Toyota Prius Revealed: More Efficient, More Angular

According to USA Today, the fuel-economy hike should allow the automaker to maintain the next-gen Toyota Prius as the country’s mileage champion among vehicles without plug. When the vehicle comes onto the market it could be the same reliable and practical vehicle that it always has been but it could come with mean looks.

After a summer of spy shots and leaked photos, Toyota finally held the world debut of the 2016 Toyota Prius in Las Vegas this evening.

That said, there was general agreement among those attending the Tuesday night preview that the new Prius is less visually distinctive and more mainstream than the first three generations.

Jim Lentz, President and COO of Toyota Motor Sales, introduces the new 2012 Toyota Prius C hybrid during a press preview at the North American worldwide Auto Show at the COBO Center January 10, 2012 in Detroit, Michigan. Its unique shape was easily recognizable, but it’s doubtful that many people wanted to own a Prius for its looks. All Prius models will have a 10% improvement, or 5 MPG, bringing the models to about 55 MPG.

The 2016 model has new standard LED headlights, and among the seven color choices is the new hypersonic red. Prius had been around for about eight years before it became a household word when gas prices peaked in 2008. The new nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery is more compact while its durability and charging performance have been significantly improved.

The lines of the new five-door liftback make it instantly recognizable as a Prius, but the nose is lower, the tail is higher, and the peak of the roof has been moved forward.

The new 2016 Toyota Prius is also anounced to be the first product from the Japanese vehicle maker that uses their exclusive modular platform known as Toyota New Global Architecture.

The 2016 Toyota Prius is 0.8 inch lower than before, although its width increases by 0.6 inch and its overall length increases by 2.4 inches.

“What was once a rational purchase that for many customers focused on fuel economy, is now so much more”, Fay said.

Unfortunately, Toyota didn’t release official data on the new Prius’ powertrain, but we are being told the hybrid features a rear double wishbone suspension and a 60 percent more rigid body.

On the safety front, many driver-assist technologies are available across most of the lineup, including automated steering and braking, lane-departure alerts, automatic high beams and other collision-avoidance systems. According to CNN Money, Toyota Prius is an icon among environmentally friendly green cars.