Toyota: So the Prius is an eye-catcher 🎥
PROGRESS On a first test drive in a pre-production model, the new generation of the hybrid pioneer showed that it definitely has its awkward teenage years behind it.
Technology leader, pioneer or object of hatred: the Toyota Prius has already stirred up a lot of dust in its 25-year career. In the end, the Japanese have been proven right with their once bold vision: The hybrid drive, long ridiculed by other manufacturers, is now firmly anchored in the product range of almost every brand.
Now Toyota is launching the fifth model generation. And it's making waves again, but this time for a different reason: For the first time, the new model looks so sharp that people on the street are craning their necks. At least that's what happened during a first test drive in Athens in a still lightly camouflaged pre-production model.
In Europe only as a plug-in hybrid
But the new Prius will also go down well with us: Dynamically jagged LEDs, clean surfaces and much more dynamic proportions make the once staid hybrid pioneer look very modern and sporty.
That fits, because the new car is also really powerful for the first time. Toyota now only offers the Prius No. 5 in Europe with a plug-in hybrid, whereas the predecessor was still available in two different-looking variants (hybrid or plug-in). Its new drive system consisting of a 2-liter gasoline engine and a transaxle E-motor generates a system output of 223 hp, about 100 hp more than the plug-in of the last generation. As a result, the Japanese car sprints to 100 km/h more than four seconds faster.
Fifth generation really chic
The Prius cockpit hasn't exactly been a feast for the eyes so far - in comparison, the interior of the fifth generation looks downright chic. A low-slung steering wheel with high-placed digital instruments behind it and a free-standing touchscreen above the center console make for worry-free operation. Thanks to the five-centimeter lower roofline, however, the space available for the occupants is somewhat inferior.
Around 70 kilometers purely electric
Of course, the new model is also more economical. Thanks to a larger battery with a capacity of 13.6 kWh, it should be possible to drive around 70 kilometers on purely electric power. Standard consumption is thus reduced to 0.8 liters per 100 kilometers, and CO2 emissions to 19 grams per kilometer. However, the values have not yet been homologated, and Toyota even expects slightly better figures. The new Prius will go on sale in the summer, the Swiss price has not yet been fixed.
