FIRST DRIVE: TOYOTA PRIUS:With functionality to match anything else on the MPV market and smart styling Prius + will be well received, writes MICHAEL McALEER
THE MUCH-HERALDED electric revolution started 2012 in much the same way that it ended 2011, with more of a whimper than a bang. Of the 21,313 new cars registered in the first month of the year, a grand total of nine were electric.
However, regardless of the lacklustre sales, the Irish market will be offered a wide variety of new electric cars in the coming years. For a start Renault’s new e-Fluence and electric van range will boost exposure. In 2013 we’re set to see the launch of an electric version of the Ford Focus, BMW’s new i3 electric supermini and perhaps even an electric version of the Audi A1. Meanwhile Opel will have its Ampera range extender on the market here, probably before the summer.
We can debate the pros and cons of electric cars, and who is to blame for its failure to charge the public’s imagination, but there’s no escaping the fact that range anxiety is a real issue for most buyers.
And that’s why the hybrid format has recorded such steady growth. That growth is all the more surprising considering that for a long period just one model flew the flag for the petrol-electric format for mainstream buyers: Toyota’s Prius.
Arguably much later than it should have, Toyota has finally started to expand its hybrid range. First up was the Auris HSD last year, due to be followed by a Yaris hybrid arriving this June. But alongside these come an addition to the iconic Prius range aimed at the larger family buyer – Prius owners with progeny.
Setting aside the hybrid underpinning, this is a proper people carrier with seven comfortable seats and decent bootspace. The third-row of seats fold flat into the boot floor and pop up with little effort. The middle row seats slide forward and back as required and all three can be adjusted independently.
While the third-row is really only for children, it still retains a decent amount of bootspace even will all seats in use. That’s more than can be said of many other five-plus-two seating formats. In summary, this is a seven-seater with all the functionality of its rivals on the MPV market.
It looks more of a Prius estate than a boxy people carrier and the photos don’t quite capture the smart styling that Toyota has achieved with this car, within the constraints of the functional and aerodynamic requirements.
But the Prius+ is not really going to be sold simply on practicality. The message is all about the hybrid powertrain and the potential to complete the school run in heavy traffic under electric power.
The powertrain is also a step up from the current saloon. Unlike the five-seater version currently on sale, the Prius + also features new lithium-ion battery pack. This is the first Toyota to carry the lithium battery packs, normally reserved for use in fully electric vehicles. These are smaller and lighter than the regular nickel-based battery packs, though slightly more expensive. On our test drive, the electric mode remained the star attraction. At slow city speeds you can crawl along with family in tow and take the moral high ground amongst the SUVs outside the school gates.
It has all the strengths and weaknesses of the regular Prius, strong fuel economy in town situations but largely dependent on its 1.8-litre petrol engine on motorway drives. The CVT transmission remains an annoyance, reacting too slowly when you kick down the throttle. It does, however, feel remarkably stable on the road and the chassis offers up less bodyroll in turns than we expected.
The Prius + is aimed at families who need the added space and in the current climate that invariably means they need to watch their budgets as well. That’s where, Toyota reckons, this car could win favour.
It claims a fuel economy of 4.3 l/100km (65.6 mpg) and an expected emissions figure of 99g/km, which means it falls into the lowest tax band in the current system, and will probably remain in the lowest category even if the Government revises the emissions levels under its planned overhaul of the current tax regime. That will be a boon for potential customers.
Arriving in Ireland in June, prices have yet to be confirmed but we can expect it to be more expensive than the regular Prius, so estimates of €35,000 are unlikely to be too wide of the mark. A more practical Prius will undoubtedly find a welcoming market amongst Irish buyers, particularly those who are eager to join the electric revolution, but reticent about sacrificing the flexibility of a regular engine, particularly with the vagaries of family life.