Toyota Prius 2016, first look and test drive in Valencia

The Toyota Prius is, in the eyes of the vast majority of the public, the leading exponent of hybrid vehicles on today’s market.

The fourth generation has just arrived, and ahead of its market launch Highmotor travelled to Valencia to test it and bring you a first hands-on look at everything the new Prius has to offer.

What does the Prius mean for Toyota?

The Prius model is part of the Toyota brand’s identity. Since its launch in 1997, it has brought hybrid technology to the masses. With sales volumes that have grown steadily throughout its history, the Prius has been, is and will probably remain the car that comes to everyone’s mind when they hear the word “hybrid”.

The story of the Prius began in 1997 with the launch of the first generation, which has been followed by three more, counting the one we have been testing this week in Valencia. Sales of this model have always exceeded the company’s forecasts: the first million Prius were sold worldwide in 2008, and the second million arrived in 2011, a clear sign of the model’s remarkable growth.

With each generation, its characteristics have made a notable leap forward in every respect: from design, which is increasingly refined and efficient, to performance, and of course fuel consumption, which keeps getting lower. The Prius has been, and still is, an institution within the brand, and with this fourth generation it aims to further strengthen that futuristic image.

Exterior design

The bodywork design of the new-generation Prius is undoubtedly the most controversial aspect of the car. Following the model’s tradition, the Prius is a car you either love or hate, but it never leaves you indifferent. With the fourth generation, this is taken to the extreme.

It seems the designers took the bodywork of a Prius III and set about stretching, tensing and magnifying every fold, edge and curve. The result speaks for itself. It is clear that the fourth-generation Prius is still recognisable as a Prius at a single glance.

The front features arrow-shaped headlights with Bi-LED technology, flanked by small lamp units at the ends of the bumper that integrate both the daytime running lights (LED) and the indicators.

The design of the new Prius bears more resemblance to the new Mirai than to previous Prius generations

The side is arguably the least striking part of the car, although it includes some important changes. The roofline is now more curved, and the highest point of the body has moved 17 centimetres forward to improve aerodynamic efficiency and interior space. The wheels can be 15 or 17 inches, with only the latter arriving in our country. They feature a very attractive two-tone finish.

At the rear, the changes are evident. The closest thing to its predecessor is that the rear window is still split in two. The light clusters, although still positioned vertically, bear no resemblance to those of previous Prius models, being far larger and featuring a light signature specific to this model that accentuates the lines along the side. Let’s just say that in person it gains considerably compared with the photographs. Everyone can judge for themselves.

Interior design

Inside, the impressions are mixed. On the one hand, the redesigned dashboard looks much more pleasant and more high-tech. Overall, the materials used in its construction have been improved, and the fit between parts appears solid and precise to the millimetre. Moreover, there is considerable space in both the front and rear seats.
There is also an enlarged instrument display with two colour screens, a HUD that is colour for the first time and has been improved, better equipment, and a more pleasant feel to the buttons and switches.

However, this Prius has some defective details that can tarnish the overall impression. This is the case with the use of some extremely basic plastics in critical areas of the cabin, such as the surroundings of the instrument cluster and the centre console. The lower part of the doors is also made with these materials.

Furthermore, it is incomprehensible that in a car costing 30,000€ like this Prius, with its undeniably “hyper-technological” approach, interior lighting is still provided by halogen bulbs. The Toyota group, in its vastness, fits many of its models with LED ceiling lights that would significantly improve this aspect. The interior lighting is not deficient, but it is outdated. Very outdated. On the other hand, despite the improvement in the instrumentation, there is still a large empty space on one side of the panel, used only for three insignificant indicator lights and, once again, the famous in-house digital clock.

In terms of comfort, this new generation has made an undeniable leap forward, thanks to the aforementioned improvement in interior space. Boot capacity has also increased, reaching 502 litres. Sound insulation has changed notably for the better, as the cabin is quieter in every circumstance.

Engineering and driving dynamics

If the Prius’s “container” has changed, its “contents” have changed even more. The new Prius bears no resemblance to its predecessor, updating and improving every component of both the chassis and the hybrid system.

