Earlier reports suggest that the new hybrid will be longer and have better fuel economy, electric range and horsepower.
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The Prius will be the first model to implement Toyota’s companywide effort to cut development costs by 20 percent through sharing platforms, parts and powertrains. However, the spokesman for Toyota, Ryo Sakai, hasn’t revealed a date when the production will start or when the sales will commence.
The Hyundai hybrid, which has yet to receive a name, is expected to hit the market in late 2016 as a 2017 model year. It rocketed to the top of the sales charts in Japan and was a popular choice in the USA when fuel prices were high. The new Prius model though will have a more tasteful design to capture the fancy vehicle enthusiasts. Despite being just weeks away from making its debut, there is still very little detail on what the Toyota Prius will be offering. The 2016 Prius, for example, will shed 100kg which will help with the centre of gravity, now being lower than in previous versions. The company’s first fuel-cell vehicle leapfrogs the gasoline-electric Prius by fully eliminating tailpipe emissions. The 2016 hybrid is expected to arrive with a new shape for the first time in seven years.
The last we heard, Toyota is set to be offering two main variations of the next-gen Prius, including a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid.
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Inside the dashboard is certain to get a technological upgrade, presumably with app-connected infotainment – though not necessarily CarPlay or Android Auto, which Toyota has so far avoided – among other improvements. All three factories are in Japan’s Aichi prefecture, which is also home to the carmaker’s Toyota City headquarters.
