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Toyota Prius

For almost 20 years, the Prius has been the poster child of sustainable motoring globally. and finally, you can get one for yourself - here! Presenting the 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid

By George Kuruvilla

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Published: Fri 1 Jul 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Fri 1 Jul 2016, 2:00 AM

Sustainability and green vehicles have been hot topics in the automotive industry for the past decade, but Toyota has been taking initiatives from as early on as 1997, helping place consumers in the centre of the Green Revolution. In the past 20 years, they have managed to sell about 3.6 million units of its very "eco-friendly" hybrid car - the Prius. But, for some reason, they never brought one to the UAE. Perhaps it's the availability of cheap fuel or the fact that this region's population isn't as aware of environmental issues as others. we don't know! Strangely enough, Toyota alone offers eight hybrid models in the US, including not one, not two, not three but FOUR Prius models. Anyway, the big news is that the all-new 4th generation Toyota Prius is finally here in the UAE! 

DESIGN & AESTHETICS
The 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid is a compact 5-seater lift-back. It has a very "futuristic design", but we are not totally sold on whether it is the future of design. It measures 4,540mm in length, 1,760mm in width and 1,470mm in height, which makes it very comparable to Toyota's best-selling car, the Corolla sedan.
This hybrid is available in two trims. The base model, called the 'Dynamic', starts at Dh89,900, and the top-spec Iconic trim is priced at Dh97,900. On the outside, there isn't much that separates them, to be honest. Both come equipped with power-saving LED headlamps, with auto light control and auto-levelling. Even the rear lamps are LED-based, and possibly the largest vertical strips we have seen on any car, barring the mammoth Escalade.
It doesn't take an auto critic to say that it looks ungainly from certain angles. but from other angles, you are sure to be intrigued by its many creases and bulges. Where it takes the biggest hit is in profile: it looks like a bloated hatchback. The sloping roofline merges seamlessly with the boot and the beltline that starts off low, giving drivers great outward visibility, and rises up towards the rear, eventually hindering rear passenger visibility. On top of that, this blimp of a vehicle runs on tiny 15" alloy wheels that have an unconventional spoke design, which is not our favourite.
Either way, the eclectic mix of design cues on this hatchback has helped it drop its coefficient of drag from an already-incredible 0.25 to 0.24 and gives it a distinctive personality on the roads too. And the lack of visible exhaust pipes at the rear will advertise that this is a PZEV - or Partially Zero Emission Vehicle - and help you keep that smug smile like all Prius owners do globally.
The 7" infotainment screen seems to merge well with the centre console, that has a piano black surface finish. And, finally, the shift lever, which is usually located towards the bottom or as a stalk on the steering column, is a strange-looking blue lever located on the centre console. This is the Prius screaming, 'I am different'.
In terms of controls, even though this is a compact, I could get myself into a natural driving position - no knee-knocking against the console; the visibility is generous even out of the back where you have a two-tier window. The small-diameter steering is made not of urethane, but wrapped in leather which looks and feels sportier than it's supposed to be and it comes with a column-mounted stalk for cruise control function.
The Prius is comparable to the Corolla in size, but it definitely has better rear seat accommodation. People even as tall as and a little over 6ft could manage to sit comfortably even though it's a compact. Just watch your head when you get into the rear cabin and leave the centre seat for a pre-teen.
Strangely, for a car that costs Dh100,000, the Prius doesn't have a sunroof. And we can all agree that while the sunroof, maybe like the pool or the gym in your building, may not be of any use, it's good to know you have one. 