This model is the first to be built on a platform from Toyota’s New Global Architecture (TNGA), specifically the GA-C platform. This platform will be used in the future for other compact models from the Japanese manufacturer. The bodyshell is 60% more rigid than its predecessor’s.

The first notable difference in the chassis compared with its predecessor is a redesigned rear axle that now uses an independent suspension design with a deformable parallelogram, which improves both handling and comfort over the previous torsion-beam arrangement.

The new rear suspension translates into better cornering behaviour and superior ride comfort

The transaxle, the electric motor and the power control unit have all been updated. They now take up less space and operate more efficiently, minimising energy losses. The petrol engine is the same naturally aspirated 1.8 unit as in the previous Prius. It still works on the Atkinson cycle, but has undergone internal modifications to improve its thermal efficiency, which for the first time in a petrol engine reaches 40%.

The end result is that the new Prius delivers a total output of 122 CV, a drop of 14 CV compared with its predecessor. Performance has deteriorated slightly, as its 0 to 100 km/h acceleration has gone from 10.6 to 10.8 seconds. The trade-off is an improvement in efficiency figures: the new Prius has an average consumption of 3.0 litres per 100 km, with CO2 emissions of 70 grams per km.

In practice, the new Prius does not feel any slower than its predecessor. Once on the move, the Prius still behaves like a normal car, with sufficient power in any situation. It is clearly not a car for drag racing, but it gains speed normally.

In corners there is a noticeable improvement over the previous generation, thanks to more refined suspension tuning. The handling is good, the damping is slightly firm, and it gives the car greater composure than earlier versions. However, the steering remains completely isolated from the wheels. The braking system still has its two-stage action depending on how hard the pedal is pressed. In this car I found it somewhat difficult to modulate the stop in the final metres, probably due to an adaptation issue that would likely be resolved after two or three days of use.

Both visibility and acoustic insulation have been improved. The front pillars are now shaped more carefully, obstructing less visibility at junctions and on tricky bends. Insulation has improved considerably, owing to better quality and quantity of soundproofing and to a better calibration of the e-CVT gearbox, which revs the engine less when high power is demanded.

During this first test, the onboard computer showed consumption ranging from 4.4 litres over a 144 km trip on all kinds of roads without deliberately seeking low consumption, to 3.5 litres over a 30 km urban route. In both cases these figures are not comparable with the homologated ones (3.0/3.3 litres), although an improvement over the previous generation is evident.

The biggest difference lies mainly in how the car’s “electric components” operate, which favour using electricity to propel the car. As a result, speeds of 70-80 km/h can be reached in electric mode without much difficulty. In addition, the system’s management means the battery charges faster but discharges more slowly.

Range and prices

The Toyota Prius will reach dealerships in a couple of months. As for the range and prices, the manufacturer has decided to tighten up the line-up by eliminating the cheapest trim levels, launching the new Prius with only one version, the top of the range, with all the equipment available for this model already fitted as standard.

With a recommended retail price of 29,990€ (including promotions but excluding the PIVE scheme), the Prius sits at a higher price than the current model, but with equipment that includes, among other things, a 7-inch touchscreen, 17-inch two-tone alloy wheels, JBL audio system, wireless phone charger, instrument display with a dual 4.2-inch colour TFT screen, full LED headlights and the Toyota Safety Sense safety package. The only optional extra will be leather upholstery, at a price of 1,500€.

The new Prius will only be sold in a fully equipped top-spec trim

According to the brand’s executives, this move is a repositioning of the Prius with respect both to the Toyota range and to the market in general. The people at Toyota want to make the Prius the flagship of their hybrid technology, which is why they have decided to raise the car’s price somewhat, betting on quality, equipment and exclusivity.

Moreover, continuing with this focus on exclusivity, TME has decided NOT to approve the new Prius as a taxi in either Barcelona or Madrid. In this way we say goodbye to one of the most popular models among taxi operators, which registered as many as 2,000 units for taxi use alone in 2011. Now, Toyota forecasts around 350 units a year for the new Prius.

Photography | Daniel Valdivielso