Toyota Prius is a car from a popular brand in the world, characterized by a hybrid engine, reliability and an increased level of comfort. Transport is assembled at the largest factories in China and Japan.

The Prius is economical, almost does not pollute the atmosphere (complies with Euro-5 class), reliable and comfortable. In addition, it has no idle speed, which distinguishes the model from competitors.

Toyota Prius models

Toyota Prius production started in 1997. The main models include:

1. NHW10 is the first generation (Prius-1). This model was only sold in the Japanese car market. Year of release (1997-2000).
2. NHW11 - rebranding of the first generation (Prius-1.1). Sales began in 2000 and lasted for the next three years.
3. NHW20 - second generation (Prius-2). In 2003, a new version of the Toyota Prius appeared on the market, which remained on the assembly line until 2011.
4. ZVW30 is the third generation (Prius-3). The release was launched in 2009.
5. ZVW35 - third generation (Prius-3 PHV) The model entered the assembly line in 2012 and is still being produced today.
6. ZVW40 and ZVW41 - third generation (restyling). Start of production - 2011. The difference between the two options mentioned is the number of seats. In the first case, it is a 7-seater, and in the second - a 5-seater station wagon.
7. 4th generation Toyota Prius - debuted in September 2015. There is still little information about this car, so we will tell you about it a little later.

Features and characteristics

Toyota Prius is a popular "hybrid" in wide circles. As mentioned above, the car was launched in 1997.

1. The first models NHW10 / 11.

It had an electric motor with a power of 30 kW and a battery with a capacity of 6 A * h. The gasoline engine boasted a volume of one and a half liters and a power of 58 hp. The car accelerated to "hundreds" in 15.5 seconds.

The principle of operation of the hybrid is as follows:

1. The gasoline engine works only to charge the battery, and the electric motor is responsible for the movement of the vehicle (sequential operation);
2. Any of the engines (gasoline or electric) is responsible for the movement of the car. This type of control is considered optimal.

2. Second model NHW20.

Be of the second generation. Works on a similar principle. The power unit of the car is called Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive. It consists of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine with 76 hp. and an electric motor with a power of 68 hp.

The total capacity is 116 "horses".

The main achievement of the new model is the minimal harmfulness. Combined CO2 emissions were only 104 g / km.

The economy of the car deserves special attention. Average fuel consumption in the city is 8 liters, and when driving on the highway - 5.5 liters.

The new Hybrid Sinergy Drive has the following operating modes:

• The start of movement is made by an electric motor powered by a battery. After gaining speed, the gasoline engine is connected to work, and the electric motor goes into standby mode;
• In the case of active acceleration, the two motor types work together to achieve maximum power;
• The uniform movement is characterized by the active operation of the electric motor. The petrol engine is then switched off. If the battery charge level falls below the permissible level, the computer starts up the motor to replenish the lost capacity.

The Prius II features a richness of electronics such as ABS, VSC and EBD, as well as the presence of an economical electric drive that powers the car's air conditioning.

The body of the car has also changed, which turned from a classic sedan into a hatchback.

Despite the external changes, the transport did not impress the buyers. The manufacturer, when creating the second version, was no longer chasing beauty.

The goal was to make travel as comfortable as possible for the driver and passenger.

The salon is spacious and unique in style. The dashboard is perfectly thought out. In the central part there is an on-board computer LCD monitor.

The diagonal of 14.5 centimeters is enough to see the information on the screen even with poor eyesight.

The main information transmitted by the on-board computer is fuel consumption, power distribution between the battery, wheels and the engine, the remaining fuel and more. Information is updated every five minutes.

3. Prius-3 (ZVW30 / 35).

It appeared in 2009. It was this generation of the car that provided the model with worldwide recognition.

The new car has become longer and wider (by 1.5 and 2.0 centimeters, respectively). As for the length of the wheelbase and the height of the body part, they remained unchanged.

