CleanMPG Previews the 2012 Prius v

More than a Prius and set to bolster a new family...

[fimg=left]http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/prius_v.png[/fimg]Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - May 18, 2011

Half Moon Bay, CA -- Toyota’s commitment to an ever expanding “Best in Class” fuel efficient lineup is again living up to the definition of Prius -- "to go before" -- that characterizes not just the Prius hatch we all know today but the entire upcoming Prius family we will come to know in the near future.

Thanks to over 20 years of commitment to the environment through hybrid technology research and development and now with over 1-million Prius' sold within the United States, Toyota is continuing its dominance of the truly “green” automotive marketplace with the imminent launch of the all-new Prius v.

Remembering back to the first generation Prius US launch in late 2000, auto critics the world over were skeptical that a new small car with advanced technology never before released into the consumer marketplace was going to do anything but flop. After all, gas was less than $1.00 and the Hummer H2 was receiving all the “press” as meeting the needs of the average "American" consumer... So I exaggerated a bit but that monstrosity was receiving press

In its original form, the diminutive Prius hybrid sedan sat on top of the US EPA’s sedan based fuel economy list and sold in numbers that were uninspiring. All that was about to change beginning in late 2003 with the launch of the much more refined, larger, more powerful, eye-catching and at the time, 55-mpg combined (46-mpg combined under the new 08 EPA ratings) second generation Prius.

In mid 2009, a new third generation Prius arrived with even more cargo capacity, improved safety, new features and yet another increase in its fuel economy rating.

With fuel prices rising in an almost stair step fashion through the first decade of the 21st century, the once maligned Prius and its hybrid drivetrain is now considered one of the most practical and reliable vehicles on the road today. Providing its owners a level of fuel economy that makes the weekly fill up almost painless even with gasoline costing over $4.00 per gallon in many parts of the country today, is it any wonder why competitors are scrambling to release their own hybrids that even after a decade or more of development cannot touch the fuel efficiency of the "Gold Standard" Prius?

The new Prius family begins with v

On the morning of the Prius v long lead press launch, the Prius v is making its presence known as the first wave of journalists are being teased with talk of a new suspension and engine control technology rumored to be called “Pitch and Bounce” control. The new technology supposedly entails a harmonization of the engine and suspension together to remove some amount of NVH to a level considered impossible in a vehicle of its size and fuel efficiency. We will have more detail on its actual capabilities later today.

“We believe the Prius v will reach a more ‘family’ oriented buyer than the current generation Prius since those owners needs are already met,” said Doug Coleman, Toyota Prius Product Manager at Toyota Motor Sales. “The Prius v is an all-new hybrid vehicle with a completely new buyer in mind.”

Entune

The Prius v will be one of the first Toyotas incorporating the brands new Entune multimedia system that in concert with your Smartphone is said to provide wireless upgradeable navigation, entertainment and information services. In addition, the system features a “Best in Class” advanced conversational voice recognition system that eliminates the need to memorize thousands of voice commands and reduces driver distraction.

The Prius v provides more than 50 percent additional interior cargo space than the current third generation Prius and does so with sliding second row seats, unique storage flexibility and a 45-degree recline capability for greater comfort. The 60/40 split, folding rear seats can be configured into four different seating arrangements that provide more utility than any competitors offering while an all-new fold-flat front-passenger seat allows for extremely long cargo to be stowed onboard and out of the elements.

The all-new 2012 Prius v is expected to go on sale later this fall with more details forthcoming as the day(s) and weeks progress.

 

If they could get a 3rd row of seats in (I understand it does in some markets) it would attract me more.

 

Hi All:

Just so everyone knows, the rest of the story is embargoed until Monday but I can say it was a treat to drive the new v as it goes far beyond the regular gen Prius in a number of areas that I think most will really enjoy All the small SUV’s, wagons and crossovers from every manufacturer are going to have some serious competition if Toyota can hold the line on pricing… The FE numbers you have read about here before are just that... Old news as the new numbers are even better!

I just arrived home from San Francisco and am beat up from yet another lousy plane ride but will try and get some more up tomorrow

Wayne

 

We really only want to know two things (startup and glide), but I guess we can wait until Monday.

Bumping it to 43 highway would be special, since nobody would be able to match that, even in the la-la advertising land.

 

Hi INATM:

I think you will be pleasantly surprised with the FE ratings, new S/U-warm up solution and Glide capability

Bob, this is really something special. While not as big as the Ody, it will make a lot of current SUV and Minivan owners rethink their purchases. New buyers will have to seriously want to own something far less efficient to skip over the new v.

Wayne

 

Hi All:

Here are a few pics to keep you in the loop before the embargo ends on Monday morning…

Prius v Review – Half Moon Bay, CA


I am sure you recognize the bridge


Drove some through the mountain climb and descent decreasing radius turns… A lot of miles on those in fact!


A lot of tree lined roads to enjoy in the v…


I stopped at a Beachfront access for this nice shot.


12 Prototypes and all x # of trims on hand for us to drive. More on trims on Monday.


Rear Spoiler - Aerodynamic detail.


Finned Headlight Lenses – I cannot say what they are for just yet but they were cool!


Our standard F&R seating ergonomics pic… More on Monday regarding this.


I will let you do the math on this top off to top off fill… Toyota has their act together this time around ​

Another small tidbit that was discussed around the table prior to the Introduction, Tech and Marketing presentations, was the number of vehicles that were crash tested to make sure the v will receive 5 Stars on the all-new 2011 NHTSA and receive a Top Safety Pick from the IIHS… It was > 50 v’s If only they would have saved one of them for me

We have to leave it at that but I do have a release on the new high end stereo system that is available for the upper end v I will post up tonight or tomorrow.

Wayne

 

Hi Walter:

It is bigger in every way

Wayne

 

OMG. It looks just like a car! OK, it's not the look that's of interest to me...

Looks OK. I note that you have some headroom while sitting up straight.

I suck at judging proportions. I know you're around 6' but how are you proportioned? Just trying to get some idea of the rear passenger legroom compared to the Prius blank.

Not bad for a first drive. I guess we'll just have to wait until Monday for the details.

 

Hi All:

And a little bit more on the Harman Audi system in the Prius v. This was a release from about 3-weeks ago so I was given the go ahead to post it.

Harman GreenEdge Sound Technology Bolsters New 2012 Prius v

Wayne

 

Hi Bike123:

The "v" in the Prius v is a letter and stands for “versatility” according to Toyota.

The 11 Prius hatch still has its class leading attributes over and above the v. And everything else for that matter. Namely, a touch more FE and a lower price...

Wayne