Nik J Miles

Posts Tagged ‘Prius’

 Prius dealers are now receiving two additions to their Prius menu, a new wagon-like-like Prius v and a Prius Plug-in.

 Prius v

The Prius v is designed to meet the needs of growing families with active lifestyles while providing the same attributes traditionally found in the Prius DNA including Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive.  With 58 percent more cargo space than the Prius Liftback (a total 34.3 cubic feet), the v approaches the capacity of small SUVs.   It could also be a good addition to taxi fleets with the extra rear seat and cargo room.

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More of a Good Thing

Monterey, Calif. – By now nearly everyone is familiar with the Toyota Prius.  With more than one million of them on the American roads, they have become the standard for hybrids outnumbering all the other hybrids combined.

What most people don’t know is there are now three Prius models, or will be this fall, and a forth due soon.  In addition to the current Prius, there is Prius Plug-In, the midsize Prius v and debuting earlier this year at the Detroit auto show was the Prius c Concept. Read the rest of this entry »

A hybrid performance package sounds like a dichotomy doesn’t it?

First shown at the 2010  Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show — the Prius PLUS Performance Package features components of the new PLUS hybrid performance line from Toyota Racing Development (TRD).

The package was developed to meet growing demands by hybrid drivers to have their car look cool, or different from the other million Prii on the American road.  It also makes it handle better, too. Read the rest of this entry »

“2012 Prius V : Expands Toyota’s Hybrid family”

The Toyota Prius for 2010 was better in nearly every way imaginable, moving from its pioneer status to that of a Hybrid icon. It was a genuine “Hyper-miler”. The claimed EPA mileage estimates were 51 mpg City, 48 mpg Highway, and 50 mpg combined which could be bested with only a minimal amount of effort and focus, but given the way most Prius owners really drive their cars, the actual mileage will probably fall considerably short of the Prius’ potential for economy.

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1.8 Million Vote on Plural Name

For 10 years the automotive press has deliberated over what to call a flock of Prius or even a pair….is it Prius, Priuses, Prii or something completely different?  With other Prius versions in the pipeline Toyota need to come up with a plural name, rather than having everyone make up their own name.   Toyota put the subject to a vote at the North American International Auto Show, and challenged the public to help determine the plural of Prius. Read the rest of this entry »

Toyota will being going even greener in 2012 with the launch of three new vehicles.  According to Automotive News, Toyota plans call for an electric vehicle, a plug-in version of the Prius and an undisclosed Prius variant.  According to the unofficial information reported by the newspaper, the second Prius vehicle will be the first of a growing family of Prius badged vehicles, but not a separate brand like Scion.

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Toyota unveiled a concept at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit that shows one of the directions the company is looking as it prepares to expand its Prius lineup. The FT-CH is a concept that would address Toyota’s stated strategy to offer a wider variety of conventional hybrid choices to its customers, as it begins to introduce plug-in hybrids (PHVs) and battery electrics (BEVs) in model year 2012, and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (FCHVs) in 2015 in global markets. Read the rest of this entry »

Consumer Report magazine announced its Top picks for 2010, and the list includes six new models.

Consumer Reports’ Top Picks are the best all-around models in their categories and must meet the non-profit organization’s stringent road test, reliability, and safety requirements. Each Top Pick scores at or near the top of its category among the more than 280 vehicles Consumer Reports recently evaluated at its Auto Test Center; has average or better predicted reliability (based on the problems subscribers reported on more than 1.4 million vehicles in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Survey), and performed adequately in overall safety if tested by the government or insurance industry. In addition, each model must offer electronic stability control (ESC), a proven lifesaving safety feature as standard equipment or as a readily available option. All of this year’s Top Picks provide standard ESC and curtain air bags. Read the rest of this entry »