Auto123 puts the 2024 Toyota Prius to the in-depth test. Here is the third of our four-part review.
See: 2024 Toyota Prius Long-Term Review, Part 1: A Pioneer Not Ready for Retirement
See: 2024 Toyota Prius Long-Term Review, Part 2: Heads or Tails?
After poking into the Prius' history (Part 1) and its new eye-catching design (Part 2), today we take a look at what's going on under the hood and on the road.
In the belly of the Prius Hybrid sits a 2.0L, 16-valve, Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine similar to that found in the Corolla Hybrid. To ensure all-wheel drive for the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD) powertrain, Toyota has attached a small electric motor to the rear axle. This addition brings the total power of the regular Prius to 196 hp, an enormous gain of 76 hp over the previous model. Incidentally, the front-wheel-drive versions, whose distribution Toyota has wisely limited to south of the border, lose two horses in the process.
Under the hood of the Prius Prime (the plug-in version) we find the same 2.0L gasoline engine plus two electric motors: one catalyzes the 4-cylinder engine and acts as a generator to recharge the battery during deceleration, the other produces electricity and controls the CVT transmission.
More powerful than those of the regular Prius, they give the Prime a total output of 220 hp (100 more than its predecessor). But no AWD. An all-wheel drive system would require a third electric motor on the rear axle, as in the case of the regular Prius, but the Prime's internal architecture doesn't have the necessary space.
If lack of AWD bothers you, you can visit a Toyota dealer. They'll be happy to tell you about the RAV4 variant that's both Prime and AWD!
Driving without gas
The Prime's secret lies in its high-voltage lithium-ion battery (developed jointly with Panasonic), which engineers have hidden under the rear seat. From generation to generation, the power of this battery has grown steadily: first 4.4 kWh, then 8.8 kWh and now 13.6 kWh.
Electric range has inevitably increased in proportion: first 18 km, then 40 km, and now between 64 and 72 km, depending on the version. In fact, the SE model, with its smaller 17-inch wheels and lighter equipment, should give you more range than the XSE or XSE Premium, which have 19-inch wheels and are heavier because they feature more equipment.
That said, regardless of the version, it takes four hours to recharge a Prime on 240 V (a Level 2 terminal installed at home by a certified electrician) or 11 hours on a standard 120V household socket.
In any case, whether you drive a plug-in Prius or not, you'll manage a remarkable average combined (city/highway) fuel consumption of under 5.0L/100 km. And if the majority of your daily trips don't exceed 60 km and you drive a Prius, your monthly gas bill can be virtually non-existent. Of course, Toyota knows this and charges the plug-in Prius accordingly (more on that later).
The price to pay
As we've seen, the silhouette of the new Prius is striking. And low. Which means it’s best not to hurry when getting in; my poor noggin can attest to that.
This low vehicle height has other consequences. Once strapped in, good luck making out the tip of the hood as it plunges so far down. And until you get used to the car's size, you’ll probably be stopping the car too soon in traffic.
What's more, the instrument cluster is tucked under the base of the windshield, which means far away from the driver because of the inclination of the glass. No matter how you adjust the seat and steering wheel, you don’T quite manage to see all of the information on the screen.
Meanwhile, through the window, visibility is good. At three-quarters rear, on the other hand, it's nil because of the rear side pillars. Similarly, depending on your seat position, when you turn your head to check for side traffic, you may come face-to-face with the B-pillar. That's why the arsenal of alerts and cameras deployed by the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 system is so welcome, nay, necessary.
Among the driving aids, I loved the Traffic Jam Assist on the Île-aux-Tourtes bridge, the current nightmare spot for motorists in Montreal's West Island. Below 30 km/h, the car takes care of everything, and you can enjoy your bag of chips with both hands, as the in-cab sensor doesn't mind. Otherwise, it won't let a thing go! When I activated the adaptive cruise control, I only had to take my eyes off the road for a second for the dashboard to reprimand me...
Inspiring handling
Both Priuses are agile. Behind the wheel, you rediscover the pleasure of driving lost in the mass transition to clunky SUVs. In all-electric mode, the Prime is even sharper. I negotiated curves at 119 km/h without ever feeling the slightest doubt about the vehicle's composure.
The various drive modes are indicated on the dashboard. In EV mode, only the battery is used. Once it runs out, the gasoline engine takes over. The transition between the two is seamless. When accelerating, the Prime emits an alien woosh; when jostling the regular Prius, the sound is far less enchanting. In fact, despite its excellent coefficient of drag (Cx) of 0.27, the Prius is quite noisy on the highway because the hatchback turns into a sounding board.
You can switch off of electric power yourself by pressing the AUTO EV/HV (Electric Vehicle/Hybrid Vehicle) button. The vehicle then decides on its energy strategy. For example, it won't call on the battery when it's on the freeway, always a major drain on range. This AUTO EV/HV mode engages automatically when you’re approaching a significant climb, or if you floor the accelerator pedal; at that point it calls in the cavalry (the ICE).
The braking regeneration effect (kinetic energy converted into electrical energy) can be amplified by moving the transmission lever to B (for Regeneration Boost). It can even be graduated: low, medium or high. As soon as the engine brake is applied, the battery is recharged. That said, Toyota recommends driving in D most of the time to optimize energy consumption and for quieter journeys. B is ideal for steep descents.
Next week: a comparison of the two Priuses.
