This little hybrid packs a great big punch on city streets
Slow on the road and stingy on the fuel, Prius c is just what Toyota wanted
SEATTLE— When they hear Toyota talk about its “perfect family” of Prius hybrid cars, people of a certain age might think back to Leave it to Beaver or Ozzie and Harriet.
The carmaker’s cheery new ads announcing that the Prius household has grown to four members certainly channel the forever-happy Cleaver and Nelson clans from 1950s television.
The family started with the hatchback, which was introduced in 1997, got its second major revamp for 2012 and will be joined by a plug-in version later this year.
The bigger crossover — the “v” — arrived last fall. Now comes the baby, the subcompact c.
If Toyota’s plans work out, though, most of those who buy the c — unless they waste their days watching classic reruns — won’t know of the Cleavers and Nelsons.
Toyota is aiming the little car at Generation Y, which it describes as 90 million strong in North America: urban residents in their 30s, mainly single, who endure a long daily commute to work and love their social-media tech toys.
While they don’t want to spend a for- tune, they demand more creature comforts than typical econo-boxes offer and prefer stingy fuel consumption, for economic as much as environmental reasons.
Performance, at least in the usual sense of neck-snapping acceleration and stunt-driver top speed, doesn’t appear to be high on their wish list.
The c has the same Hybrid Synergy Drive configuration as the rest of the Prius family, reduced in size and weight to fit into the trimmer package — a vehicle 485 mm shorter, 50 mm narrower and 19 per cent lighter than the hatchback.
The gasoline engine and electric motor combine for a top speed of 120 km/h, but a day of driving in and around Seattle demonstrated that they get there in a leisurely manner, with much whirring of the continuously variable transmission. Floor the accelerator, particularly when starting on an upgrade, and noise exceeds movement for what seems an eternity.
But “c” stands for city, and that’s essentially what the four-seater is intended for, joining the swelling ranks of vehicles being produced for drivers who will rarely leave the world’s mushrooming mega-urban areas, and who don’t view horsepower and torque as essential reflections of their character.
The c’s 1.5-litre, four-cylinder 16valve double-overhead cam engine puts out 73 horsepower and 82 lbs.ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm. It uses a block similar to the one in the second-generation hatchback, but substantially revamped with 70 per cent new parts and a long list of high-tech bells and whistles, including direct fuel injection, Atkinson cycle valve timing, and electronic throttle control, to squeeze maximum performance from a minimal amount of fuel. Exhaust heat recovery helps to warm the engine quickly, allowing another gas-saving feature — shutting off the engine during stops — to come into play sooner.
The internal-combustion plant combines with the 60-hp electric motor to generate a total of 99 net hp and up to 125 lbs.-ft. of torque.
To reduce load on the gasoline engine, the power steering, water pump and air conditioning are driven by electricity, rather than belts.
Additional weight reduction is achieved with measures such as high-tensile steel; lubrication of the transaxle with oil instead of regular fluid (which requires less liquid and allows for a smaller unit); and lighter materials for seat construction.
Design tweaks produce a drag coefficient of 0.28, which while less slippery than the hatchback’s 0.25 is good for such a short car.
All this, and low-rolling-resistance tires, results in an official gas-consumption rating of 3.5 L/100 km of city driving and 4.0 on the highway, which is slightly better than the hatchback and, Toyota says, makes the c “the most fuel-efficient vehicle in Canada without a plug.”
As for handling, Toyota wanted to make the c feel somewhat sporty, so the suspension — rigid L-arm Mac-Pherson struts in front and a torsion beam in the rear — is relatively firm, the wheels are out at the car’s corners, and the 144-volt nickelmetal hydride battery pack and 36litre gas tank sit under the back seat to lower the centre of gravity. While no rally car, it handled well on the Seattle area’s twisty roads and, once up to speed, held its own in city and highway traffic.
In comparison, a Prius hatchback seemed mushy on the same roads.
The c can be driven in one of three modes, which vary performance and efficiency. It also offers a series of displays that provide copious information about driving style and fuel consumption. One even calcu- lates fuel-savings comparisons with other vehicles. But the displays, while multi-coloured and active, are small and, during the test drive at least, didn’t make much of an impression. South of the border, the c comes in four trim levels, creatively labeled “One” to “Four.” In Canada, there are just three: “Standard,” “Technology,” and “Premium,” ranging in list price from $20,950 to $25,340; the latter getting 16-inch alloy wheels, power moon roof, heated front seats and fog lamps. What’s deleted here is the equivalent of the low-end “One,” which sells for just under $19,000 and includes compromises such as lesser seat fabrics and a rear seat that, inconveniently, flips down only in one piece, rather than a 60/40 split. “We start higher in terms of stan- dard features,” says Toyota Canada managing director Stephen Beatty. “It’s the kind of equipment that Canadians want.” In fact, Toyota wants the c to be considered a cut above its own Yaris and similar non-hybrid subcompact competitors, which cost less and also achieve stingy fuel economy. The car does feel solid; the interior is well finished and — for the car’s size — spacious; the front seats are comfortable and supportive; and Bluetooth, USB port, six-speaker audio and other tech gadgets are standard.
The c also comes with nine airbags and all six of Toyota’s active safety features, including anti-lock brakes, traction control and stability control.
The car appears to have struck a chord with consumers. In its first three days of U.S. sales earlier this month, Toyota sold 1,201c’s, beating the February total of 1,023 for the larger, more expensive Chevrolet Volt.
It’s not a driver’s car. But within its limits it’s fun to drive and should, as Toyota intends, move hybrid technology several steps further into the mainstream. Travel for freelance reviewer Peter Gorrie was provided by the auto maker. peter.gorrie@sympatico.ca