Prius Prime an 'ingenious piece of machinery'
Toyota, the high priest of hybridism, has done it again. It has come up with a new, improved version of its Prius plug-in hybrid that will do battle with the likes of the Chevrolet Volt.
Toyota, the high priest of hybridism, has done it again. It has come up with a new, improved version of its Prius plug-in hybrid that will do battle with the likes of the Chevrolet Volt.
Called the Prius Prime and due in showrooms next month, this is an ingenious piece of machinery that represents a quantum leap past its predecessor.
With twice as much battery, it gets about twice the electric driving range - up to 25 miles. Its league-leading numbers include a gas-electric range of 640 miles and electric-only EPA equivalents of 124 MPGe. Overall EPAs are an excellent 55 city and 53 highway.
The Prime comes in three flavors: the base Plus model, which starts at $27,100; the $28,800 Premium that I tested during a regional preview, and the top-drawer Advanced at $33,100.
The Prime's base price (which, of course, doesn't include any government tax incentives) is $3,000 less than its predecessor, and over $6,000 cheaper than the Volt. It also has better EPA mileage ratings than the Chevy. But then, its battery range - which Toyota says will serve the commuting needs of half its buyers - is only half that of the Chevy's 50 miles.
The Prime is powered by a 95-horsepower, 1.8-liter gas engine and two electric motors. Total output is 121 horses. That's not a lot in a vehicle north of 3,300 pounds, and explains why the car gets from 0 to 60 in an ultra-leisurely 10 seconds. The Prime gets to 84 mph when powered only by the electric motors, and reaches 100 with all hands on deck.
The Prime is furnished with three drive modes: In the default EV mode, the car is powered only by the two electric motors until the battery needs a recharge. The Hybrid setting keeps the engine participating to conserve battery. A new mode, EV Auto, automatically switches between electric and gas/electric motivation depending on the driver's power demands.
Built on a platform derived from the regular Prius hybrid, the Prime tacks on 285 to 365 pounds, thanks largely to that big new battery pack.
That 95-cell pack also lops up to 8 cubic feet off the cargo compartment, which remains a reasonable 19.8 cubic feet. The battery pack also truncated the backseat space enough to reduce seating from three-place to a comfortable perch for two.
The Prime recharges quite hastily. Plug it into the 120-volt outlet in your garage and it will be completely charged in 5.5 hours. Put it on a 240 volt diet and it's done with dinner in 2 hours and 10 minutes.
From my viewpoint, the Prime is more pleasing to drive than it is to look at. In fact, it provided the most pleasant driving experience I've had in a Prius.
Marshaling a meager 121 horses doesn't make it Mr. Excitement at a stoplight, but it does handle and steer well. There's a rather sophisticated suspension under this guy which assembles a nice coalition of compliance and composure.
The roomy Prime boasts comfortable seating, good visibility, and sound damping, a surprising amount of standard safety gear including electronic aids like lane-departure alert with steering assist and pedestrian detection, and something completely unexpected: a carbon fiber liftgate.
The loaded Premium model I drove had goodies like a Multimedia Bundle that included an 11.6-inch HD multimedia display.
The Prime's exterior was a bit less pleasing than what I found inside. "Eccentric" is one way to describe the styling. I find it an acquired taste I haven't yet acquired.