UMW Toyota Motor Previews 3Rd Generation Prius
Petaling Jaya, 3 August 2009 – UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd held a media preview of the all-new Prius, the 3rd generation Prius Hybrid model. The Prius Hybrid was first introduced as the world’s first mass produced hybrid car in 1997. Over the years, more than 1.2 million units of the Prius have been sold worldwide. Development of the new Prius took some four and a half years and is led by Chief Engineer Akihito Otsuka, who was present at the preview to answer questions from the press.
According to Mr. Otsuka, the overall silhouette of the original Prius has been retained as its unique shape has become an icon of sorts for the Toyota hybrid vehicle, and the designers wanted to maintain this ‘exclusive’ shape. Besides, as explained by Otsuka-san, the ‘triangular’ outline is necessary for the least wind resistance; subtle changes in the design has improved the coefficient of drag (CD) to 0.25 from the previous 0.26, which in itself is already an excellent number. Another benefit of the restyling is improved headroom at the rear. Aerodynamic efficiency is crucial to the performance of the Prius, and great pains were taken to reduce drag to the minimum. Steps taken include work on the underside to improve air flow under the car as well.
The colour blue has been chosen as the theme colour for the Prius, and the brand mark has a blue ‘glow’ to emphasize its hybrid identity.
The Prius is powered by a 1.8 litre engine; drive is through a constantly Variable Transmission (CVT), and power is supplemented by an electric motor. The Prius hybrid system is classified as ‘intelligent’ in that the system can run solely on the motor for some distance, up to 2.0 kilometres at a time, depending on the power reserve in the nickel metal hydride battery pack stowed under the rear seats.
The engine produces 98 PS, and 142Nm of torque. Supplementing this is the electric motor’s 60 KW of power and an effective torque of 546Nm, achieved through using a gear reduction unit to boost mechanical efficiency.
In contrast to other hybrid systems, the Toyota hybrid system constantly recharges the batteries; a primary system recharges the batteries when the engine is running, while a secondary ‘energy recovery system’ will charge the batteries when the engine is on ‘negative’ throttle, i.e. when it is going down hill or when the brakes are applied. A computer system switches between these two systems automatically, based on feedback based on sensors.
At the user end, there are three modes to select from; In Power Mode, the user can experience powerful acceleration, equivalent to that of a 2.4 litre car. In ECO mode, the transmission is set to a higher ratio, minimising engine output in relation to speed in each gear, to promote greater fuel efficiency. In EV mode, the Prius is driven entirely in electric mode, with power supplied by the battery; the range depends on the state of charge of the battery, and speed is limited to around 55 km/h.
The Prius is open for order taking at all Toyota sales outlets throughout the country from today, and the public launch is scheduled for 7 August 2009. Retail price is RM175k, on-the-road, including insurance for private registration.