POWERTRAIN & PERFORMANCE
Hybrids were developed for one main reason and that is to reduce your carbon footprint. And you should be happy to know that Toyota has achieved that with the Prius by reducing CO2 emissions and by greatly improving fuel economy. Even after driving nearly 250km, which included coasting on highways, wasting time idling away in traffic and racing past amber lights at signals, we were perplexed to see that the 43L fuel tank was only one-third empty, which meant that you could easily do 750km on a single tank without a sweat. We were easily averaging between 4.9L/100km and 5.9L/100km, which makes this the most fuel-efficient car in the market.
What makes all this possible is a compact but complex powertrain. Under the hood, is a 1.8L inline 4-cylinder 16-Valve with VVT-I that runs on an Atkinson cycle. In isolation, it makes 97bhp at 5,200rpm and 143Nm of torque at 3,600rpm - that's roughly what a 1.3L engine makes. In addition, you have also a 71bhp electric motor that helps makes propulsion easier. The electric motor shares its max torque of 163Nm, which is available from idle or idling speed. Managing this limited but two-source power is a Continuously Variable Transmission.
Thanks to the two powertrains, there are several modes you can actually drive this in. For example, you have an all-electric, or EV mode, which lets you scoot along without burning any petrol at all. This is usually the mode that the car starts up in, so you get the noise of the engine cranking up. The catch is, it doesn't work above certain speeds. Besides that, you have a normal mode which lets both the powertrains work in tandem. Then, you have an Eco mode which dampens throttle response and your spirit as well, so we didn't use it much. Finally, there is a Power Mode which lets you use both petrol engine and electric motor in the most aggressive manner.
The good news is that even though it's geared for fuel economy, this isn't a deadbeat drive. You may only be able to get to a 100km/h in about 10.6 seconds, but there are surprising amounts of communication through the electrically-boosted rack steering wheel. Trust us, there are other Toyota siblings and green cars that are far less fun to drive.
We noticed that the brake pedal was soft but for most effective braking, you need to dig deeper into the pedal, and there is a certain noise associated to it which is possibly the hybrid system cashing in on the heat energy released on braking - a system called regenerative braking. As for cabin comfort, the Prius seemed to soak up those bumps with relative ease. You're not going to be too exhausted after a two-hour drive in this 'good boy'.
FEATURES & FUNCTIONALITY
With the summer sun shining through large areas, glazing the air conditioner, it was going to be a task for the single-zone A/C. So, for the times we left the car toasting outside, it took a few minutes before the cabin temperatures returned to acceptable, but otherwise, it is a strong, reliable system like in any other Toyota. Even when the car runs solely on the electric motor, there wasn't any deficiency in cooling.
There is a sizeable boot under that hatch in the rear and, interestingly, the battery pack, which was under the floor of the cargo bay in its predecessor, is now under the seat; space has been freed up for a full-size spare, which is a rarity these days.
Audio and entertainment are becoming important parts of our commute, so we were happy to find a premium 6-speaker audio system sourced from JBL. Besides being able to play AM and FM frequencies and CDs, you also have an AUX-in, a USB port and Bluetooth connectivity. At this price, it's amongst the best systems out there. There is also a navigation system that takes voice command instructions.
And, finally, in the name of safety, Toyota has played almost all its best cards in the Prius. Your life is insured by a generous number of airbags - including knee and curtain airbags. You also have ABS with Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross Traffic Alert which, to be honest, I didn't seem to notice in operation. In addition, you have Anti-Theft System and ISO-FIX mounts for child seats, rear parking sensors, a rear camera, tyre pressure monitoring system and the usual suspects like ABS, Vehicle Stability Control and Traction Control. This certainly is no base commuter; it is an elite of sorts. 
 
VERDICT
In the interest of saving the world, auto manufacturers have created the hybrid. However, rumour has it that producing and disposing these massive batteries that power electric motors in hyrbids create a larger carbon footprint than a regular SUV. But these are for scientists and statisticians to debate. All we know is that the 2016 Toyota Prius Hybrid is a reliable and "roomier" Corolla with a bigger price tag and exceptional fuel economy. Save yourself Dh8,000 and get the base Dynamic model - you really don't need faux leather seats and wireless phone charger! 
Body type: 5-seater; 5-door hatchback
Engine: Front-engine; 1.8L 4-cylinder + electric motor; front-wheel drive
Transmission: E-CVT (automatic)
Peak output: 121bhp (97bhp @ 5,200rpm + 71bhp); 143Nm @ 3,600Nm + 163Nm
Price: Starting at Dh89,900
Top speed: 180km/h (drag limited; claimed)
0 to 100km/h: 10.6 seconds (claimed)
Good: Exceptional fuel economy; acceptable ride quality and handling; makes a "sustainability" statement 
Bad: Questionable looks; not much centre seat comfort in the rear; no sunroof
Author's Rating: 8/10
Fun Fact
In an episode of Top Gear, a Prius was pitted against a BMW M3. The Prius had to race the circuit at its fastest while the M3 simply had to keep up. It turns out, the M3 used less fuel in this stint. So, it's important to keep in mind that it's not only what you drive but how you drive.


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