The sheets have just been taken off the fourth-generation Toyota Prius, which was unveiled at a special event in Las Vegas ahead of its international motor show at Frankfurt next week. Latest iteration of an iconic nameplate that has sold 3.5 million vehicles worldwide, the latest Prius is claimed offer significant enhancement in efficiency over its predecessor whilst also realizing gains in improved driving dynamics.
Besides pioneering a raft of advancements in hybrid powertrain development, the Prius is also home to another crucial piece of Toyota hardware, namely the Toyota New Generation Architecture (TNGA) platform, a set of modular underpinnings that, as its name suggests, will serve as the engineering basis of a whole new generation of Toyota models. Through the use of this new architecture, Toyota targets to improve its resource efficiency by over 20 percent.
Notably, the chassis is now independently sprung all round, with double wishbones used in place of the previously-used rear torsion beam, an upgrade which will surely see improved road holding and rear compliance. Additionally, Toyota also claims that the new Prius boasts a stiffer body than its predecessor together with a lowered centre of gravity.
Body measurements have been significantly altered too; the new car sits on a bigger footprint than its predecessor, being 60mm longer and 15mm wider, and is at the same time closer to the ground, with overall height reduced by 20mm. The distinctive silhouette that defined the last two generations of the Prius has been drastically altered as well, with the new car following a similar styling direction as the hydrogen-powered Mirai in wearing a more sedan-like profile.
Powertrain details have yet to be disclosed, but Toyota claims that it will be the world’s most thermally-efficient petrol engine with a rated efficiency of 40 percent. The use of new and substantially revised components that are more meticulously fine-tuned to their engineering limits and tolerances helped facilitate this remarkable achievement.
Toyota also added that the next-generation Prius will come with substantially improved safety, with features such as pre-collision system, lane departure alert, automatic high beam and active cruise control included in its equipment manifest.
Pictures: Official Toyota release.
Keyword: Toyota unveils all-new fourth-generation Prius