2017 Toyota Prius Prime: New Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled in New York
Toyota presented the 2017 Prius Prime at the New York Auto Show, which is the company’s new Prius plug-in hybrid model that will hit Canadian dealerships in the fall of 2016.
The Japanese manufacturer estimates a fuel economy rating of 1.96 L/100 km, thanks to a bigger, 8.8-kWh battery pack, and by further optimising its hybrid powertrain. The latter includes the electric motor and the 1.8-litre, Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine that are found in the regular Prius.
According to Toyota, with a full tank of fuel (43 litres) and a fully charged battery pack, the Prius Prime should boast a range of 965 km. In hybrid mode, the Prius Prime can be motivated by its electric motor, by its gas engine or a combination of both, while in EV Mode, the car can travel at a speed of up to 130 km/h.
Its batteries can be fully charged in five and a half hours with a conventional, 120-volt outlet, or half that time with a 240-volt outlet. Its electric-only range has doubled compared to the previous-generation Prius PHEV, now estimated at 35 km.
From a styling standpoint, the Prius Prime adopts LED headlights as well as taillights that wrap around the rear end of the car. The Prius Prime is a four-passenger vehicle, as the centre console stretches out through the rear seat. The dashboard can be equipped with a new 11.6-inch HD screen, as Toyota is trying to emulate Tesla’s electric vehicles. The Toyota Safety Sense package will be optional on this model as well.
We were waiting for it, and it has arrived. The Prius Prime is more stylish than the regular Prius and will allow Toyota to once again offer a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
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