Car Review: Toyota Prius - Sassy green machine

The Toyota Prius is the poster car that graces the walls of naturelovers all over the world Now in its fourth generation this bestselling hybrid car in the world has evolved to become more stylish The whole stubby silhouette of the older car has given way to a sleeker and futuristic shape that is lower wider and longer than before The back end doesnrsquot really rise as sharply as before giving the new Prius a more coupeacutelike look Besides the drag coefficient has gone down from 025 Cd to 024 Cd which makes it one of the most aerodynamic carsThe Atkinson Cycle 18litre petrol engine is now better than ever beforeThe cherry on the top are the headlamp and taillamp units Instead of just sticking a pair of lights on either end Toyota designers chose to integrate the lights within the design of the front and rear itself Now that is clever designing something which might become the norm in the future when aerodynamics will be as necessary as fuelefficiencyInside the old drab dashboard has given way to a sleeker and sassier looking unit that goes well with the whole theme of the car It was the quality of the interior that impressed us the most The softtouch plastics are great and the overall feel is pretty rich Space is also quite good thanks to the new platform that has liberated more space inside the car especially the boot which is now almost 100 litres bigger than its predecessorNew platform has improved interior space levels PicsToyotaHowever the true master stroke lies under that body which hides the new Toyota Next Global Architecture TNGA The Prius now enjoys the privilege of being the first car in the companyrsquos lineup to be based on this versatile new platform It brings a stronger structure with improved rigidity new doublewishbone independent rear suspension and lower centre of gravityThe 18litre inline fourcylinder petrol engine based on Atkinsonrsquos cycle still produces 96 PS and 142 Nm of torque However with a new intake port the airflow to the combustion chamber has been improved Thermal efficiency and the overall fuel consumption has also been improved Toyota says that despite the same power and torque figures of the gasoline engine the overall performance has improved thanks to the new battery pack motors and improved CVTThe electric drivetrain has been updated with the motor battery and other components now being lighter and compact The two motorgenerators are all new and they are designed to suit the new multishaft transaxle setup of the Prius Batteries have been redesigned making them slimmer and are relocated under the rear seats resulting in more boot space Toyota offers the new car with either nickelmetal hydride or lithiumion battery packs and we believe that the Indian model will come with the formerThe old dashboard is replaced by a sassy unitThe engine comes to life by pressing the startstop button The Prius starts in lsquoNormalrsquo mode which engages the electric motors to propel forward This mode senses the use of the throttle and then swaps between electric and petrol power There are three other modes as well EV Eco and Power The EV mode is completely electric However due to battery limitations this mode can power the car only for a few kilometres While the Eco mode works like the Normal mode with reduced response from the engine the Power mode lets you enjoy the most of the motorThe initial impression is similar to that of an electric car There is no sound instead the console informs you that you are ready to go Step on the throttle gently and it starts rolling smoothly We floored the throttle to see how the Prius behaved and the first thing we noticed was the engine kicking in with a faint noiseThe refinement of Toyotarsquos Hybrid Synergy Drive system is phenomenal The transition from electric to petrol power was seamlessIn terms of fuel efficiency the new Prius promises an unbelievable 40 kml according to Toyota The emission levels of the new Prius stand at 70 gkm of CO2 which is 19 gkm less than its predecessor There is no doubt that the new Prius is fuelefficient and greener than beforeThe handling is sublime as it can corner well without making the occupants nervous Stability bodycontrol and steering have been improved to make the new Prius good at handling a variety of conditions The independent suspension also does its job perfectly keeping bodyroll at bay while providing a good ride qualityThe new Prius is safer with a host of safety features that comes standard including traction control blindspot monitoring HUD and stability control Braking is good as well with ample feel feedback and biteOverall our short drive proved us that this car is a wellbalanced city car But in order to own one yoursquoll have to wait for some time because Toyota is yet to launch the car in India We expect the company to announce the Prius before the end of the financial year and we expect it to be priced around R40ndash45 lakh exshowroom which will be more costlier But for a new platform and more technology we feel itrsquos worth it