When it comes to exterior styling, the Toyota Prius is a pretty boring looking vehicle, especially the first two generations. The third generation was a tiny bit easier on the eyes but still nothing to write home about. And now, the all-new 2016 Toyota Prius has been unveiled and it’s surely going to do something strange to your eyes. You’re either going to love it or hate it. Perhaps it will grow on me once I see the car on the streets but my initial impression is not a good one based on the exterior styling. I’m sure there will be some out there that absolutely love the new design language. But for me, there’s just too much going on.
Putting the looks aside, the 2016 Prius is the first production model based on the Toyota New Global Architecture platform. The all-new hybrid is powered by a new generation of Toyota’s full hybrid powertrain which promises a significant advance in highway fuel economy and a much more rewarding driving experience. According to Toyota, the new model aims to make the biggest leap in performance and reducing CO2 emissions by an impressive 18 percent compared to the previous generation.
Toyota hasn’t revealed all of the specifications yet but the hybrid powertrain has been extensively revamped to not only improve efficiency but boosting performance and reduction in overall weight. The new hybrid system is more compact, lighter, and less expensive. The electric motors are smaller in size providing a better power-to-weight ration while the batteries offer higher energy density.
The 2016 Toyota Prius is rumored to have a 1.8-liter gasoline engine which has an improved thermal efficiency by over 40 percent which Toyota claims as the world’s best for a gasoline unit. As a result, the new hybrid Prius should see an improvement of 18 percent in fuel efficiency although no official figures have been released. More details to follow but enjoy the photo gallery for the time being.
