Toyota Prius

The fourth generation Prius promises many improvements, and represents a significant step forward for Toyota. The experts at Car & Driving find out more.

Ten Second Review

Toyota has changed things again with its fourth generation Prius. Not content with the extraordinary success of this pioneering hybrid model to date, the Japanese brand has ripped up its own rule book and redesigned the entire platform on which this car sits, underpinnings that'll also be used for many of its future products. This MK4 model Prius is the first model to feature the revised architecture, benefiting from improvements in space, safety and handling.

Background

The Toyota Prius hybrid needs very little by way of introduction. By the time of the introduction of this fourth generation version, over three-and-a-half million Priuses (or 'Prii' if you work for Toyota) had been sold worldwide over nearly two decades. Design changes in that time have hardly been radical but what was once a rather frumpy lump has evolved into a sharp looking, modern family hatchback that merits strong demand without needing to rely on its environmental credentials.

This MK4 model Prius is a significant step forward from its predecessor, mainly because it features a hi-tech modular chassis that Toyota plans in the future to use across a wide range of its products. An important platform then - and this Prius is the first of the company's cars to use it, the very different fundamentals necessitating a ground-up re-design.

Driving Experience

Hybrids are known to be much heavier than traditionally fuelled cars because of the big pile of battery-cells that provide the electric power. What is crucial to handling though, is where the extra weight is positioned. Toyota's modular architecture allows the centre of gravity to be lower and closer to the middle of the Prius, which translates into a better balanced ride for passengers but not a car you would ever describe as 'sporty'. It takes a fraction longer to get going than the model it replaced, reaching 62mph in 10.6 seconds, but the emphasis is now on making this car appeal to business users, so a comfortable, economical ride takes precedence over speed.

Design and Build

It will certainly stand out in Central London. The new styling is bold with more than a flavour of Toyota's hydrogen Mirai model, particularly towards the rear end. Like previous versions of the Prius, the design won't be everyone's cup of cocoa but, apparently, form follows fuel-efficiency. The body is said to scythe through the air with very little resistance and while the blacked-out rear pillar might play tricks on the eyes, the hump-backed shape that has become something of a Prius silhouette remains. The side profile suggests more of a saloon than a hatchback, but the flat surface on the rear acts as a spoiler that helps create the 'sudden drop' common in low-drag designs.

Market and Model

It's not just the design and engineering that has changed with the fourth generation Prius: the price levels and trim names have also been revised. Aimed at a more business-class customer, Toyota has dispensed with the 'T' numbers and 'Spirits' of the past, replacing them with more mature names to reflect the more mature prices. Around £23,000 will be required if you want to get on the road in the entry level 'Active' model. For this you'll get 15-inch alloys, driver's seat lumbar support and Dual 4.2-inch colour TFT information displays, along with the healthy list of standard equipment. All models get LED lights, 'Smart Entry' to unlock and start the car without using a key, 'Electric Driver Seat Adjust' and Toyota's 'Touch 2' multimedia system that keeps you entertained at the swipe of a finger.

Cost of Ownership

When the Prius changed the game back at the start of the Millennium, the winning trait wasn't beautiful design or blistering performance. It was extraordinary fuel-economy. That's what the Prius has championed throughout its regenerations but in more recent times, a plethora of plug-in hybrids and pure electric cars have threatened to make this one redundant. Here's Toyota's response. At 94.2mpg on the combined cycle, the Prius still out-performs even the most frugal diesel competitors, also managing up to 70g/km of CO2. To give you a comparison, if you spent £3,000 or £4,000 less and bought a Honda Civic 1.6 i-DTEC diesel, you'd manage 78.5mpg and 94g/km of CO2. If you are genuinely concerned about the environment, it seems then that a Prius is the pious choice.

Being a Toyota, quality is ingrained in the car-building process, so costly faults are unlikely to arise but just-in-case, the Prius comes with a 5-year/ 100,000 mile warranty. Despite the modest increase in price, the residuals should remain relatively strong when it comes time to sell it on.

Summary

Toyota's Prius has retained its appeal amongst family buyers wanting to make an environmental statement - and sharpens those credentials in this much improved fourth generation guise. It still faces challenges from a raft of plug-in hybrid, electric and highly efficient diesel powered cars.

This car's use of the company's new modular 'Global Architecture' has enabled it to set a fresh benchmark for high-quality, low-cost family motoring. Lower, wider and longer than previous generations, the design now features improved handling and space - though there's a price to pay for that. The business customers that Toyota is increasingly seeking here should be receptive to this though, and better-heeled family buyers will want to try one too. As ever, it seems, there still is nothing quite like a Prius.

FACTS AT A GLANCE

CAR: Toyota Prius

PRICE: £21,995 - £27,450 – on the road

INSURANCE GROUP: 11-15E

CO2 EMISSIONS: 70-92g/km

PERFORMANCE: 0-62mph 10.6s / Max Speed 120mph

FUEL CONSUMPTION: (combined) 94.2mpg

STANDARD SAFETY FEATURES: Twin front, side, front & rear curtain airbags / anti lock brakes with electronic brakeforce distribution / electronic stability control

WILL IT FIT IN YOUR GARAGE?: length/width/height 4540/1760/1470mm