Toyota showcases its 2017 variant for Prius, touting that the revamped model is the best green car in its family, and most experts are backing the car maker's statement.
We read the reviews and compiled the conclusions, so you know what to expect from the latest Toyota hybrid.
Design
The Prius Prime stands out thanks to a rather aggressive revamping of its front design, which sports four rectangular projector headlamps on both sides.
"The Prius Prime's rear hatchback is a marvel of engineering," reports Brendan McAleer from The Globe And Mail.
He goes on to commend the wildly curved glass that reminds a bit of an Alfa-Romeo 1900 Zagato Double Bubble.
Prime is fitted with a bigger 8.8-kWh battery (double of the first-generation plug-in Prius), which causes it to lose a bit of trunk depth. The model is also a four-seater only, with the rear seat headroom getting an upgrade thanks to scalloped roof.
Electric Charging And Range
On a 120-volt circuit, charging times for the Prime show 5.5 hours for a full charge. On a 240-volt charger, the waiting is reduced to only two hours.
Worrying about range isn't an issue. Fuel economy is excellent, but power and handling are equal to most other mainstream compacts.
"In mixed low- and high-speed use, we think the 25 miles is a fair estimate of the Prime's real range," says John Voelcker from Green Car Reports.
In comparison, this year's Ford Fusion Energi has a range of 22 miles, while the Chevrolet Volt can rely on electrons for 53 miles.
"Like the conventional hybrid, we see the new Plug-in as a massive improvement over its predecessor," Aaron Gold from AutoExpress points out.
Features
The Prime can go from 0 to 62 mph in about 11 seconds, and ranks a top speed of 110 mph.
Its engine is a 1.8-liter four-cylinder petrol, plus electric motor that outputs 98 hp and a torque of 142 Nm.
No official safety rating rolled out for Prius Prime, but the car is well-equipped in that area. Automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert and automatic high beams are all part of Toyota's slew of safety features.
Pricing
Leaving aside state and federal incentives, the Prime offers a basic variant dubbed Plus at a price point of $27,100. The Premium will cost $28,800, with the Advanced surging the cost to $33,100.
The Prius Prime should go on sale in spring 2017, but until then potential customers can take the car for a spin in virtual reality.
Conclusion
The new Prius is definitely better than its older sibling. However, we can only tell if it's the best Prius that rolled out of the production line once we're able to go behind the wheel.
