New Prius is cleaner and cheaper

Written by Staff Reporter

Wednesday, 25 November 2009

Toyota has launched the new version of the hybrid Prius to the Irish market in advance of 2010. The new car gives a new look to the third generation Prius, which was the first hybrid electric car to be sold on the Irish market.

The new Toyota Prius hybrid drive car has more modern style, more power, better economy and a more attractive entry price, starting at €25,995 before delivery charges.

The new Prius continues that tradition, with a new bigger petrol engine, a better and more efficient electric drive system and a lower entry price. Toyota has dropped the price of the new Prius by €1,435 to a new price of €25,995 before delivery charges.

The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system for the new Prius gives a power increase of 35 per cent, yet fuel consumption lowered by 23 per cent and CO2 emissions reduced by 25 per cent. The engine size increases from a 1.5 litre to a 1.8 litre petrol engine. The power from the electric hybrid motor rises from 50 to 60kW with the new model.

And all this happens while the CO2 emissions rating drops from 110g/km to 83g/km, making it the lowest CO2 car on the market. This has been achieved by an impressive improvement in fuel economy, where the combined fuel economy figure has dropped from 4.3 litres/100km to 3.9 litres/100km.

Sales of the Prius have topped the two million mark across the world. In Ireland, over 3,500 Prius cars have been sold since the first one was introduced in 2001. Toyota expects that all of the models in its range will be available with the Hybrid Synergy Drive drive system by 2020. Toyota Ireland expects to have the first of the mainstream models on the market based on the Auris by next June.

Comments (1) »

...
written by Mark, December 13, 2009

I must admit that the price of the new prius is attractive when compared to a 2.0TDI golf, Emissions are better and probably economy especially in town. Diesels might be slightly better on the open road, but the gap is very narrow now with the new prius. Whatever economy benefits you get with a Diesel on the open road, are eroded when you drive in town. And end up much worse economy than a Prius. I regularly get 50-55mpg out of towen in my TDI Audi A4, but after driving in town that can go as low as 35mpg! The prius will benefit greatly with the use of Lithium batteries in a year or so, which may also end up as a plug in hybrid and may be able to go for 50+ miles or so on electric alone, though I don't think anything is finalized on that yet! there is really no need for diesel anymore. It has uses maybe in the lower priced end of the market, maybe in the polo, punto end of things, of which maily are sold as petrol anyway. But Hybrid or all electric is the way to go. Especially when the 2015 Euro 6 Emissions regulations come into force! The head of research and development in Mercedes says that "the treatment of diesel exhaust emissions will be too costly to treat, making diesels more expensive than hybrids! There is no other car on the market of equivalent size and power of the 2010 prius than can match it's emissions and fuel consumption!!!

Show/Hide comment form toggle