Toyota Prius I 1997-2003
With a solid background in the automotive industry, Toyota is known for its reliable and high quality vehicles. Toyota Prius was born as a result of the increase in fuel prices, creating the need to produce an efficient car. Thus, in 1995, Toyota debuted a hybrid car concept at the Tokyo Motor Show, the first Prius being launched in 1997 only in Japan.
As for the body, the Prius doesn’t look the greatest, being a regular three-box sedan with triangular and curved headlights, with a few air vents mounted on the D-pillar to keep the batteries cool. The interior was even stranger, the most unusual element being the large stick next to the steering wheel used for the transmission. Moreover, the instrument cluster was placed in the center of the dashboard.
Under the hood, however, things were better. A 1.5-liter gasoline engine was fitted in parallel with an electric motor, capable of producing 72 horsepower.
After the 2000s, the Prius was also available on the markets of Asia, America, Europe and Australia. The NHW11 Prius became more powerful in part to accommodate the higher speeds and longer distances.
Toyota Prius II 2003-2009
The second generation Prius was introduced in 2003 and was a complete redesign. It became a compact liftback with a changed body style. This time, the highest point is above the front seats and slopes slightly to the front and back, giving it a triangular silhouette.
The interior has also been redesigned, but it still keeps the same position of the instrument cluster, gear shifter and navigation as that of the previous generation. Several features have also been introduced for convenience, including the keyless entry and start system.
As for the engine, the Prius offered a 1.5 liter hybrid unit.
Toyota Prius III 2009-2015
The third generation Prius was introduced in 2009, and the improvements began to be seen on the outside as well. It came with a larger body and a more demonic appearance, thanks to the double headlights mounted vertically and the sharp lines along the entire length of the car.
The new generation came with a hatch with solar panels, which helped to cool the cabin. The interior still keeps the position of the instrument cluster, and the gear shifter has been moved more centrally.
Toyota also made significant changes under the hood, where the Prius was equipped with a new 1.8-liter gasoline engine, aided by an electric motor that offered an all-electric range of about a mile (1.6 km).
In 2011, the Prius received a design update, now featuring a larger front grille and restyled headlights.
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid was launched in 2012 and was equipped with a 4.4 kWh lithium-ion battery that allows an all-electric range of 18 km.
Toyota Prius IV 2015-2022
With the fourth generation, the Toyota Prius received some major technological improvements. These include the modular Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA) platform, which offers a lower center of gravity and increased structural rigidity.
The silhouette of the Prius from 2016 keeps roughly the same shape as the previous generation, but the new exterior design made it more elegant. The headlights came with a new and quite unusual shape, and the taillights as well, being elongated downwards. The interior looks very good and you could find a lot of technology on board.
Under the hood, the Japanese offer the same 1.8-liter 100 HP gasoline engine, but a much more powerful electric motor.
Toyota Prius IV Facelift
A revised version for the fourth generation was released in 2018. The new Prius came with an updated look, new headlights with a standard bi-LED system, and the biggest change was the introduction of electronic all-wheel drive systems.
The new Prius also came with a new infotainment system, the 4.2-inch multi-information display showed the status of the navigation, speedometer and hybrid indicator. Moreover, the new Prius came with Toyota Safety Sense P which detected pedestrians and vehicles.
Under the hood, the powertrain for the front-wheel drive versions remained the same.
Toyota Prius V 2022-Present
The fifth generation Prius was revealed in 2022 and received the biggest changes so far. The 2023 model has a more elegant, but at the same time sporty look, with a front fascia that joins the two “C”-shaped headlights. Also, the grille in the front bumper does the same thing, it joins the two projectors. The back is outlined by the Kammback-style windshield and the taillights integrated in the same piece.
The interior has a clean, minimalist look and for the first time on a Prius we see the instrument panel above the steering wheel, which has the shape of a TFT display. Toyota has also equipped the interior with a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment unit.
The fifth generation Prius comes with two powertrain options. The first uses Toyota’s standard parallel hybrid system, available in 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter variants, and is also available with the E-Four all-wheel drive system. The second, a plug-in hybrid, combines a 2.0-liter engine, an electric motor and lithium-ion batteries to produce a combined output of 223 hp.
[…] design of the car was similar to that of the Toyota Prius, with a sloping back and a long tailgate that hid a very large trunk. In front, it had a large […]