This time around the Prius is aimed not just at eco-literate pioneers or even early adopters of new technology, but also at mainstream buyers with open minds. So says Toyota, which is why the new Prius doesn’t look as radical, compared with its rivals, as the previous Prius did.
Its case is helped by the way many recent hatchbacks have adopted a more Prius-like shape, partly to look modern and partly to meet crash test legislation.
Visually, the Prius is not quite the pioneer it used to be, although the optional photovoltaic glass roof adds some sci-fi. It helps power the air-con but was absent from the test car on account of the 17in wheels.
Even so, the Prius is still a roomy five-door hatchback with a very streamlined shape (the Cd is just 0.25), and it occupies a size of class one notch above that of the cheaper Honda Insight, its closest conceptual rival.
Under the new Prius body is, broadly, the platform of the new Verso MPV – or, to put it another way, of the Avensis but with multi-link rear suspension ousted in favour of a cheaper, more space-efficient torsion beam.
Central to the Prius, though, is what makes it move. The engine is based on the most recent Toyota 1.8-litre VVT-i unit but loses its variable valve lift, while the electric motor is smaller than before but produces 20 per cent more power (up to 80bhp) while spinning at up to 13,000rpm.
The two power sources are linked to an epicyclic power splitter that allows each power unit to work separately or together. The results of their efforts are then directed through a transaxle with continuously variable ratios.
