There is one car that introduced automobiles to the world of hybrid technology – and that's the Toyota Prius. It is popular around the world, for it uses a petrol engine aided by an electric motor as well. With a lion's share of buyers turning to hybrid cars, the Prius proved to be pretty successful, selling over 3.5 million units worldwide. In its fourth-generation avatar, it looks rather modern and promises to be fun-to-drive as well.
Exterior
What immediately impresses you, is the fastback silhouette. At the front, the sloping nose boasts of a 'V' on the bonnet. There are claw-like headlamps and the design cues are sharp and angular in form. Along the side, the Prius has mildly flared wheel arches and two prominent creases converging towards each other at the rear. At the back, it gets huge vertical tail lamps and a see-through glass area just above the tail gate that looks rather cool. However, we still wish the wheels were larger than the 15-inch ones.
Variants
The Toyota Prius variants are as follows: Z8. Features include an eco driving indicator, leather seats, illuminated entry, touchscreen display audio with aux-in and Bluetooth, 10 JBL speakers, pitch and bounce control, headlamps with auto-leveling, heated seats for the driver and passenger, steering-mounted audio controls, cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, dual auto AC and reverse camera. On the safety front, it gets 7 airbags, ABS, EBD, VSC and traction control.
Interior
Inside the cabin, the multi-layered dashboard has white surfaces and looks very modern. There are two centrally-mounted instrumentation screens on the dashboard that display a lot of information - like economy, state of charge and suggestions for efficient driving. Then there is the 7.0-inch touchscreen that sits atop a floating console that displays the source of propulsion. And you'll find the small gear lever jutting out of the dashboard. The leather seats provide ample comfort, and are well bolstered too. Even the rear bench offers good support, and there's a good amount of legroom and headroom as well.
Engine Specifications & Performance
The Toyota Prius is powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine that produces 95bhp and 142Nm of torque and runs in conjunction with an electric motor that makes 71bhp (53kW) and 163Nm of torque that comes from a 6.5Ah nickel-metal hydride battery. Combined together, the system makes 121bhp of power. Paired to the engine is a CVT gearbox. At speeds below 50kph, the Prius can run on electric power alone. Full-electric mode is best used in the city in order to keep up with the traffic. When the petrol engine kicks in, you can feel the additional power pulling the car ahead. Performance is decent, but keeping in mind this is the Prius, fuel economy matters most – and it is impressively frugal. Even refinement levels are good. The steering is well-weighted, but there is a bit of body roll around corners. Ride quality is supple over bad roads.
Mileage
The Toyota Prius' ARAI-certified fuel efficiency figure is rated at 26.27kmpl for the petrol-hybrid Z8 variant.
