Toyota on Wednesday revealed the newly redesigned 2016 Prius hybrid, and it’s aggressive, to say the least.
Toyota wants to completely rebrand the Prius. The car, known for its efficiency and fuel economy, was once a “rational purchase,” Bill Fay, Toyota Group Vice President and General Manager, said at an event in Las Vegas. But now, the Prius is “so much more.”
With the 2016 Prius, Toyota is hoping that people will have fun driving a car with 10% more EPA-estimated miles per gallon than the previous model.
Toyota
Toyota claims that the new Prius is “2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider, and 0.8 inches lower” than the previous model, and it boasts that “the height of the Prius’ front badge is exactly the same as that of Scion’s FR-S sports car – a remarkable achievement in height and mass reduction.”
There is also a lower center of gravity and tightened suspension. The real suspension is double wishbone and the body is more rigid overall. Based on the way Toyota is presenting the new Prius, it sounds as if you can take it out drifting.
Toyota
Previous iterations of the Prius looked sensible. The new Prius is following the same design cues from the new Corolla and Camry. Luckily, it doesn’t look like a sea bass. The new design actually takes a lot of inspiration from Toyota’s hydrogen Mirai. The company said in its press release that the new Prius is a sibling to the Mirai.
Toyota
The interior, Toyota said, will have a stronger driver focus. Seats will hug a little tighter and the cabin will feel more like a cockpit. The Prius will also be Toyota’s first car to use its New Global Architecture (TNGA) program, a unified platform upon which multiple vehicles can be built. TNGA should greatly reduce R&D and production costs. Toyota is hoping that this translates into better prices for consumers.
Toyota
The new 2016 Prius should launch by the end of the year.