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Prius c keeps it all in the Toyota family By JIM ROBINSON Carguide Magazine Metroland Media Group SEATTLE, Wa.: There's a new family in town -- the Toyota Prius Family. Toyota/Lexus is planning to launch 18 new or refreshened vehicles in the next 18 months and creating a selection or `family' of Prius Hybrids is among the first of these initiatives. Prius currently represents 25 per cent of all hybrids sold in Canada. One in five Lexus models is a hybrid and in February hybrids made up 37 per cent of all mid-size Toyota car sales. But, and it's a big but, Toyota and Lexus have pretty well had the hybrid market to themselves. They starting selling the original Prius 15 years ago in Japan and it was launched here in Canada in 2000 giving them a huge lead in building and selling hybrids. With competition starting to flow from GM, Ford, Hyundai/ Kia and Honda, Toyota is countering but offering no less than four Prius models all aimed at a different group of buyers, in other words, a Prius for everyone. The Prius Liftback is the mainstream model along with the Prius v, a larger version with 50 per cent more cargo space. The Prius PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle) is expected to join the family later this year. And then there is the 2012 Prius c starting at $20,950 making it the lowest priced hybrid on the market. With a combined fuel consumption rating of 3.7L/100 km (3.5/4.0L/100 km city/highway), Toyota claims the Prius c is the most fuel-efficient car on the road that doesn't need to be plugged in. of the big selling points, in my opinion, has been the digital monitor showing the power being routed back and forth from battery to engine to motor. And while this is retained, the Combination Metre/Energy Monitor as it is now called does much more, including driver information, ECO score, five-minute fuel consumption, ECO savings, ECO saving record, past record and summary when the Prius is turned off. Located at the top and centre of the instrument panel, I rarely looked at it and concentrated on the road ahead. But I The 2012 Toyota Prius c is the smallest of the four-member Prius Hybrid family. Toyota claims it is the most fuel- efficient car on the road was interested to note that my co-driver was able to operate that does not need to be plugged in. in EV mode 37 per cent during On the transmission tunnel the morning of driving in and While it is officially classified as a subcompact, Prius c are two buttons, one marked around Seattle where the press is one of those new cars that ECO Mode and the other EV launch of the Prius c was held. blurs the line between compact Mode and both are designed to Climate control is standard and sub-compact-- especially increase fuel efficiency. which I wasn't expecting along ECO smoothes out throttle with twin, click-wheel style on the inside. For example, passenger vol- response but it also has the controls on the steering wheel ume is 87.4 cu ft but there is still bonus of actually improving spokes for audio, climate, trip, 17.1 cu ft behind the standard acceleration in wet or snow as Bluetooth and the multi infor60/40 split/fold rear seat. One the reduced throttle response mation display. way of doing this was placing decreases wheel slip. Available as part of the topEV allows the Prius c to op- trim Premium Package are the hybrid and auxiliary batteries under the rear seat freeing erate on electric only for short seats made of SofTex that is as distances. Toyota says, that un- durable as leather but weighs up cargo space in the trunk. The Prius c uses the light- der certain conditions, 40 km/h half as much while giving off est, most compact version of for up to one kilometre is pos- just one per cent of the emisToyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive sible. sions as artificial leather during There is a full suite of safety the manufacturing process. yet starting with a transverselymounted 1.5-litre, four-cylinder features. Besides nine airbags, The Prius c is 26 per cent engine producing 73 hp and 82 the Prius c has stability con- lighter than the Prius Liftback lb/ft of torque. Attached to it is trol, traction control, anti-lock which helps when it comes to an oil-cooled transaxle contain- brakes, brake assist, electronic ride and handling. ing an electric motor with 60 brake force distribution and Suspension is MacStruts at Smart Stop Technology where the front and a twist-beam at hp and 125 lb/ft of torque. Together they produce the brake overrides the engine the rear. Braking is discs front a net 99 hp and 125 lb/ft of in an emergency situation. and drums at the rear. Standard is a Vehicle Proxtorque driving the front wheels On the road, the Prius c felt imity Notification system. In like a normal sub-compact, through a CVT transmission. The battery is a 144-volt EV mode because it moves with five-door hatchbacks being nickel-metal hydride unit that virtually no noise, an audible nimble in urban settings with is 100 per cent recyclable at the tone is emitted at speeds below largish windows which always end of its life cycle. The battery 24 km/h to alert pedestrians the help with gobs of traffic and has an eight-year/160,000 km Prius is approaching. pedestrians coming from all diFrom the very first Prius one rections. warranty. 5 The IFP* Halton Hills* WHEELS April 05, 2012 Part of the Premium Package option are seats trimmed with SofTex that is half the weight of leather and gives off just one per cent of emissions during manufacturing. At highway speeds, the harder low-rolling resistance tires were louder than normal but this is to be expected. I wouldn't call acceleration punchy but it was pretty quick off the line. However with the ECO gauge shaming you to go easy on the gas, hot-rodding seems counter productive. At the press launch Toyota took great pains to portray the Prius c as aimed at Gen Yers who are city dwellers who want a car for primarily city driving. But I'm not so sure about that. With fuel continuing to rise even a gas sipper like a Toyota Yaris makes the Prius c a consideration for commuters. If we start seeing prices approach $2/ litre the crossover point where the extra cost of a hybrid makes it cheaper overall to operate, commuters may be fighting over them in the Toyota lots. That's why this idea of a Prius family of hybrids makes such good sense and at a good time, too. 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