The appearance of the car has also changed. Now the rear and front headlights seem to be united with each other, thanks to the stripes on the sides of the body that are insignificant at first glance, but harmoniously looking.

An important feature for passengers was the shift of the highest point of the body to the central part of the cab. Now, even with an increase of 1.7 meters and above, you can feel comfortable and not be afraid to hit your head. The passenger and driver's seats have become thinner by three centimeters, and there is room for knees.

I changed the position and the gear knob. From the dashboard, where it was previously, the handle was moved to the height of the center console.

Buyers now have the opportunity to choose the wheel diameter - between 15 and 17 inches.

In the third version of the Toyota Prius, small protrusions appeared, providing better control of the vehicle's air flow. In comparison with the second version, the air resistance coefficient decreased by 0.01 (from 0.25 to 0.24).

The power section of the car has also experienced major changes. Instead of a 1.5-liter gasoline engine, a 1.8-liter engine with 99 horsepower took over the reins.

The decision to increase the volume of the engine was caused by the desire of the developers to reduce fuel consumption when the car is moving at high speeds.

The total power during operation of the electric and gasoline engine is 136 horsepower. The car accelerates to "hundreds" in 10.4 seconds.

A planetary gearbox appeared in the electric motor, supplemented by a heat recovery system, as well as an oil pump.

Additional modes of operation have been added. So, instead of one "EV Mode", when the car was driven only by electric traction, two more options appeared:

• "Power Mode" - a mode designed for traveling at high speeds;
• “ECO Mode” is an economical option designed for reduced consumption of the fuel mixture.

In normal mode, fuel consumption is on average 4 liters per hundred. With the transition to the eco-version, it drops to 1.75 liters.

4. Restyling Prius-3 (ZVW40 and ZVW41).

In 2011, the world saw a new restyled version of the already beloved third Prius.

The designers did not make changes to the power unit, focusing on the exterior and interior of the car.

Thus, LED sections appeared in the head optics, the air intake opening increased, the interior trim changed (the quality of the material used improved).

A number of devices have changed location on the dashboard. The Japanese paid more attention to soundproofing.

The suspension, which has become stiffer, also experienced structural changes.

The power unit remained unchanged - the same 1.8-liter gasoline engine paired with an electric motor for 82 "horses".

Fuel consumption in the combined cycle is 3.9 liters per “hundred”. In addition, the new model "learned" to ride only on electric traction.

Toyota Prius owner reviews

The best indicator of the quality, reliability and recognition of a car is the reviews of real owners. To keep things fair, below are both positive and negative reviews.

Positive reviews.

1. Victor Semenov, 46 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 l, automatic transmission, 2008, mileage - 110 thousand kilometers.

“I have been the proud owner of a Toyota Prius for eight years now. During the operation, I did not seriously repair the car.

The main work was changing the oil and filter elements. A year earlier, they bought a Toyota Prius and his son, so he managed to run over 200 thousand kilometers for all the time.

All that was done about the car was changing the oil, candles and filters. There are no complaints about either of the two cars.

After a few kilometers behind the wheel of a car, I don't even want to consider other options.

The machine is economical, pulls well at any speed, and is reliable in operation.

Of the additional options, it is worth noting the rear-view camera, which has already saved you from collisions more than once. "

2. Yuri Skorikov, 47 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 l, automatic transmission, 2009, mileage - 115 thousand kilometers.

“I bought a car in 2012. During the time that I had the car, I managed to run over 60 thousand kilometers. No complaints about transport.

During operation, I had to make a running diagnosis and change the oil. If there were any problems, they were eliminated personally.

One day the inverter almost burned out. When replacing the battery, the son managed to mix up the polarity, after which an error popped up on the dashboard.

At the service they said that the car is worthy of respect, because the inverter survived and did not burn out.

I believe that the main advantages of the car are reliability, high quality of the engine and chassis, as well as efficiency. "

3. Evgeny Petrenko, 49 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.8 l, automatic transmission, 2010 onwards, mileage - 90 thousand kilometers.

