Plug-in Prius is comfortable and convenient
2017 model offers the best of both gas and electric worlds
For all the talk about alternative fuels, gasoline doesn’t seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.
It powers about 90 per cent of the vehicles on the road today, and with pretty good reason. Without the hassle of range anxiety and long charging times that plague full-electric vehicles, or the lack of infrastructure for hydrogen cars, gasoline may not be the most efficient fuel source but it’s still the most convenient. And until that changes, there’s a sweet spot with cars such as the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime, a plug-in hybrid that relies on the best of both worlds for an efficient ride that leaves range anxiety at the curb.
Plug-in by any other name
This is the plug-in hybrid variant of the latest version of the Toyota Prius fuel misers have been waiting for. It combines the same1.8-litre Atkinson Cycle gas engine and electric motor found in the standard Prius with the added bonus of a much larger battery pack that’s good for about 40 kilometres of all-electric driving.
It also differs from the plugless Prius with its dual-motor electric drive system. While the electric motor itself is the same as the one found in the Prius hybrid, it actually features two electric generators, one to drive the wheels, the other to charge the battery, and a nifty one-way clutch is employed in the Prime that allows both to send power to the wheels in EV mode for smoother and more responsive acceleration.
Other changes include the car’s battery, which has seen its capacity doubled to 8.8 kilowatt-hours compared to 4.4 kilowatt-hours in the last version of plug-in hybrid, while a battery warmer keeps the lithium-ion unit at an internal temperature above 0 C for optimal operation. Like the standard Prius, the Prime has a whole host of driving modes that can be used to balance battery and fuel consumption. EV, Hybrid and EV Auto modes adjust the type of power that is delivered, while Normal, Eco and Power modes adjust throttle response. EV mode will run on battery power until it’s empty, while EV Auto will rely mainly on electric power, using the gas engine when it’s more efficient to extend the battery’s life. Hybrid mode uses the gas engine as its main source of power, with the battery playing a supplementary role.
Starting the day in EV mode, our tester easily came close to its advertised 40 kilometres of electric driving range.
A prime looker
Like virtually all Prius models before it, the Prime’s looks are polarizing, to say the least. The plug-in model’s styling builds on the fourth-gen Prius introduced last year, but adds design elements that soften that car’s extremes. It still comes up short when it comes to cargo volume, with 561 litres behind the rear seats compared to 697 litres in the standard Prius. Adding to the disappointment is the Prime’s rear seating, which only includes room for two passengers.
Elsewhere, the Prime has the same basic look and feel as the standard Prius, with one notable exception: The available 11.6-inch touch screen that dominates the centre stack.
Driving improvements
Whether on the highway or around town, the improvements to the Prius’s driving characteristics are felt almost immediately. Like the standard Prius, the Prime is built on a new, stiffer architecture and features an independent rear suspension setup. The result is an extremely smooth ride, aided by the weight of the battery pack mounted low beneath the car.
Driving a hard bargain
Despite the improvements over the last plug-in Prius, the Prime gets a significant price reduction. About $3,000 has been shaved off the base model for a sticker price of about $33,000, and that’s before any government incentives are applied.