Toyota Prius History
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The Prius remains the most fuel-efficient gasoline-fueled (or liquid-fueled) vehicle in the U.S. market and is both the technology flagship for the Toyota brand and an icon for hybrid vehicles in general.
It's also now a family of vehicles that includes the original Prius hatchback, the Prius V wagon, and by the spring of 2012, both the Prius C compact hatchback and the Prius Plug-In Hybrid.
The 2000 Prius wasn't quite the first hybrid on sale in the U.S. (the original Honda Insight beat it by one model year and mere months), but over a decade now, Toyota has sold many more Priuses, and many more hybrid vehicles--more than 2 million--than any other automaker.
Toyota had first introduced the Prius in its home Japan in 1997, and it was the first vehicle to feature the automaker's hybrid system, with a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, electric motor system, small four-cylinder gasoline engine, and planetary-type power-split device and continuously variable transmission—a configuration that continues today in the Prius.
The second-generation (2004-2009) Prius rocked the world when it was launched, moving up beyond compact size and adopting a radically aerodynamic and unique five-door hatchback body style.
A completely new third-generation Prius was introduced for the 2010 model year. It has a lighter, stiffer body, improved battery management, better aerodynamics, and a slightly larger (1.8- instead of 1.6-liter) four-cylinder engine, raising its EPA fuel economy ratings to 51 mpg city, 48 highway, for a combined mileage rating that hits the all-important 50 mpg number.
Thanks to the more powerful gasoline engine, the new Prius has a little more confidence in everyday commuting. Its 0-to-60-mph times are now just below the 10-second mark, and highway cruising feels a little more relaxed. Overall the Prius driving experience is very detached and numb, though, with little if any actual 'feel' of the steering and brakes.
Both the second- and third-generation Prius models surprisingly offer plenty of interior space—enough for four adults, comfortably, or five in a pinch—along with good, easy-loading cargo space through the wide-opening hatch. The third-gen (2010-present) Prius has a little more cargo space thanks to a redesigned battery pack. One thing we don't like is the new "flying buttress" center-console design, which interferes with the driver's knee room.
Standard safety features and advanced safety-tech options have been stepped up on the latest Prius—including radar cruise control, a lane-departure warning system, a rear-view camera, and a "Safety Connect" system that alerts emergency crews after a crash. There's also an Intelligent Parking Assist system, which helps you parallel-park the Prius via the car's cameras, albeit with your foot on the brake to control speed.
The 2012 Prius hatchback combines a capacious cabin and useful hatchback utility plus new higher level features and a mildly restyled front fascia, with LED running lights and changes to the taillights as well. That said, the driving experience remains unexciting and the interior plastics are hardly luxurious.
Two new body styles have joined the expanding Prius lineup for the 2012 model year as well. First is the Prius V, a wagon version with its own brand-new body, a redesigned interior, and more space for both people and cargo. Other features of the Prius V include a sliding second row of seats that include a 45-degree recline, 60/40 split seat back, and 34 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats. Fuel economy is 42/38 mpg from the same drivetrain as that of the "standard" Prius.
The compact Prius C shares the family name, but is a radically different car than Toyota’s original hybrid. Compared to a standard Prius, the Prius C is some 19 inches shorter, 2 inches narrower and nearly 2 inches lower. Thanks to a redesign of nearly every Hybrid Synergy Drive component, the Prius C is also some 500 pounds lighter than the current Prius. Fuel economy rises to 53/46 mpg--for the same combined 50 mpg as the larger Prius hatchback--while the price falls to about $19,000.
Finally, a plug-in version of the Prius hybrid is due to go on sale in the spring of 2012, representing Toyota's first-ever plug-in offering to be sold across the country--though it will be rolled out regionally, with full 50-state coverage not completed until sometime in 2013.
