in regards to speed the only way to go was up. A 0-60 time in the high 6s is really nothing to write home about these days. I’m sure it’ll feel exponentially peppier than the current one but this definitely isn’t going to be an engaging car to drive. That being said I’m happy that hybrids are getting sportier in general and will almost certainly go PHEV or traditional hybrid for my next car…and the Kona N’s commuting fuel economy is hilariously bad.
…how about a GR Prius? MORIZO PLS!!!
People laughed when they called it “not your grandma’s Prius”. I am not ashamed to say I have been waiting over a year since they first hinted at this, and I nearly figured it out when one of the autopian writers hinted at at a car they weren’t allowed to show us months ago from Toyota. That dynamic force engine is perfect for this , it achieves 40% thermal efficiency,ideal for this application.
OMFG! I might actually consider buying one of these. I NEVER thought I’d say that about a Prius!
Do pigs fly now or something?
For the first time I honest-to-goodness LIKE the look of the new Prius. It’s like Toyota saw the competition, and realised they had to up their game. It’s almost makes up for the Crown.
This will sell.
The current origami Prius is rather unattractive, so say the least. I would totally buy this new one. Can I get it in orange? Take my money!
When it arrives in the US, it will be available in 5 different shades of grey, black, white, and silver. The yellow color will be a faint memory. It will probably get a redesigned front clip that looks like a bulldog eating a pork chop and 24 inch wheels with murdered out black rims.
Wrap it…
God help me… I kind of like the Prius. I mean I’m not in the market for a car but damn 50 miles of EV range would almost handle my daily commute so it is tempting. Top up in the driveway overnight and wash, rinse, repeat. Since full electric vehicles are currently out of my price range a PHEV would suit me just fine. You hear that, Ford! Give me a PHEV Maverick already, you cowards!!
Based on the Maverick’s nearly unobtanium hybrid variant, good luck with that. You’ll end up on a waiting list for 3 years. Ford has released a slew of hot models (Mach-E, Maverick, F-150 Lightning, Bronco) that are nearly impossible to acquire, much less at MSRP.
I know. I would have traded in my Elantra for a hybrid Maverick without hesitation since it is almost the perfect vehicle for me. Hopefully by the time I’m in the market for another vehicle in like 6 or so years inventory is more normalized and I can just walk into a dealership and get either a PHEV or fully electric Maverick. And hopefully it hasn’t gotten bigger and is the same size as the current Maverick by then.
Ford has figured out the secret sauce – produce very desirable and futuristic products at unprofitable prices. Bask in the media buzz and elevated share prices. Then make them unobtainable so they won’t lose too much money while selling lots of the same old shit.
It looks like a refresh of the second generation Volt.
there’s already a reddit going for it: https://www.reddit.com/r/volt/comments/ywmei7/so_did_everyone_get_to_see_the_new_2024_chevy/
The first question I had is “What is the drag coefficient?”
Just checked out your velopede, and you may want to rethink that design. It may have a good coefficient of drag and small frontal area, but the vertical tail at the rear end makes it dangerous in a crosswind – air can flow around the front with ease, but not the rear, which could cause the vehicle to spin out or enter oncoming traffic.
Its drag coefficient isn’t all that good. I did some measurements via coast-down testing and found it got an overall CdA of 0.20 m^2, and when accounting for frontal area, that means a drag coefficient of 0.33. Considering I had no access to CFD software, nor a wind tunnel, and had the penalty of outboard wheels, that isn’t too terrible. A lot of today’s cars are extensively wind tunnel tested to get that sort of value with the average new car getting a Cd around 0.28; of course, that is in the context of the modern car being designed to advertise a brand aesthetic at the expense of all else, which IMO is wasteful and stupid and costs the vehicle operator money and drag could be cut by nearly half without compromising the car’s practicality or adding cost if that was actually a goal, but I digress.
I’ve had zero issue riding it even in thunderstorm conditions with 50+ mph wind gusts. I think the outboard wheels, which add a crap ton of drag and probably account for more than half the vehicle’s total CdA, are spoiling the airflow in the rear.
This thing is surprisingly stable, even doing 45 mph down a state highway during “tornado warning” conditions. The wind has never spun it about or even so much as whipped it into another traffic lane, and I’ve ridden it in all kinds of terrible conditions. 18-wheelers have passed me with speed differentials of 30+ mph, and again there was no issue.
The next design is doing away with the outboard wheels in the interest of further drag reduction. It will still have the vertical tail, but I’m going to experiment with vortex generators on the very end of it as well as storm strips in order to keep it stable. The front will have two knee bumps which will also spoil sidewinds.
This was going around the Volt subreddit this morning – most of the stats match the 2nd gen Volt exactly, from power to range. Considering GM dropped development of the Voltec powertrain, this is looking like it might be the next proper Volt successor (for those that aren’t ready to “graduate” to a full EV when they get out of their Volt).
Looks cool! Reminds me of the Euro 8th gen Civic hatch we never got.
They need to bring back the Prius V wagon. That one got a third seat overseas but not here 🙁
That cable in the window looks kinda silly tho
The cable in the window isn’t to charge your car, it is to power your margarita blender when you’re camping in a national park or Walmart parking lot
I’ll soon be in the market for a family car to replace my aging, beat up hatchback. Toyota, please, make a Prius V wagon with this drivetrain. I will buy one. I’ll begrudgingly give up my manual transmission, and it doesn’t even have to come in brown – just make me a station wagon.
I Absolutely need a plug in wagon of some sort 50 miles of range in the summer is the bare minimum for me, though.
I hope it can tow at least a half ton.
To be honest, i always saw the second generation prius on looking more like what a 4 door CRX would have been.
I like this iteration of the car
What’s going on in that last picture? Why is an extension cord going to the inside of the car?
Additional improvements include an optional solar roof and this trick little window attachment so you can use the built-in accessory ports to charge off of the batter(y) (Toyota, as of now, has not revealed the battery size).
I’m assuming that is a cable going out from the Prius to power something externally? I can’t think of any other reason.
Seems like it’s a silly way to plug something outside the car to use plugs from inside the car. Definitely looks absurd and hacky. Would much prefer just a plug on the outside of the car under a rubber flap. Either under a flip-up license plate, or next to the charger port inside the “gas cap” flap
This may be my early morning math skills talking but if the current Prius gets 25 miles of electric range and this is a 50% increase, wouldn’t that be around 37-38 miles of range and not 50?
Yeah, that was poorly worded on the part of the writer – they were clearly looking at it from the perspective of 25 miles being 50% of 50 miles, but it’s a 100% increase from 25 to 50.
Hmmm… you’re right. I think I conflated European and US range, but they’re different cycles. Lemme fix.