TOYOTA didn’t make the first hybrid car but it is the first company you think of when it comes to combustion engine-electric alchemy. The synonymity is thanks to the Prius, which debuted in 1997 and beat the Honda Insight hybrid, which actually arrived first, and then all other challengers into submission over the subsequent years and three generations. The Prius remains the world’s best-selling hybrid car with total sales of 3.5m in its first 18 years.
Its success has led Toyota to roll out hybrid tech onto other models such as the Yaris, Auris and RAV4, as well as most of the models from Lexus, its upmarket car division. Toyota hybrids now make up more than 50% of all the alternative powertrain vehicles sold in Europe – more than all the other hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles combined.
The appeal, on paper at least, is impressive fuel economy along with low tax, smooth and eager power delivery at low speeds, and the avoidance of diesel (in the case of the majority of hybrids), which is the fuel of the devil, or so we’re told. VW’s diesel emissions testing trickery, which was uncovered last year, seems to have been a bullet to the kneecap of “oil-burners”, and recently major world cities announced that diesel-powered vehicles would soon no longer be welcome on their streets. Buyers, are looking for alternatives and Toyota is raising an arm and saying, “Over here!”
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One problem with the Prius for many, aside from owners being labelled smug eco-nuts, has been its aesthetics. Early hybrid design doctrine seems to have been to make them look less like a car and more like a wedge of mouldy cheese, only less visually appealing, and the Prius was no exception.
Hybrid cars don’t have to look weird, though. We know that now. Hyundai, Ford, Mercedes and others have proved that. Lexus has been producing decent-looking hybrids for some time, too, and even Toyota offers the “normal-looking” hybrids listed above.
Yet, with the fourth generation Prius pictured here, it’s clear that the model remains a statement car. It’s meant to look “green”. Some might describe its look as bold and futuristic. Others may call it fugly. Toyota says its focus was to “inject ego into the car by crafting a more powerful, engaging and sporty image”.
The lower bonnet and road-scraping nose, along with the grille and front wheel arches are designed to direct airflow around and under the vehicle but it’s the striking headlamp arrangement that really stands out. It took a niggling couple of days after the car was delivered before it became clear what the front end reminded me of: Ida Lowry receiving her face-stretching treatment from Dr Jaffe in 1985 film Brazil.
The rest of the design is less divisive, though, with a more conventional profile than before, aided by an all-new platform (known as Toyota New Global Architecture, or TNGA) and familiar coupé-hatch style rear end. Again, here the light cluster is arresting but it’s a more attractive arrangement at the back, with a shepherd’s crook-style brake light running vertically at each edge.
Inside, the car has been completely transformed, too. Gone is the large central console running at a 45-degree angle between the driver and passenger and in its place is a more orthodox vertical layout with a flat tray underneath.
All but the most basic “Active” trim levels get a wireless phone charger here, which allows compatible mobiles to get a battery top-up without the need for cables. It’s a feature that’s beginning to appear in a number of cars but is still by no means commonplace, and marks the new Prius out as a car for the tech-savvy.
“The proximity sensors seem to have been designed by Lance Corporal Jones from Dad’s Army”
Gadgets available on all models include DAB radio, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, road sign assist, electric driver’s seat, LED headlights with Automatic High Beam (dips the headlight when it senses on-coming cars), dual-zone climate control, twin 4.2-inch colour info displays and Toyota Touch 2 touchscreen multimedia. Higher spec cars add sat nav, a JBL audio system, rain-sensing wipers, head-up display, parking sensors (it’s a shame these aren’t available on the Active trim, to be honest) and more.
Driver and passenger seats are more comfortable and more supportive than before, and tall occupants will find little to complain about. In the rear there’s more legroom than a typical family hatchback but things can feel a little cramped, particularly with the sloping roofline cutting into headroom.
