What does the Prius add now that hybrid drive is commonplace at Toyotas?
Toyota supplies almost all its models with hybrid technology. This makes the Prius seem to have lost its initially unique position in the range after a quarter of a century. As PHEV, they still see enough right to exist at Toyota for a completely new fifth generation. How does that work out in practice?
Is the new Toyota Prius bigger than its predecessor?
Yes and no. Where we usually see that a new model is slightly larger than its predecessor, the opposite is the case with the new Prius. Generation 5 is 4.6 centimeters shorter than its predecessor and 5.0 centimeters lower. However, it has become 2.0 centimeters wider and the distance between the front and rear axle has grown by 5.0 centimeters. The latter is interesting, because it directly determines the legroom. In the front you also have more than enough space in all directions when you are a bit taller. We only wish for slightly longer seat cushions, which are too short and therefore offer too little support. There is also more than enough legroom in the back. Even if you, as a taller person, sit behind a seat that has been adjusted to yourself, your knees will not touch the back of the driver’s seat. However, the headroom is pitiful. Even with an average stature, you are already stuck in the back seat under the sloping roof. Partly because the battery pack has moved from under the floor of the luggage compartment to under the rear seat, the volume of the trunk has increased by 33 liters, so that it now measures 284 liters, which is actually sadly little for a car of these proportions. The view to the rear is also not quite you. Those who appreciate it can convert the rear-view mirror into the screen of a rear-facing camera in no time at all. You suddenly see a lot more. The disadvantage is that your eyes have to focus very quickly.
The trunk of the fifth generation Toyota Prius is not large.
Does the petrol engine still screech when you step on the gas?
The latest edition is only sold as a plug-in hybrid in Europe. With its new powertrain, the Prius has taken a big step forward. In the previous edition, the maximum system power was 122 hp. Now only the petrol engine (from now on a 2.0 liter four-cylinder according to the Atkinson principle) is already good for 152 hp, while an additional 163 hp is added electrically. As a result, the Edition 5 system power peaks at 223 horsepower. This ensures that the car responds lively to the accelerator pedal and, if desired, takes off nicely. But even more important is that the engines have enough reserves at the bottom when the accelerator pedal is pressed, so that the petrol engine no longer immediately whines towards the rev limiter, but it is so comfortable.
The plug-in hybrid powertrain has become a lot more potent.
How do you charge the battery?
You can charge the battery in three ways. The battery pack has a capacity of 13.6 kWh. Initially, Toyota reported that you should be able to travel 69 km with this, the Japanese now say that, according to WLTP, it is even enough for an electric range of 86 km. You can charge the battery at an AC charging station or wallbox with a maximum of 3.3 kW. That’s not much, it takes no less than four hours for an empty battery to be fully charged again. You can also order the Prius with a roof full of solar panels. On a sunny day, according to Toyota, you could then harvest enough energy for 8 kilometers in EV mode. Incidentally, the car also has a charge mode where the battery is charged while driving. You then drive on only the petrol engine and it is quite grumpy. That’s a bit of a shame. Nice is the link between the camera system and the accelerator. When you let go of the gas, it brakes neatly on the engine, if the system detects a car in front of you, it automatically brakes more violently on the engine.
Charging on the charging cable takes a long time. You can also charge the Prius with the solar panels on the roof.
How does the new Prius steer?
For the new Prius, Toyota has further developed the TNGA platform (which we also know from the Corolla). The result is a car with a multi-link rear axle that can be guided through traffic with great lightness. Not for a moment do we have the idea that the chassis cannot handle the increased driving forces. And that without compromising comfort for even a moment.
The new Prius is nice and light-footed to steer through traffic.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl