Toyota is giving the fourth-generation Prius its grand debut in Las Vegas, NV on Septemebr 8. This is going to be the hybrid’s first full revision since 2009. AutoMotive News have said though that no information on when production could begin has been given yet.
Although Toyota have not revealed any details about the new hybrid, we are already given an idea from what we are likely to see through spy shots. The exterior’s shape is more stretched than that of the current model and the shape has a lot in common with the latest Chevrolet Volt. The interior has had lots of changes made to it for example there is now a new infotainment screen and the gearshift has now been placed much lower on the dashboard.
Underneath the car’s body, the fourth-generation Prius makes some changes leaning towards Toyota’s new TGNA platform. The underpinning is more rigid and weighs less which may give the hybrid the opportunity to do 57.5 miles per gallon. Due to shared parts production costs are also less.
There are of course also plans for other versions of the model. It has been speculated that there could be two versions. One being more economical with a lithium-ion unit and the other being a nickel-metal hydride battery. There are also rumors that the next-gen Prius Plug-in could give 35 miles of fully electric driving range.
The latest Prius comes onto the market at quite a difficult time, considering that green-car sales are dropping in the US. The entire hybrid’s range was down over 15 percent throughout the whole of July so the new car is definitely going to have to prove itself. The vehicle’s performance will indicate whether the one-time icon remains important or not.