“The experience of owning different cars is minimal. Before Toyota Prius, there were only two cars - Honda 2004 and 2006 models.

When choosing a car, I paid attention to the following criteria - efficiency, reliability and maintenance cost.

Friends advised me to buy a Toyota Prius and, as it turned out, not in vain. The car turned out to be easy to drive, economical, and stable on the road. Particularly noteworthy is the design, which did not cause fake envy among others.

I already bought the car from my hands, so many alterations have already been completed.

So, the ground clearance was raised to 20 cm, excellent acoustics with ten speakers were installed, and high-quality was made on the doors. In general, not a car, but a music center on wheels.

During the operation, there are no complaints. The car is economical, unpretentious in operation, there is a spacious trunk ”.

4. Gennady Rastorguev, 38 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 L, automatic transmission, 2007, mileage - 160 thousand kilometers.

“I bought the car in 2012. The year of release of the purchased Toyota Prius is 2007. The car is made in the USA, which only adds "whist".

During the operation, I had to change oils, working fluids and make diagnostics of the main systems (more for complacency).

I drove 95 thousand kilometers for the whole time. The car showed its best side, it was unpretentious and did not break down on the road. This is primarily due to the timely replacement of technical fluids, which I wish you too. Do not forget about filters (they also need to be changed on time).

After 30 thousand kilometers, the candles had to be changed (the engine started).

The real fuel consumption was struck to the core. At a speed of 80-90 kilometers per hour, the car showed a result of 2.8 liters per “hundred”. Starting the engine in cold weather does not cause problems.

The main advantages are reliability, comfort, self-confidence on the road and ease of maintenance.

If you understand the mechanics and electrical parts, then there will be no problems with the car at all. "

Negative reviews.

1. Gennady Ivanov, 35 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.8 l, automatic transmission, 2010 release, mileage - 130 thousand kilometers.

“Previously, I preferred only foreign cars, but I wanted to change the car for some kind of hybrid in order to save on fuel. Acquired Toyota Prius in 2010.

At first, there were no complaints about the car, and after each MOT an engine error began to light up. The technicians at the service station explained that the reason was the filling of low-quality fuel, although they tried to pour only expensive fuel.

After a year of operation, fuel consumption jumped - 5.0 to 6.0 liters per "hundred". A year later, the car began to "eat" at all 7.5-8.0 liters.

Recently, the battery failed, and an inscription appeared on the dashboard demanding to check the hybrid system.

When buying, they assured that the power source is eternal, but in practice everything turned out to be not so rosy. The service itself is disgusting - it takes a long time to repair, you wait for parts for months, and the quality leaves much to be desired. "

2. Rodin Osadchiy, 33 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 l, automatic transmission, 1998 release, mileage - 330 thousand kilometers.

“The car was reliable and unpretentious for the first three years of operation, but after replacing the battery, constant problems began.

At first, the elements of the power source flew out one by one, then there were problems with the inverter, then with the hybrid installation. In the end, I had to disassemble and sell everything for spare parts. "

3. Diana Ivanova, 26 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 L, automatic transmission, 2008 onwards, mileage - 60 thousand kilometers.

“When buying a car, I thought that I would get high-quality transport that would provide comfortable warmth in winter. It turned out that in Zhiguli it is warmer than in Toyota.

The car's handling is also satisfactory. On a bad road, the car just strives to be carried to the side of the road. I had to sell the car after 2 years of operation. "

4. Nikolay Lunev, 36 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.8 l, automatic transmission, 2011 onwards, mileage - 40 thousand kilometers.

“In principle, the car is not bad, but the low ground clearance upset. When traveling to the dacha, I constantly strike the bottom even when the wheel enters into relatively small holes. "

5. Stanislav Gaidashenko, 38 years old. Toyota Prius, 1.5 l, automatic transmission, 2009 onwards, mileage - 40 thousand kilometers.

“The main disadvantage for me was the price. I wanted to buy a hybrid, so I had to get into serious debt. It turned out that the car is not that good.

