Yesterday, UMW Toyota Motor showcased their line-up of hybrid vehicles in Malaysia. The Prius, now in its 3rd generation, continues to lead Toyota’s hybrid revolution. Packaged together in a luxurious and sophisticated interior and exterior, the Prius continues to impress with class leading fuel efficiency and low emissions.
Star of the show was of course the Toyota Prius c. The Prius c is said to be the new hybrid style that sets the trend for urban mobility, catering to environmentally-conscious and tech-savvy young professionals. More importantly, what you are looking at is Toyota’s response to the Honda Insight. The Prius c was teased before on Toyota’s website (estimated at RM104k), with a lot of discussion on the Internet about the pricing. However, we can confirm the price is RM97,000 OTR including insurance. It will definitely be interesting to see how the battle of the hybrids will pan out, considering how the Prius c is marketed slightly cheaper than the almost RM100k Insight.
Many folks online have asked what the ‘c’ stands for; Toyota says the third letter of the alphabet refers to the words ‘Compact’, ‘Clean’, ‘Clever’, and ‘City’. Words that make quite a lot of sense in a hybrid. At 3,995mm long and 1,695mm wide the Prius c is smaller than its bigger sibling by 485mm and 25mm respectively. It is powered by an adaption of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) system; made more compact to fit into the smaller frame. The 1.5-litre 1NZ-FXE mill (from the same family as the 1.5-litre VVT-i used in the Vios) runs on an Atkinson Cycle which has higher compression ratios and different valve opening/closing characteristics.
The HSD integrates the engine with an electric motor and a 144-volt nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery, along with a DC-DC converter, a step-up converter, and a hybrid computer to produce a total system output of 101PS and 111Nm. Decent enough numbers for a car that only weighs 1,120kgs. Its zerotohundred sprint is achieved in 10.7 seconds and Toyota claims that this is the best in its class. Three driving modes are available: Normal, ECO, and EV. ECO mode reduces overall energy consumption by prioritizing fuel economy as well as in-cabin temperature. EV (full electric) mode on the other hand, can only be used in certain conditions; relying solely on the electric motor, allowing for speeds up to 45km/h.
Aerodynamic efficiency is an important necessity in a hybrid vehicle; less energy is required to move when a car slips through the air easily. To reduce aerodynamic drag, the Prius c has a reduced ride height, ‘pagoda’ roof, a more triangular silhouette, integral rear spoiler, various aero-fins and a flush underbody to manage airflow. If you look carefully, you will notice the angular lines across all four corners of the car. Dubbed ‘aerocorners’, these lines help to smoothen airflow as it moves over different surfaces.
Standard safety kit in the Prius c is quite impressive – ABS, Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC), and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) are all included as default. Brakes are ventilated discs in front, drums at rear and are optimized to work with regenerative braking. Also included are seven airbags, keyless start/stop, and cruise control.
Standard wheels are 15-inch alloys.
The Prius c: for the tech-savvy, environmentally friendly, young urban professional.
Five exterior colours are offered on the Prius c – Silver Metallic, Lime White Pearl, Black Mica, Citrus Orange Mica Metallic, and Super Red V. When you go through our pictures, you will notice a (very good looking) kitted out Prius c in an attractive red, sporting blacked out 16-inch wheels; we’re told that these add-ons are not yet available, but I suspect that when they are, most customers will have these option boxes ticked. All hybrid models sold by UMW Toyota will have a 3-year or 100,000km warranty (whichever comes first). You can check these models out in selected Toyota Showrooms in Peninsula Malaysia from 24th Feb and East Malaysia from 2nd March onwards.
Fully kitted Prius c with black 16-inch alloys in Super Red V. Mmmn...
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** All images are contributed by HuaiPoh and AdamRyu.
