0 to 100km/h in 2.5 seconds

TOYOTA: FOURTH GENERATION GANGSTER A GLIPMSE AT THE FUTURE Manufacturers are setting ambitious dates for producing full electric cars.

Ican remember going to the launch of the original launch of Toyota Prius into South Africa over 15 years ago. Although it was our first taste of local hybrid technology, the car we first sampled was, in fact, the second generation of derivative.

It was also a time when I thought getting old was for people like my parents, I was still completely bulletproof even before drinking myself brave, and I only had eyes for fast cars.

Life was still very much internal combustion engines. We were being made promises that there would never such a thing as an SUV BMW M car, nor would turbocharging be used.

Now SUVs outsell almost everything else on the market, they are turbocharged, and set lap records at the Nurburgring.

Look where we are headed – more manufacturers are setting ambitious dates for only be producing full electric cars, but what fills the gap between then and now. And this is why a car like the Toyota Prius exists.

Now in its fourth generation, this quirky looking original gangster of hybrid technology in South Africa represents a platform that is still going to be with us for a long time to come.

And that is an internal combustion engine combined with self-charging electrical assistance in terms of efficiency and performance.

The proven 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE naturally aspirated engines remains, in updated form, and produces 72kW at 5 200rpm and 142Nm at 3 600rpm. This coupled to two smaller and lighter electric motors that sees a further 53kW and 163Nm being produced for a system total of 90kW.

Now don’t begin to even ask me how it really all works and how the numbers are arrived at, but I can tell you that the change from petrol to electric, and back, and then a combination of the two happens seamlessly.

What will be of more importance is that the Toyota Prius is said to use a mere 3.7 litres of fuel per 100km. And remember there is no paying for electricity to charge the Prius, as this is done by the engine and by regeneration for you. Not that I have driven it this way yet, the claim is 10.6sec to get to 100 km/h and the top speed is 180km/h.

We will be living with the Toyota Prius for the next month and then we can tell you all about what has been updated for 2021.