Noise isolation is not enough, the steering wheel is not informative, there is no lever fixation.

If accidentally hit, then you can turn on neutral. The salon is made of cheap plastic, which began to creak almost immediately after the start of operation.

At normal speed (more than "hundreds"), fuel consumption is not so small - almost 7 liters per hundred kilometers.

The battery is discharged quickly. To properly save gasoline, you should stick to a speed of 70 km / h. "

Outcome

Toyota Prius is a reliable, comfortable and economical vehicle. The main thing during operation is to change consumables on time, monitor the condition of the battery and periodically go to diagnostics in order to fix problems at an early stage.

If you do not start malfunctions, then there will be no serious problems in operation. An important point is the quality of the fuel.

Toyota Prius is whimsical to fuel, so it is worth refueling at proven gas stations.

A fashionable gadget, a toy for older children, or a practical means of transportation. This car can be perceived in different ways, but the fact remains - the Prius is interesting to a very wide audience. However, for many, the new hatchback is prohibitively expensive. Believe me, the car of the previous, third generation is hardly worse.

Let's face it, with the loudly declared fantastic economy of the Prius - according to the passport data, the third generation model in the combined cycle consumes 3.9 l / 100 km - the real fuel consumption is much higher. We have been operating the Japanese hybrid in Moscow for a long time, where for the same “hundred” run the car needed from 5.5 to 6 liters of gasoline. On the highway, where the gasoline engine not only plows alone almost all the time, but also carries a 45-kilogram high-voltage battery on its shoulders, the flow meter showed 7-7.5 l / 100 km. Twenty years ago, for golf cars with naturally aspirated engines and automatic transmissions, these were almost unattainable figures, but now, in the era of global engine downsizing and the introduction of start-stop systems, cars with traditional power plants have learned to drive no less economically.

Go without turning

I did not just mention the twenty-year period of Prius's presence in the market. Over the years, the technical concept of the car has not changed at all. This is a body with a low aerodynamic drag coefficient and a power unit packed in it, consisting of a high-voltage battery, a gasoline engine, a starter-generator and an electric motor. The performance of this quartet is conducted by an inverter and a planetary gearbox, which allows the car to move forward or backward, as well as maintain the engine speed in optimal modes.

At the same time, keeping faithful to the common idea, each new generation of Prius entered the market with something new. Perhaps the main technical difference between the third generation car (XW30) from its predecessor was the 2ZR-FXE gasoline engine. The tandem of this 1.8-liter (was 1.5 liters) petrol "four" with an electric motor develops 136 hp. Not enough, you say? This, by the way, is 14 "horses" more than the current fourth "Prius". Yes, and not in them, in fact, tsimus, but in an impressive torque that provides vigorous starts and brisk dynamics in the city. However, looking for a hybrid on the secondary, its reliability is no less important than the speed it develops. This is not an idle question, especially since you cannot buy a five-year one from us for less than 650 thousand rubles. They ask so much for right-hand drive models, cars with a left-hand drive are on average 150 thousand rubles more expensive. As you can see, the amounts are decent.

32.6 km - according to passport data, this distance can be covered by a Prius III generation on one liter of gasoline

Legends and reality

On many forums you can find replicas that the Prius' service life is significantly superior to ordinary cars. Yes and no. You cannot argue with the fact that the parts of the hybrid brake system (pads and discs) are subject to minimal wear, because the starter-generator in the recuperation mode performs essential work to slow down the car. The gasoline engine also gets less, since its revolutions do not go out of the optimal zone, and often the movement occurs only due to electric traction. In general, with normal care, timely replacement of oil and filters, internal combustion engines and with a mileage of 300 thousand km is in full health. But whether this motor will survive another hundred thousand without repair is already a question.

The new Toyota Prius has once again set high standards in the hybrid segment. Innovative technologies, the level of comfort and even the design of a true hybrid - now there is a benchmark to which other manufacturers can only reach.

