Toyota Prius: Next Chapter Opens in January
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From: The Bay Area, CA, USA
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people need to understand that Camry hybrid is NA only in reality...
Prius is what rest of the world gets. Due to high cost and taxes, in Europe, Prius is more expensive than Avensis.
It will never be as affordable as Corolla, so what they are doing is making it slightly bigger, more luxurious and faster so it can replace Avensis at the same price.
And while they are at it, they are upping mpg by 10%, despite all of that.
New 1.8 ZR engine is perfect choice - it will get better highway mileage than old 1.5 and more performance.
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I don't think most Prius buyers are looking for the Prius to handle like a Ferrari or accelerate like one. They're buying it for economy. I like the power bump, but I think that an increase to 140 hp would be more that sufficient. I had hoped that Toyota would get this sucker back up to the 60 MPG we saw with the old method of testing, but that doesn't appear to be the case at the moment.
Our Prius really has good mpg numbers. If they can make it bigger so it can fit more people and luggage, faster so you can compare it to nice 2.0 diesel and go on longer trips, and yet get 10% better mpg, thats all they need to do.
I dont care about lithium ion unless it is ready. Prius is currently BY FAR the most reliable powertrain that Toyota has, and I would really love it if it stays that way.
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Finally it's getting a new engine. The 1NZ is showing its age.
Don't forget guys, the ZR engine (not that it's confirmed but it's the most likely candidate) can be outfitted with direct injection and valvematic. In other words, they may use the Prius as testing bed for valvematic here in the US (Only the Toyota Noah has valvematic at the moment and it's a 2.0 litre 3ZR).
That means, even if Toyota used the Corolla/Matrix/xD engine (2ZR) 1.8 litre engine on its own, it would be more fuel efficient because of the extra technology over the standard dual VVT-i in the Corolla/Matrix/xD. Then add the Atkinson cycle and detune the engine for less hp and more fuel economy and you'll have a fantastic next gen Prius. Note that the Camry/HiHy uses a more powerful battery (288V vs 201V) and the inverter steps up to 650V vs. 500V in the Prius. Add in more powerful electric motors (they can be more tightly wound and therefore made smaller) and you can see where all the power is coming from yet fuel economy increases.
Don't forget guys, the ZR engine (not that it's confirmed but it's the most likely candidate) can be outfitted with direct injection and valvematic. In other words, they may use the Prius as testing bed for valvematic here in the US (Only the Toyota Noah has valvematic at the moment and it's a 2.0 litre 3ZR).
That means, even if Toyota used the Corolla/Matrix/xD engine (2ZR) 1.8 litre engine on its own, it would be more fuel efficient because of the extra technology over the standard dual VVT-i in the Corolla/Matrix/xD. Then add the Atkinson cycle and detune the engine for less hp and more fuel economy and you'll have a fantastic next gen Prius. Note that the Camry/HiHy uses a more powerful battery (288V vs 201V) and the inverter steps up to 650V vs. 500V in the Prius. Add in more powerful electric motors (they can be more tightly wound and therefore made smaller) and you can see where all the power is coming from yet fuel economy increases.
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