Toyota Prius drives into the mainstream
FIRST DRIVE
hybrids VANCOUVER:“into the mainstream”Toyota is planningwith theto bring 2016 Prius. GPSUBCMF Firstly, TFBUJOHPrius is GPSa mid-sizelWF BOE TJ[BCMFsedan with USVOL com- TP
that Secondly, nothing it or is no amazinglyone is jammed frugal in. with a comCJOFE Thirdly,GVFM SBUJOH Prius PG comes - with LN the new Toyota SafetyBase, where Sense it (TSS)is an on option.all modelsTSS blends except fourthe BEWBODFEwith PedestrianTBGFUZ TZTUFNT Detection,1SF $PMMJTJPOLane Departure 4ZTtem Alert with Steering Assist, Auto High Beam and Full-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise $POUSPM XPSLJOH JO TUPQ BOE HP USBGlD EPXO
to a full stop. TSS will be standard on most Toyotas by 2017. 1SJVT VTFT 5PZPUB T IZCSJE TZOFSHZ ESJWF TZTUFN XIJDI DPOTJTUT PG B MJUSF "ULJOTPO
cycle four-cylinder with two electric motor/ generators.
The big difference between the new and last HFOFSBUJPO JT UIFSF BSF UXP CBUUFSJFT BWBJMBCMF
0O UIF MPXFS USJN MFWFMT 5PZPUB TUJDLT XJUI UIF OJDLFM NFUBM IZESPJE CBUUFSZ JU IBT VTFE GSPN UIF TUBSU 0O UIF IJHIFS USJN MFWFMT 5PZota uses a lithium-ion unit because it is lighter and offsets the weight of the extra added equipment.
#PUI CBUUFSJFT BSF TNBMMFS JO TJ[F BOE IBWF B mBUUFS TIBQF TP UIFZ DBO lU VOEFS UIF SFBS TFBU JOTUFBE PG VOEFS UIF DBSHP mPPS GSFFJOH up considerably more space. The transaxle is also smaller, allowing the BVYJMJBSZ CBUUFSZ UP CF NPWFE JOUP UIF FOHJOF
bay. This system produces a net 121 hp that EPFTO U TPVOE MJLF B MPU CVU UIFO UIFSF JT UIF
torque with the engine/motor combo. Toyota XPO U HJWF PVU UPSRVF OVNCFST CVU * E QVU JU BU
about 200 lb/ft based on my experience. Prius retains a CVT transmission, but uses TIJGU CZ XJSF UFDIOPMPHZ UISPVHI lOHFSUJQ NPWFNFOUT PG UIF UJOZ TIJGUFS GPVOE PO UIF MPXFS DFOUSF TUBDL This all results in a fuel rating of - LN DJUZ IJHIXBZ DPNCJOFE or 64/61/63 mpg.
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"T MVDL XPVME IBWF JU * XBT UFBNFE XJUI Daniel Breton, a Quebec autowriter specializing in green propulsion and, for a time, QueCFD &OWJSPONFOU .JOJTUFS 5IJT JT B HVZ XIP LOPXT IPX UP HFU UIF CFTU PVU PG B IZESJE BOE IF EJE KVTU UIBU BDIJFWJOH - LN PO BO LN MPPQ BSPVOE 4UBOMFZ 1BSL "OPUIFS XBT - LN PWFS
LN CVU HPJOH BENJUUFEMZ WFSZ TMPX *O UIF SFBM XPSME XF BWFSBHFE - LN PWFS B NPSOJOH PG ESJWJOH SJHIU XIFSF 5PZota said it would be.
.PTU PG PVS UJNF XBT TQFOU JO UIF #BTF DBS with TSS. When the engine was running, it XBT XFMM NVGmFE XJUI #SFUPO NBLJOH UIF NPTU PG SFHFOFSBUJWF CSBLJOH BOE VTJOH UIF engine to charge the battery, instead of the NPSF XBTUFGVM FOHJOF ESJWJOH UIF XIFFMT SBUIer than the motor. Later in the topline Touring we found it to CF RVJFUFS UIBO UIF #BTF XJUI UIF MFWFM PG QSFNJVN FRVJQNFOU NBLJOH JU B WFSZ QMFBTBOU place to be. 3JEF RVBMJUZ JT NVDI JNQSPWFE PWFS UIF NPEFM UIBOLT JO QBSU UP UIF SFBS EPVCMF wishbone suspension that not only lowers the DBS UP JNQSPWF IBOEMJOH CVU NBLFT GPS FYUSB cargo room. 1SJVT JT BMTP POF PG UIF lSTU WFIJDMFT UP VTF the Toyota New Global Platform that dramatiDBMMZ JNQSPWFT SJHJEJUZ 4UBSUJOH QSJDF JT PS XJUI 544 plus heated front seats. Top end is the TechOPMPHZ XJUI "EWBODFE 1BDLBHF BU Standard equipment includes: 6.1-inch DisQMBZ "VEJP TZTUFN XJUI TJY TQFBLFST WPJDF SFDPHOJUJPO #MVFUPPUI DBQBCJMJUZ BJS DPOEJUJPOJOH XJUI BVUPNBUJD UFNQFSBUVSF DPOUSPM
TQMJU GPME EPXO SFBS TFBU UIF 4NBSU ,FZ System and Push Button Start. *U JT FYQFDUFE B 1SJVT D DPNQBDU BOE 1SJVT W QFPQMF NPWFS XJMM CF DPNJOH BMPOH TPPO JO UIF product cycle. Toyota/Lexus has led, and still leads, in hyCSJE QSPQVMTJPO TP UIJT EFDJTJPO UP UBLF 1SJVT BOE NBLF JU B QMBZFS JO UIF NJE TJ[F TFEBO TFHment was not done lightly.
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size sedans, Toyota also is playing the fueleconomy card to go along with real room for lWF
For instance, Toyota compared the Prius to
the current Ford Fiesta sub-compact. With its four-cylinder, 1.8-litre engine/electric motor, 1SJVT BWFSBHFT - LN 8JUI JUT MJUSF
three-cylinder engine, Fiesta gets 6.6L/100 LN
Toyota uses the tagline “Going Beyond The Possible” with the 2016 Prius. "OE LOPXJOH 5PZPUB JU T KVTU QPTTJCMF UIFZ
will successfully inject Prius into the mainstream.