The Prius brand entered the market 12 years ago. In 1997, the world's first mass-produced hybrid rolled off the Toyota assembly line.

The name "Prius" is Latin for "go earlier". It became symbolic for a car that was released even before there was a human awareness of the need to protect the environment.

In 2003, sales of the second generation Toyota Prius started. These cars are still in production and are very popular.

When designing the new third generation Prius, Toyota engineers have combined time-tested existing hybrid technology with innovative developments in recent years. During the development of the Prius, over 1,000 patents have been registered worldwide.

The debut of the production Toyota Prius of the 2010 model year took place at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2009.

The new hybrid is built using technologies that reduce pollution at every stage of a car's life, from production, operation, and disposal of the car.

The third generation Prius has surpassed its record for fuel efficiency. Under the hood of the Prius is a new 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle petrol four, which produces 98 horsepower and a maximum torque of 142 Nm at 5,200 rpm (the Prius previously had a 1.5-liter engine, developing 76 horsepower). The acceleration time of the new Prius to "hundreds" in comparison with the previous model was reduced by almost a second - to 9.8 seconds, and the average fuel consumption in the combined cycle decreased by 0.4 liters - to 4.7 liters per hundred kilometers. A significant role in reducing fuel consumption was played by the reduced weight of the hybrid, thanks to the use of ultra-strong aluminum alloys.

Contrary to popular belief, a more powerful gasoline engine is used in a hybrid scheme when driving on the highway, and not when accelerating. With high torque at low rpm, the combustion engine can use less fuel while effectively maintaining a consistently high speed.

The use of an electric coolant pump and a new exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) system also contributes to the efficiency of the engine. The Prius' 1.8-liter engine is the first Toyota powertrain to not include any belts under the hood.

Unlike most other hybrid vehicles in existence, the Prius is an uncompromising "full" hybrid. That is, he can only drive one engine, only a battery, or a combination of both.

The newly developed electronically controlled regenerative braking system has been optimized to increase the amount of energy generated during braking.

The third generation Prius offers its owner three alternative modes of transportation. The EV method allows you to drive only on the battery at low speeds over a distance of approximately 1.5 km, if conditions permit. There is also Power Mode, which increases the accelerator pedal sensitivity for a sportier ride, and Eco Mode, which helps the driver to drive with the best possible fuel economy.

Toyota engineers have been able to reduce the weight of the power plant and transmission, as well as reduce the transmission loss of torque by 20%.

When designing the new Prius, aerodynamic performance came first. The designers had a difficult task - to develop a spectacular exterior and improve a number of important indicators at the same time: the volume of internal space and the coefficient of aerodynamic drag.

The car spent a huge amount of time in the wind tunnel, as a result, the new Prius received the best drag coefficient among its closest competitors - 0.25.

Toyota engineers have provided the ability to install a hybrid solar panel on the roof, which energizes the new climate control system. The system prevents the temperature in the passenger compartment from rising while the car is parked and accordingly reduces the cooling time when the driver returns to the car.

The new Prius also offers a remote air conditioning system. It is the first system in the world to operate only on a battery and allows this operation to be performed remotely, so the driver can adjust the interior temperature for comfort before entering the vehicle.

In addition, the state-of-the-art exhaust gas recirculation system allows the use of a high exhaust temperature and thereby reduces energy costs for engine warm-up and operation of the interior heater.

The third generation Toyota Prius is built on a completely new platform. Toyota engineers have done a separate job to improve handling and comfort relative to the previous generation. The use of new sound-insulating materials has significantly reduced road noise.

When developing the Prius platform, special attention was paid to improving vehicle safety. Initially, more stringent criteria for the effectiveness of passive and active safety systems were laid down.

Already in the basic configuration there are seven airbags, including a knee airbag, and active head restraints will significantly reduce the risk of injury in a rear impact.

Prius is equipped with the latest active safety systems: Antilock Braking System (ABS), Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Emergency Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRAC) and Vehicle Dynamic Stability Control (VSC).

