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The 2019 Toyota Prius Is Likely Getting All-Wheel Drive
Found this from Car and Driver rather interesting.
Later this month at the Los Angeles auto show, Toyota will be releasing an updated 2019 Prius hybrid that will likely be available with all-wheel drive. The hint comes from a Toyota press release issued today saying that the 2019 Prius "performs on roads whether snowy or clear," and the accompanying image pictures a Prius driving down a snow-covered road. All-wheel drive doesn't actually originate with this fourth-generation Prius. Since its launch in 2015, the hybrid has been offered in Japan with what Toyota calls E-Four, which is an all-wheel-drive system specifically developed for hybrid models. The E-Four setup adds a second electric motor to the rear axle that solely drives the rear wheels, and the system can switch between front- and all-wheel drive depending on driving conditions and fuel-efficiency needs. Thanks to its compact design, Toyota says, the AWD system only adds a slight weight penalty, fuel economy is no different, and luggage capacity is identical compared with the front-wheel-drive Prius. |
The Prime sells are strong, the Prius could use a mild refresh |
E-Four sounds like a win
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Yup, great move, and the hybrid nature of the car means it's a trivial thing to add 4wd.
I can attest that my RX450h (4wd) is a very good snow car. |
Good news, that will definitely make it a stronger competitor than it already is.
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Thanks to its compact design, Toyota says, the AWD system only adds a slight weight penalty, fuel economy is no different, and luggage capacity is identical compared with the front-wheel-drive Prius. good move by ToMoCo |
Originally Posted by riredale
(Post 10354389)
Yup, great move, and the hybrid nature of the car means it's a trivial thing to add 4wd.
I can attest that my RX450h (4wd) is a very good snow car. |
Originally Posted by grabber2
(Post 10354476)
No so for the RX400h, I was stuck in the snow few times. The engine will not start after I release the break pedal or step on the gas. The wheel just didn't even spin at all.
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Originally Posted by spwolf
(Post 10354679)
Each new version of e-four improves... new one is supposed to be substantially better than last one too... although I doubt it will ever be anything close to real awd.
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Originally Posted by Sulu
(Post 10354728)
So I assume that the new Prius AWD will be getting the same new, more powerful E-Four system that will be in the new 2019 RAV4 Hybrid? Will the Prius be getting the new Dynamic Force engine also?
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Originally Posted by situman
(Post 10354931)
Doubt the Prius will get that powerful of an engine. I would imagine they may shove the 2.0L HSD into it.
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Originally Posted by spwolf
(Post 10354679)
Each new version of e-four improves... new one is supposed to be substantially better than last one too... although I doubt it will ever be anything close to real awd.
But starting in 2016 the RX apparently dropped the Snow Mode and instead went with some sort of automatic 4wd that sensed when the front wheels were spinning. Based on that YouTube video showing a test of that function, not very impressive, but then I've never driven a late-model RX 450h in the snow. Perhaps it does as well as mine. |
Hopefully they will improve its looks...
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Originally Posted by SW17LS
(Post 10355952)
Hopefully they will improve its looks...
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I mean, the Prius has always been kinda weird looking, which Is part of its personality. The current generation though is just hideous.
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