Fuel efficiency with this engine stands at 2.5 liters per 100 kms while maximum thermal efficiency is also enhanced by 40% due to exhaust gas recirculation system.
Advertisement
The maker claims that, under ideal conditions, the petrol engine converts a remarkable 40 percent of the heat generated by combustion into power at the crankshaft, by improving gas flow and reducing losses to internal friction. The planetary gear set has been ditched in favour of a more efficient parallel gear cluster. While the batteries’ technology carries over, Toyota says it increased their energy density for more power from smaller batteries.
The Prius was developed in Japan and is the first vehicle since Toyota introduced a new product development strategy known as Toyota New Global Architecture to better leverage the global scale of one of the world’s largest automakers. Toyota has redesigned both the transaxle and motor to reduce the combined weight of the components. This is helped by the relocation of the auxiliary batteries from the boot to the engine compartment while the new hybrid battery is now beneath the rear seats.
Toyota has increased the amount of high tensile strength steel plate (using strong, lightweight hot-stamp materials with tensile strength of at least 980 Mpa) from three percent in the current model to 19 percent in the new model. Toyota also said software updates will improve acceleration feel. That’s why Toyota rebuilt the Prius from the ground up, broadening the car’s appeal by overhauling its design, improving performance, and adding personal touches both inside and out, under the developmental concept of “a handsome auto for a lovely Earth”.
The new vehicle has a lower center of gravity. Prius buyers now get standard bi-LED headlamps that use a single lens for high and low beam operation. Though pricing is not yet disclosed, tech specs of 2016 Toyota Prius have been revealed. The new instrument panel has a slim, sculpted form, with optimum positioning of the gauges, displays and controls. This is doubled by a color head-up display that relays information directly on the lower part of the windscreen, for optimal driver visibility. White accents on the steering wheel and front console tray add to the impact and advanced quality of the design. High-resolution graphics are displayed in two 4.2-inch screen, with trip computer data appearing in the screen on the right and infotainment functions appearing in the left screen.
Toyota SA says the new Prius will “in all likelihood” be released in South Africa during the second quarter of 2016, but this is still to be confirmed.
Advertisement
New safety features will include an upgraded active cruise control, pre-collision, intelligent park assist systems, blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