Making matters worse, getting children in and out of car seats requires a certain amount of contortion, due to the low roofline (no wonder SUVs are so popular) and visibility out of the rear window is limited for smaller occupants thanks to a high (and rising) shoulder line, making riding in the back feel like travelling in lower decks of a cruise liner: yes, you can see out and it’s not too cramped but you may end up clawing at the walls if you were stuck in there for any length of time.
The good news is that a more compact hybrid system and battery, along with new double wishbone rear suspension, means boot space isn’t compromised, and the cargo floor is lower, expanding capacity to 457 litres when a temporary spare wheel is carried and 502 litres with a tyre repair kit.
So it’s got the tech and the luggage space but is the new Prius a car that’ll suit keen motorists or does it remain a model best known for its fanbase of Uber drivers? Well, yes and no. The new TNGA architecture is 60% more rigid than before and allows a lower centre of gravity, which means less roll through corners and more responsive handling. The double wishbone rear suspension further improves things. In fact, the new Prius is not a turkey at all through the turns, the only grumble being overly light steering with a lack of feel.
There’s no getting around the dullness of a CVT (continuously variable transmission), though. Without getting technical, it uses cones and pulleys instead of gears, and by adjusting their position can allow the car to accelerate up to the top speed without over-revving the engine. As far as the lay-driver is concerned, it works like an automatic, only you don’t get the traditional rise in revs then sudden drop in engine note as the cogs change. Instead, it’s more of a monotone as speed builds.
There are three driving modes – Normal, Eco and Power – although none change the driving experience dramatically; it’s consistently unexciting. Having said that, pull from standstill at traffic lights is decent, if not mind-blowing. The driver can also switch to EV mode, for short distances in pure electric driving.
And it should be noted that compared with its latest competitor, the Hyundai Ioniq, the Prius has a more powerful battery and spends more of the time making silent, emissions-free progress at low speeds.
Fuel economy is also largely unaffected by switching between three main driving modes, but that’s no bad thing: we managed an impressive 62mpg on a 23-mile commute comprising a mix of A-road and city driving. Interestingly, that dropped to 44mpg on a 9-mile school run one morning – still decent but not exceptional. Clearly the Prius’s fuel economy will vary dramatically depending on how you drive it. And achieving the claimed 85mpg was beyond us.
Driving it around a city is not a relaxed experience, though. The new Prius’s proximity sensors seem to have been designed by Lance Corporal Jones from Dad’s Army, as its hysterical beeps and warnings sounded regularly while negotiating traffic in London. On one occasion the emergency brake was applied while pulling out of a T-junction and around a flatbed truck in queuing traffic, through a tight gap.
Worse, there’s no obvious way to silence the alarm, meaning you sit there with bells ringing until the car in front moves off. Toyota told us that the “Intelligent Clearance System” (ICS) can be switched off, via the settings in the menu system, but that disables it completely.
According to the manual, the ICS can be triggered by a number of things, such as when driving over a metal cover (“such as those used for drainage ditches”), on a steep slope, when sensors are dirty or when influenced by other sonic waves. Whether any of these were a factor in the above incident is unclear — at the time it just seemed overly nannying.
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Another issue on one occasion was a loss of power when pulling away from traffic lights. After a delay of around three seconds, and some frantic pedal-pumping, the car woke up and accelerated as normal. There were no warning lights to indicate any problems. In response, Toyota said the only time this should happen is when the brake and throttle are pressed at the same time, which deliberately cuts the power; the brake override system. While we don’t believe that was the case during our test, we can’t be certain it didn’t happen and so the Prius should get the benefit of the doubt. [Interestingly, another journalist had a similar problem while testing the Maserati Levante recently. – ed]
More of an issue was the road noise in the cabin, and wind noise around the A-pillars. At a 50mph cruise it’s quite noticeable and boomy.
Those prepared to forgive the Toyota Prius these issues are likely to be green car fanboys and loyal Prius customers, but assuming you are, the fuel economy, luggage space, handling characteristics and tech upgrades in this latest model are the rewards.
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source http://www.driving.co.uk/car-reviews/toyota-prius-mk-4-review-2016-on/
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