Romancing The Toyota Prius
Toyota’s fuel efficient and environment-friendly Prius has been a stellar seller since it was introduced nine years ago. It is one of the most economical, yet dependable cars on the market today.
So it comes as no surprise that Toyota will be introducing its next generation Prius as early as next month. The Toyota Prius as many of you know is a hybrid vehicle, meaning that it is partly fueled by gasoline. A gigantic battery charges continuously while the car is being driven, and the vehicle’s computer system tell the engine when to cut off the fuel supply to let the electric power take over. Thus, for fuel mileage the 2010 Prius will run about 50 miles per gallon. It’s no reason why this vehicle is so popular in the United States, where only a year ago the cost per gallon of gasoline was hovering near $4.
But know that there are some differences between the 2010 and 2009 models, and fantastic ones at that. For starters, the 2010 model is more fuel efficient, despite that it is larger, heavier and has a more powerful 1.8 liter four-cylinder engine, topping at around 98 horsepower versus 76 hp in the previous 1.5 liter four-cylinder model. The car has been made to be aerodynamic as well with its new, curvy body panels. Plus, many systems in the car, for instance the air conditioning, are now operated by electric power.
Remember that the Prius is also one of the safest cars available today. It was rated four out of five stars by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration for driver safety in crashes. Standard safety features include four-wheel ABS, front as well as side impact airbags, and traction control for inclement weather conditions.
Now the Prius was never intended to be a luxury car, although its popularity was boosted when Hollywood stars began driving them several years ago. Apparently five models will be made available, Prius I to V. The Prius II will be in showrooms in May, while the other models will be out most likely by the end of the year. Jerry Garrett of the New York Times mentioned what previously unseen options would most likely be made available.
But wait, as the infomercials say, there’s more. Stand-alone options like a navigation system, solar-cell roof ventilation, pre-collision automatic braking, radar cruise control, lane-minders and automated parallel parking are all in the works. Fully loaded, the Prius will easily top $30,000.
But the Prius II will be expecting to fetch around $25,000, which is still very reasonable. Considering how much money you’ll save on gasoline, it’s a steal.
Photo courtesy of the New York Times
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