Toyota used its latest developments on the production version of the hybrid, in particular, the distance control system, which allows using millimeter-wave radar to avoid collisions with both moving and stationary objects. The same system can, in an emergency, in a split second, prepare all the equipment responsible for the safety of passengers in the car for a possible collision: tighten the seat belts, bring the seats to optimal condition, increase the sensitivity of the brake pedal and notify the driver with a sound signal.

Parking the Prius is much easier thanks to Intelligent Parking Assist. The multifunctional monitor, which provides the transmission of the image from the rear view camera during reversing, will show the optimal trajectory of movement when parking.

The wheelbase of the third-generation Toyota Prius remains the same, but due to the improved layout of the front passenger seats, it was possible to increase the legroom of the rear passengers. The hybrid has grown slightly in size: 15mm long and 25mm wide. It also added space to the cabin.

All trim materials for the new Prius are made from new carbon-neutral plastic. It does not emit harmful substances during operation.

The dashboard can duplicate information from the multifunction display. As soon as the driver touches the audio system control keys, information about the performed action will appear on the dashboard. A dashboard with such capabilities has not been previously installed on production vehicles.

Undoubtedly, the new Toyota Prius has once again become a trendsetter in the field of hybrid engineering. But the automaker number one in the world does not have to relax yet, competitors are breathing down the neck. The cheaper hybrid Honda Insight has seriously excited the Japanese market.

Toyota plans to rectify the situation by expanding its hybrid lineup. The novelty will be based on the compact Toyota Yaris hatchback. That is, in the near future we will see a modified Prius power plant on a new platform. The compact hybrid should, as conceived by Toyota marketers, to seriously compete with opponents.

The hybrid model Toyota Prius of the next, third in order, incarnation with the in-plant marking "XW30" first officially appeared before a wide audience in early 2009 on the catwalks of the international auto show in Detroit, and in May it went on sale.

The car retained the "cart" of its predecessor, but in other parameters it changed significantly. In the fall of the same year, the Prius Plug-In concept debuted, charging from an outlet, but it did not enter the series until 2011. The "life cycle" of the five-door lasted until 2015, when it was replaced by the assignee.

The appearance of the "third" Toyota Prius is modern, recognizable and original - the "Toyota" designers succeeded in a car that instantly stands out from the stream of "classmates" (and the version of "Plug-in Hybrid" differs from the "usual hybrid" - a large number of "graceful lines" in the design front of the body). Of course, it is difficult to call the "Japanese" a written handsome man, however, there is a certain elusive attractiveness and balance in its exterior, which is not found in every car.

In the company itself, the “third Prius” is positioned as a representative of the mid-size class, but formally it is a “borderline” model between the “golf” and the “mid-size” classes: it is 4480 mm long, 1745 mm wide, and 1490 high mm. The hybrid has a 2700mm wheelbase and 140mm ground clearance.

The interior of Toyota Prius looks quite ordinary, and only a two-layer display, visible from the "cave" at the very top of the dashboard, and replacing the usual instruments, and a four-spoke multi-steering wheel with a flattened rim at the bottom, add to its originality. On the center console, in turn, "flattened" a 7-inch touchscreen monitor of the multimedia system, a "microclimate" unit with a monochrome "stripe" and a transmission joystick. Inside the five-door, only high-quality finishing materials are used, and the assembly is at an excellent level.

At the front of the Prius's décor, there are comfortable chairs with non-intrusive lateral support, ample adjustment intervals and heating. The back sofa is "friendly" even for three riders, both in terms of layout and in terms of the amount of free space.

The cargo compartment of the third generation Toyota Prius is very spacious by the standards of the class - 445 liters. With the rear seats folded down, its volume increases to 1120 liters, and even an absolutely flat "rookery" is obtained. A full-size spare wheel, an organizer with tools and a traction battery are located underground.

