Prius+: The Prius For People Who Need More Prius

• First European MPV to combine seven seats with a full hybrid powertrain
• Class-leading 0.28 drag coefficient
• Class-leading combined cycle fuel economy of 65.7mpg and 99g/km CO₂ emissions

Prius+, a seven-seat MPV based on Toyota’s full hybrid Prius, makes its production car European debut at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, ahead of going on sale throughout Europe in the first half of 2012.

Prius+ is the first car to offer European customers the versatility of seven seats combined with a full hybrid powertrain, broadening the appeal of Hybrid Synergy Drive’s environmental credentials and advanced technology to the widest customer base yet.

Prius+ is a new vehicle, designed from the ground up. Its exterior design hallmarks it as an evolution, rather than merely an elongated version, of the standard Prius.

The sleek, bold styling features an extended roofline with an integral, panoramic sunroof, retaining the Prius triangle silhouette and giving the vehicle a class leading Cd 0.28 drag coefficient.

The trapezoidal front incorporates sharp-edged headlamps, turbulence-minimising aero-corners and an enlarged lower grille. Distinctive rear styling is highlighted by a practical, top hinged tailgate, a roof spoiler to further improve airflow and intricate combination lamp clusters located as far outward as possible to allow for the widest possible luggage compartment opening.

As its name suggests, Prius+ provides a significant increase in space and passenger accommodation. It is 155mm longer than a standard Prius, 30mm wider, and 85mm higher, with a wheelbase extended by 80mm, giving enough room to accommodate adults in all three rows of seats.

The architecture of the all- new interior design features a strong horizontal dashboard line which encompasses the centre console, centre cluster and instrumentation in one flowing form. Combined with concave door trim and a well-defined centre space between console and cluster, this creates an great feeling of spaciousness.

The openness of the interior is further enhanced by a large, resin panoramic sunroof. A first for a Toyota vehicle, this material and its construction system make it 40 per cent lighter than its glass equivalent. It also has a higher level of heat-resistance.  The sunroof includes a door lock-linked automatic shade closing function to prevent cabin temperature from rising when the car is parked in hot weather.

The innovative air conditioning control concentrates the most frequently used functions into a single dial, allowing easy, intuitive operation.

The seven-seat format features three, independent, split/folding second row seats and a 50:50 split/folding third tier. Clear forward visibility for all occupants has been achieved by raising the seat height in each row by 45mm over the one in front, while maintaining ample head clearance and legroom in every row.

Even with seven passengers on board, Prius+ provides 200 litres of cargo space. With the third seating row stowed, this figure rises to 505 litres. A 1,105mm tailgate opening width, 95mm wider than that of the standard Prius, makes for easy loading and unloading, and storage flexibility is provided with a large, 345mm storage tray beneath the luggage deck.

The adoption of third-row seating has been made possible by the installation of a highly compact, space-saving lithium-ion battery pack within the vehicle centre console between the front seats, offering no compromise to the seven-seat passenger accommodation or loadspace.

This is the first lithium-ion battery to be used in a non-plug-in Toyota full hybrid.

Prius+ showcases the latest generation of Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain, which employs a 1.8-litre 98bhp Atkinson cycle petrol engine and a powerful, 60kW electric motor. Total system power is 134bhp, enabling Prius+ to accelerate from nought to 62mph in 11.8 seconds and reach a top speed of 106mph.

Prius+’s environmental performance is enhanced by its class-leading aerodynamics and low weight.  The full hybrid drive system returns both class-leading fuel economy and CO₂ emissions, 65.7mpg and 99g/km respectively.

As in the standard Prius, Prius+ features three ‘on-demand’ drive modes to increase the full hybrid powertrain’s capabilities: an EV mode allows for ultra-quiet running on electric motor power alone for up to 1.2 miles, with zero fuel consumption and tailpipe emissions; ECO mode prioritises fuel economy by dampening throttle response and limiting power consumption from the air conditioning system; and POWER mode boosts system performance.

A Head-Up Display (HUD) and smart entry system are included as standard equipment while LED headlamps, Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) and Pre-Crash Safety (PCS) systems are available.  Just as in the standard Prius, customers are offered a range of advanced convenience and safety features to choose from.

As with every vehicle in the new Prius family, Prius+ benefits from a range of touch-screen multimedia equipment. Toyota Touch is fitted as standard. Toyota Touch and Go Plus and Toyota Touch Pro navigation systems, and a JBL Matrix Premium Sound System featuring GreenEdge technology are available as options (see Prius Plug-in Hybrid Chapter for full details).

Prius+ goes on sale throughout Europe in the first half of 2012, with a sales target of around 18,000 units a year.

 ENDS