In Las Vegas on September 8, Toyota will be giving the fourth-generation Prius its grand debut. This will be the hybrid’s first complete revision since 2009.
AutoMotive News have stated that no more details have been announced as to when production may start.
Despite no information about the hybrid having been released yet, thanks to a number of spy shots we have some idea as what to expect. The shape of the exterior has been stretched more than the current model and its shape looks very much like the latest Chevrolet Volt. A lot of things have changed to the interior too such as the gearshift now being located far lower on the dashboard and it coming with a new infotainment system.
The fourth-generation Prius has made some changes under the vehicle’s body leaning towards Toyota’s new TGNA platform. The underpinning weighs less and is more rigid which could allow the hybrid to perform 57.5 miles per gallon. Production is also cheaper due to having shared parts.
There are plans for other versions of the vehicle as well. There are rumors that there may be two versions. One of them a nickel-metal hydride battery and the other one a more economical version with a lithium-ion unit. It has been speculated as well that the next-gen Prius Plug-in may offer 35 miles of fully electric driving range.
It is quite a tough time for the latest Prius to be released onto the market as the US has seen a drop when it comes to green-car sales. Throughout the entire of July the whole hybri range was down more than 15 percent so there is no doubt that the new vehicle has something to prove. The performance of the car will tell us for sure if the one-time icon is still important.