Specifications. The hatchback is driven by a hybrid power plant, the "combined" recoil of which is 136 "stallions". Its “heart” is a 1.8-liter gasoline “four”, operating according to the Atkinson cycle, with distributed injection, an exhaust gas recirculation system, a 16-valve timing belt and variable valve timing, developing 99 “horses” at 5200 rpm and 142 Nm of peak torque at 4000 rpm. The internal combustion engine is assisted by a synchronous electric motor-generator with 82 mares and 207 Nm of torque, a traction 200-volt air-cooled nickel-metal hydride rechargeable battery and a planetary transmission that connects the engines to the front wheels.

From a standstill to 100 km / h "Prius" is able to accelerate after 10.4 seconds, and the acceleration continues until reaching 180 km / h. In mixed driving mode, the car "eats" no more than 3.9 liters of fuel for every "hundred".

As already noted, in addition to the standard version, the hybrid is also available in a "plug-in" version called "Plug-in Hybrid", equipped with batteries with a capacity of 4.4 kWh (with the possibility of recharging them from a regular household outlet in 1.5 hours), which is clean electricity can cover up to 23 km of track.

The third "release" Toyota Prius is built on the front-wheel drive platform "New MC" with an independent McPherson-type "walker" at the front and a semi-independent architecture with an H-shaped cross member at the rear (stabilizers are applied on both axles). In the body of the car, high-strength steel grades are widely used, and some of its elements are made from Toyota's proprietary TSOP polymer of plant origin.
The Japanese hybrid in the "state" is equipped with a rack and pinion steering complex equipped with an adaptive electric power amplifier. The five-door brakes are disc brakes on all wheels, but with ventilation in the front, supplemented by ABS, EBD and other electronic gadgets.

Options and prices. At the beginning of 2017, in the secondary market of Russia, "Prius" of the third generation can be purchased at a price of 400 thousand rubles, and the cost of the most "fresh" copies exceeds 1.3 million rubles.
In all trim levels, the hatchback has: seven airbags, heated front seats, ESP, ABS, EBD, engine start with a button, two-zone "climate", an audio system with six columns, leather interior, full LED optics, four power windows, 15-inch wheels, sensors parking (rear), light and rain and other equipment.

told

3.9 liters

hybrid Lexus

Toyota Camry.

At the end of October, two interesting novelties appeared in Toyota dealerships at once. We have already talked about one of them, we will not ignore the other. We are talking about a hybrid Toyota Prius, which has not been officially supplied to Russia before.

The current Prius is the third generation of what is arguably the most famous hybrid model in the world. Created in 1997 by the efforts of Japanese engineers, this car for 12 years of its existence has allowed Toyota to occupy the previously vacant niche of environmentally friendly cars, marking the development vector for the entire automotive industry in the coming years. Over the years of its existence, the Priuses of the first and second generations have sold over a million copies around the world.



I must say that once, during its infancy, the Prius was a full-fledged sedan, and the plump "sirloin" part did not give it away. Everything changed with the arrival of the second generation, which was released in 2004, already in the status of a hatchback. The current body of the car is essentially a deep restyling of the previous one, just more improved in terms of aerodynamics and more beautiful. But the platform is now different - it was borrowed from the current Toyota Corolla, which is a shame, because before the Prius was built on its own. But what was unchanged in all three generations was the presence of a gasoline electric power plant and a digital dashboard located in the center - a kind of symbol of a futuristic flagship leading the entire Japanese corporation to a brighter future!



The Prius is truly a spaceship inside! The salon is finished with only ecological plastic, the console envelops around the perimeter, the two-zone dashboard is replete with incomprehensible symbols. There is even a projector that displays information on the windshield. However, if you look closely, you will notice that there is much in common with the same Corolla - both in terms of content and the dubious quality of materials.

But not the interior, and not the design in general, is the pride of the Prius. Pride is the world's most advanced hybrid drive. At least that's what the developers of the Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain say, which runs on nickel-metal hydride batteries located at the rear of the hatchback. It consists of two engines - a 98-horsepower 1.8-liter petrol engine and an 80-horsepower electric motor. True, their indicators do not add up when receiving the total power, and in total we have only 134 hp. But the passport fuel consumption is impressive - only 3.9 liters for 100 km. This is much better than the previous Prius, which required all 5.1 liters.



