2016 Toyota Prius/PHEV



The fourth generation Toyota Prius (codename: 690A) is all set to arrive later this year and go on sale for 2016 model year. Japanese magazine Best Car provides a very realistic rendering of the 2016 Toyota Prius and 2017 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid variants, and reveals many technical details of them.


The design is inspired to a great extent from the Toyota Mirai fuel cell vehicle. The plug-in hybrid gets a sportier front fascia, with distinctive headlamps and fog lamps, LED daytime running lights and upper grille, and a Lexus-like bumper and air dam grille. The bonnet of the plug-in hybrid variant is simplistic and not puffed up like that of the conventional hybrid.


Thanks to refinements made to the Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain, the 2016 Prius will offers a fuel economy of 40 km/l in the JC08 test cycle. The petrol engine’s output is rated at 105 PS (104 hp) and 147 Nm of torque. The electric motor generates 90 PS, and the hybrid powertrain in total sends out 145-150 hp. The car has four driving modes: Normal, Power, Eco and EV.


The all-new model will be 4,550 mm long (+70 mm), 1,770 mm (+25 mm) wide and 1,490 mm tall, as per the Japanese publication. Like the height, the wheelbase, at 2,700 mm, will remain unchanged. The current JDM-spec model can be as light as 1,310 kg and the next-gen model will tip the scales at 1,280 kg. The currently sold JDM-spec plug-in hybrid variant can be as light as 1,410 kg and the all-new model’s plug-in hybrid variant will weigh 1,350 kg, claims the report, a full 60 kg lower than at present.


In the JC08 test cycle, the fourth generation Prius Hybrid will offer a fuel economy of 40 km/l. The all-new Prius Plug-in Hybrid will offer a fuel economy of 70 km/l – a figure that would set a new benchmark for plug-in hybrid cars. The current JDM-specification plug-in hybrid variant has a pure-electric driving range of 26.4 km and the 2016 Prius’s plug-in hybrid variant will have a pure-electric range of around twice that figure, i.e. nearly 50 km.


The 2016 Toyota Prius is very likely to debut at the Tokyo Motor Show in October and go on sale in Japan in December. Its US debut can be expected at the 2016 North American International Auto Show in January, followed by the sales commencement in Spring. The plug-in hybrid variant will debut about a year after the conventional hybrid. Toyota has yet to provide timelines for the new model’s launch, but the CEO of Toyota North America said the car will be revealed “soon”.

The 2016 Toyota Prius will be available in 9 colours in Japan.


Source : steeringnews.com


2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid specifications (reported)
  •          Length x Width x Height – 4,550 mm x 1,770 mm x 1,490 mm
  •          Wheelbase – 2,700 mm
  •          Weight – 1,280 kg
  •          Powertrain type – Hybrid Electric
  •          Engine type – DOHC inline four-cylinder petrol
  •          Engine displacement – 1,797 cc
  •          Engine code – 2ZR-FXZ
  •          Maximum power – 105 PS (104 hp) @ 5,200 rpm
  •          Maximum torque – 14.5 kg.m @ 4,000 rpm
  •          Electric motor maximum output – 90 PS (89 hp)
  •          Combined output – 145-150 PS (143-148 hp)
  •          Transmission – eCVT (electronic Continuously Variable Transmission)
  •          Fuel economy in JC08 test cycle – 40 km/l


2017 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid specifications (reported)
  •          Length x Width x Height – 4,550 mm x 1,770 mm x 1,490 mm
  •          Wheelbase – 2,700 mm
  •          Weight – 1,350 kg
  •          Powertrain type – Plug-in Hybrid Electric
  •          Engine type – DOHC inline four-cylinder petrol
  •          Engine displacement – 1,797 cc
  •          Engine code – 2ZR-FXZ
  •          Maximum power – 77.2 kW/105 PS (104 hp) @ 5,200 rpm
  •          Maximum torque – 147 Nm (14.5 kg.m) @ 4,000 rpm
  •          Electric motor maximum output – 90 PS (89 hp)
  •          Transmission – eCVT (electronic Continuously Variable Transmission)
  •          Fuel economy in JC08 test cycle – 70 km/l