The 2010 Toyota Prius is all set to extend its dominance in the hybrid cars segment worldwide
Toyota is getting all set to increase its lead over other manufacturers in the hybrid cars segment. The new, 2010-model Prius, which was first shown in Detroit in January this year, will now be on display at the Geneva Motorshow and Toyota has released more details on the car.
The new Prius’ series/parallel Hybrid Synergy Drive system is more advanced than ever before – around 90% of its components have been redesigned to create a lighter, more compact system and power has been increased by 22%, to 134bhp. According to Toyota, the Prius can now accelerate from zero to 100km/h in 10.4 seconds. Fuel economy has also been improved by 10% to 72.4mpg, while CO2 emissions have been reduced by 14% to 89g/km.
In fact, the Prius exceeds Euro 5 emissions standards and when operating in EV mode at speeds up to 48km/h, the car uses no fuel and produces zero emissions. And apart from being green and clean, the new Prius is also packed with driver assistance technologies that include a heads-up display, touch tracer display, automatic solar ventilation, adaptive cruise control, park assist and so on.
The Prius’ Hybrid Synergy Drive system comprises a 1.8-litre VVT-i petrol engine, an electric motor, a generator, a high-performance battery, a power control unit and a power split device, which uses a planetary gear set to combine and re-allocate power from the engine, electric motor and generator as required.
The new four-cylinder 1.8-litre VVT-i Atkinson cycle petrol engine replaces the older 1.5-litre unit. The new engine generates 98bhp at 5,200rpm and 142Nm of torque at 4,000rpm, making for better drivability, improved fuel economy and reduced emissions.
The Prius’ 1.8-litre engine is complemented by a 60kW (80bhp) electric motor, which works with the engine to improve acceleration. In EV mode, the motor, which is fed by a 27kW nickel-metalhydride battery, powers the car without any help from the engine.
For now, it’s clear that the new Toyota Prius leads the way with mainstream hybrid automobiles. It remains to be seen whether the Honda Insight and Chevrolet Volt can challenge the Prius in the months to come. Also, we do expect Toyota to launch the new Prius in India by the end of this year, though the Japanese giant remains non-committal on this issue!
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