The optimization of aerodynamics (the Cx coefficient is 0.25 - a real record!) And the refinement of the ECVT (Electronically controlled continuously variable transmission) infinitely variable transmission with a planetary gear made it possible to reduce consumption. The principle is the same as that of the hybrid Lexus, but the efficiency is even greater. It is very important for developers that the most advanced hybrid in the world bears the Toyota name.

However, is hybrid drive really really that economical?

If you compare this car with, say, a two-liter diesel BMW 1 Series, then the comparison will not be in favor of a hybrid. Yes, BMW consumes 4.8 liters in the combined cycle, but it drives like a sports car, accelerating to a hundred in 7.5 seconds (Prius accelerates in 10.4 seconds). A diesel Golf 1.6 comparable to the Prius in dynamics, which, alas, is not represented in Russia, will consume only 4.5 liters with a DSG gearbox.



By the way, in one of the TopGear programs, a curious efficiency test is shown, in which… Toyota Prius and BMW M3 V8 have become participants. Cars drove around the loop at a calm pace - Prius first, BMW behind. What was the general surprise when the average consumption of the M3 was even lower than that of the Prius ...

The popularity of the Prius in the United States is understandable - the prices for heavy fuel are rather big there. But here we can achieve this kind of fuel savings for significantly less money, and taking into account the ratio of prices for gasoline and heavy fuel, driving diesel engines is even cheaper ...

One can make the excuse that buying such a car is rather a matter of prestige. You will not so much save on gasoline as you will sign your desire to save the environment from CO2 emissions and make the city in which we live more environmentally friendly and cleaner. However, it would be strange to forget that rechargeable batteries are by no means sustainable in production. The same TopGir test allows you to look at this problem much more broadly. For example, as the plot says, in order to produce the same batteries for the Prius or deliver these cars to consumers in the States or Europe on huge ships, such damage to the environment is caused that it cannot be compensated for by the minimum emissions of the machine itself ...



In addition, many purely Russian questions arise about hybrids: how are such machines operated in our conditions, especially in winter? How long is the battery life? Does their capacity decrease over time? How do they show themselves in comparison with a diesel engine ... Until the answers to all these questions are found, no one will rush to switch to a hybrid ...

Finally, the price of the new model also raises doubts.

Whatever the car may be technically, it still remains just a golf-class hatchback. But the price of Prius (1,177,000 rubles) lives an independent life, being higher than that of the most popular business-class sedan Toyota Camry.

In the USA, Toyota Prius costs $ 22,000, Russian customs duties add another 50% to this figure. Another thing is that it would be possible to offer the possibility of choosing different levels of equipment for the machine. Then the price would have dropped to approximately 850,000-900,000 rubles. And these are already quite real numbers.

Perhaps this considerable figure indicates that Toyota is bringing the Prius out not to increase sales, but for prestige and strategic goals. By the way, the only complete set is called “Prestige”, and you can’t call it poor: seven airbags, a stabilization system, a multimedia complex with Russified navigation, keyless access to the salon and starting the engine with a button, intelligent parking assistance system, touch on-board computer control system on the steering wheel (Touch Tracer), LED headlights and lanterns. Is this not a premium level?



That Toyota is not going to massively sell Priuses in Russia is evidenced by another point. According to unofficial data, only 100 cars were allocated for the whole of Russia to begin with - the plant barely manages to cope with demand in America and Japan itself. The car is exhibited in dealerships for information purposes only and is available only by order, therefore there are no test cars.

Perhaps Toyota wants to prepare the market for mass sales of hybrids in 3-5 years, to form the public opinion that hybrids are bought not at all to save fuel, and most importantly - to create a technical infrastructure for their service. And the last word on the future of hybrids has not yet been said, among which the Prius certainly remains the number one. So there is really no hurry.

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