Having dominated the hybrid-electric market since 1997, Toyota has revealed plans to broaden its Prius lineup from later this year.
The all-new Prius v is a larger mid-size lifestyle vehicle with appeal to those who might otherwise buy a wagon or compact SUV. Toyota says the Prius v offers customers more than 50 per cent extra interior space than the Prius we all know.
Styling is an evolution of the usual Prius ‘traingular silhouette’ but with obvious changes for the extended rooflien, cargo door, roof spiler, front grille and lights. Aerodyankics have been a focus and Toyita claims the Prius v achieves a low 0.29 coefficient of drag.
Inside is abundant occupant space plus up to 971-litres of cargo capacity – more than some compact SUVs. The load hatch is low, the second row seats offer a recline up to 45 degrees for extra comfort and slide fore-and-aft for cargo/people versatility – even the front passenger seat folds flat to accommodate extra long loads.
The Toyota Prius v uses the same hybrid-electirc drivetrain as the current Prius hatchback.
Toyota says the Prius v will go on-sale in North America in the second half of this year and while there hass been no official news from Toyota, don’t be surprised if this handy newcomer is destined for local sale.
Also showcased at the Detroit Motor Show was the Toyota Prius c – a concept vehicle with clear pointers to a new generation of compact Prius ‘city’ cars which will be launched in 2012.
The Toyota Prius c is a plug-in hybrid offering a battery-only range of 20kms at speeds up to 100km/h before transforming to a conventional petrol-electric c hybrid format.
