Toyota Prius 1.8 T Spirit 5-door | Road Test Review

“The all-new and larger Prius is
a Toyota Avensis-sized five-door
hatchback and although the
media compare it with the likes
of the BMW 116d, Focus ECOnetic
1.6 TDCi and Astra 1.7 CDTi
Ecoflex, the Prius is a significantly
larger car...”

THE NEW PRIUS MIGHT LOOK SIMILAR to the outgoing version — still distinctive with its five-door coupe side profile and steeply raked front and rear sections — but with new chunky moulded bumpers front and rear, a wind-cheating nose, blue-tinted headlight surrounds and Toyota badge, huge vertical clear rear tail lights and a new upper and lower, twin rear window treatment for the tailgate it looks more real-world and acceptable. At 4,460mm in length this is a significantly proportioned car and a definite move up market into the family and business user sectors.

Although the size, specification and performance have increased, prices have changed very little and in two cases stay the same. Prices start from Ł18,390 for the T3 version, rise to Ł20,010 for the T4 and to Ł21,230 for the T Spirit. Expensive yes, but the residual values are high so these offset the more expensive initial purchase price. And, of course, the high retail price is also offset by free road tax and more miles per gallon for private buyers and the lowest rates of Benefit-in-Kind tax for company car drivers with 100 per cent write down allowance for company Corporation Tax.

The new Prius uses the latest Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system with 90 per cent of the hybrid drive components redesigned to create a lighter, more compact system with a focus on delivering more power, better cold weather operation, further improvements in real-life fuel efficiency and unprecedented reductions in CO2 emissions.

The total system power output has been increased by 24 per cent; from 112 to 134bhp. Performance matches that of a conventional 2.0-litre family car, with seamless acceleration from zero to 62mph in 10.4 seconds — half a second quicker than previous generation Prius models. Maximum speed is 112mph.

At the same time, overall fuel economy has been improved by 10 per cent through the adoption of a larger 1.8-litre engine in place of the previous 1.5-litre unit. This also reduces revs during high speed driving to improve long-haul cruising fuel efficiency. In standard driving mode the new Prius T3 returns 72.4mpg in the European homologation combined cycle.

The full hybrid Prius is the only family car to combine the fuel consumption levels of a small city car with a cruising range of almost 715 miles (which is 93 miles more than the previous model) in spite of having the same size fuel tank.

New Prius also meets Euro 5 emissions standards and is expected to meet the Euro 6 requirements too. Its CO2 emissions — from 89g/km; a figure unmatched by any other family car — are simply the best-on-the-market.

“In real-life motoring
conditions (motorways,
A/B roads and town
driving) my car returned
a very impressive
62.1mpg...”

The new full hybrid system used for Prius (similar to that used by Toyota's premium Lexus hybrid models) is capable of operating in either petrol or electric modes, as well as in a combination of both, and so gives the energy-saving benefits of a series hybrid combined with the performance benefits of a parallel hybrid. It gives the car strong, seamless acceleration and remarkably quiet operation, while still returning class-leading fuel efficiency and exceptionally low emissions.

The system for Prius comprises of a 1.8-litre, 97bhp/105lb ft petrol engine and a powerful 80bhp/153lb ft electric motor with a real-life total combined power output of 134bhp, a generator, high-performance 202-volt battery pack, power control unit (PCU) and a power split device that uses a planetary gear set to combine and reallocate power from the engine, electric motor and generator according to operational requirements.

The electric motor, generator and power split device is housed in a single, lightweight and compact transmission casing that is roughly the same size as a conventional gearbox. The new driveshafts are smaller and lighter than in the previous generation Prius, and reduce energy losses by between 10 and 20 per cent. This clever packaging has been the key to Hybrid Synergy Drive's successful installation in the front-engined Prius platform.

During deceleration and under braking, the electric motor acts as a high-output generator to allow regenerative braking, so optimising energy management in the Hybrid Synergy Drive system by recovering kinetic energy (normally wasted as heat) as electrical energy for storage in the high-performance battery.

Drive to the front wheels is via a CVT automatic transmission. The new Prius is built on Toyota's new mid-sized platform, which features extensive revisions to the MacPherson strut front and torsion beam rear suspension geometries to gain greater agility and ride comfort.

Certainly the ride is comfortable and the driving control balanced although the suspension cannot mask the potholes and results in thumps and bumps being felt and heard in the vehicle. There seemed to be plenty of grip during cornering and the Prius has electronic control stability as standard so you are in safe hands. The steering is precise although it sends virtually no feedback to the driver.

The new speed-sensitive power-steering uses less energy and so also aids fuel economy, and the EV, ECO and POWER on-demand driving modes increase the full hybrid powertrain's capabilities in different driving conditions. An Eco Drive Monitor helps drivers tailor their driving style to make the most of the fuel efficiency available from the Hybrid Synergy Drive system.

My test Prius model was the 1.8 T Spirit which has a published official fuel economy for the combined cycle of 70.6mpg, although the smaller-wheeled and less well equipped T3 model 'headlines' with 72.4mpg. In real-life motoring conditions (motorways, A/B roads and town driving) my car returned a very impressive 62.1mpg so the official figure should more or less be achievable — something the previous Prius never did and that owners complained about.

The Prius is simple to drive. Just open the doors, press the power button (the instruments come alive), select drive or reverse gear, gently press the accelerator and the car moves off at a whisper as it generally uses only electric power at start-off speed. Press the throttle harder and the petrol engine springs into life, seamlessly providing more power. Over the course of any journey the Hybrid Synergy Drive system will operate in different modes to maximise Prius's overall efficiency. At rest, the engine stops automatically to conserve fuel.

Under normal driving conditions power allocation is constantly adjusted between the engine and electric motor to gain optimum performance with maximum fuel efficiency. The new Electronically Controlled Braking (ECB) system helps optimise Prius's energy management through a regenerative braking function.

As for specification, the T Spirit version I tested was very comprehensive: everything from electrically-operated windows and door mirrors, air conditioning, cruise control, rear-view camera with Intelligent Park Assist, head-up instrument display, satellite navigation, eight-speaker audio package and seven airbags. Even the base Prius T3 model looks pretty well equipped.

While this hybrid Toyota is relatively expensive, its good residual values and low running costs offset that. Not so great is the drab interior plastic trim, steering that lacks feedback, suspension that cannot absorb thumps and bumps, a restricted rear view and a really annoying warning beeper when reversing.

On the plus side it's a versatile and roomy family hatchback that's well equipped and features first class build quality. It's also comfortable and nice to drive and offers hybrid technology that really works.

So at last we have a mainstream hybrid model that delivers on all fronts. The Prius is fuel and tax efficient, looks good and drives very well indeed. However, we should not ignore the fact that hybrids have two or even three motors, loads of on-board technologies that have needed to be developed at huge cost plus there are still nasty components in the battery. So as far as their carbon footprint goes they cannot be truly 'green'. But they do pollute less during use and we pay fewer taxes to the Government, which has to be good news. — David Miles

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