Toyota Hybrids Are About To Get A Fresh Turn Of Speed

Toyota has developed a new 2.0-litre petrol engine that's as efficient as the existing 1.8 unit, but with a big chunk more power
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One criticism that we’ve always been able to level at the Toyota Prius is that, well, it’s not very quick. Unless you put a Hellcat engine in one, anyway.

Toyota is beginning to address the lack of pace from the 1.8-litre petrol-electric drivetrain, though, by upgrading the petrol engine to an impressively efficient new 2.0-litre ‘Dynamic Force’ unit. It combines a much healthier 178bhp maximum, an improvement of about 44bhp, with the same smooth integration into hybrid drivetrains.

The big news here is its mighty thermal efficiency of 41 per cent when used as a hybrid. That matches the smaller, feebler 1.8’s efforts despite the extra power.

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Because the Prius is still quite new, it won’t be the first to get the new motor. It’s reported to be heading the way of the Auris first; that car is due an all-new model this year and there’s a gap in the range where the diesel used to be. It was canned in the UK last year after just 651 sold all year compared to thousands of hybrids.

The new hybrid system’s CVT transmission has been given a big boost. CVTs are notoriously sluggish away from a standstill, but, in what’s said to be a world first, the new driveline will feature a proper gear drive for initial acceleration, making it much more positive away from the lights before settling back into traditional CVT efficiency at speed.

More data should surface at the Geneva Motor Show.

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Comments

Ewan23 (The Scottish guy)

Ohh how exiting

02/28/2018 - 16:43 |
0 | 0
Joe Groholske

I’m not gonna care unless they make a TRD Prius.

02/28/2018 - 16:46 |
8 | 0

Already done

02/28/2018 - 16:52 |
34 | 0
redflamexfire(R32 squad)

Finally… prius that we would like.

02/28/2018 - 16:52 |
0 | 0

Nope, still weak

02/28/2018 - 21:48 |
2 | 1
Duggan (koalafan) (koalafan7) (Esprit Team) (Z32 Group) (Lot

Is there such thing as a manual prius?

02/28/2018 - 16:52 |
1 | 1

yeah. it’s called Honda Insight xD

02/28/2018 - 17:58 |
4 | 0
GTRTURTLE 🔰 🐢(Oo \ S K Y L I N E / oO) (Koen

Waiting for the haters to start commenting

02/28/2018 - 17:02 |
3 | 1
......

i dont know
maybe in 10 years they will add a 6 cylinder or a turbo to it

02/28/2018 - 17:06 |
1 | 0
Sammy Loehnis

LaFerrari intensifies

02/28/2018 - 17:10 |
0 | 0
Duggan (koalafan) (koalafan7) (Esprit Team) (Z32 Group) (Lot

Alright, I’m not going to get into how the Prius is hated a little bit too much. It wasn’t made for the likings of enthusiasts but it does it’s job (being super practical and efficient) pretty dang well. I don’t want to get in an argument and I’m in class and I’m already starting to rant on but Prius’s have a little bit of personality to them, (lesser so with the more modern examples) and sometimes it’s their drivers that are bad. Ughh I keep ranting on. Anyway here is a (in my eyes) cool-ish Prius. Still a little weird.

02/28/2018 - 17:12 |
58 | 4

Yeah it is a bit too hated… After all, it is the best selling hybrid car period. And you can’t deny that it is good for road trips. But mainly gas mileage… Basically some people tune it for better gas mileage and get 99.9MPG… Dunno if that is actually possible tho…

02/28/2018 - 19:29 |
16 | 1

imo it’s hated because it’s seen (or at least was seen) as the car that is killing the pure bred engine, thats my opinion though and i say that because that is why i hate it

02/28/2018 - 19:33 |
12 | 1

You know what is even more efficient and practical in the real world? A diesel estate car, which is often cheaper.

02/28/2018 - 22:12 |
6 | 3
ATOGI_28

So are they trying to make the prius fun to drive or what?

02/28/2018 - 17:27 |
0 | 0
dmackster1124

Is this gonna go for Lexus too

02/28/2018 - 17:40 |
0 | 0