Toyota Hybrids Are About To Get A Fresh Turn Of Speed
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.
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.
Comments
all uber drivers rn
Toyota’s probably gonna make a GRMN prius to rival the leaf nismo…
I’m not sure if the buyers of these cars will care much about the power boost. 41% efficiency is pretty good, but when you realise that it is matched by a powertrain that produces over 1000hp and revs to 11,000 RPM (this is the production version - the F1 engine gets over 50%), it doesn’t sound quite so spectacular any more…
That moment when the toyota prius becomes the new rice rocket
Waiting for the trd to be faster than the gt86
To me it’s never been the lack of power, more the lack of good looks. I don’t know why they try so hard to make it look ugly and weird.
A trd prius is just pure rice
Do you understand what “rice” means? Rice is visual modifications that don’t improve a car’s actual performance.
Yes but there is a limit for a body kit where it gets to a point where you’re making an ugly A-B car replicate the looks of a car with immense power.
I’m curious what this does to the price point. This new engine has to be more costly to produce.
It’s hated because the owners behaviour. Seriously Prius owners behave like they’re Jesus and diss everyone using fuel thirsty cars.