Toyota Comes To America To Build A German Sedan

If you were to rank all of the cars the Toyota builds and list them in order of “drivers car” the Toyota Avalon may rank at or near the bottom of that list. To most people, the Toyota Avalon was always the Buick Roadmaster that you would no longer built, a car for your grandparents.

With the 2013 model Avalon, Toyota’s looking to change the demographic for the Avalon buyers, as of now the average age of a Toyota Avalon buyer is 64, Toyota is looking to drop that to the mid-50s. How they are going to do that is by completely changing the nature of the car. In fact, as the title of this article suggests, the Japanese have come to America to build a German sedan.

The 2013 Toyota Avalon is the first car that Akio Toyoda oversaw from start to finish. When you drive this car, you will field his fingerprints all over it, in that his emphasis was to make Toyota’s cars that people would enjoy driving. The Avalon was designed in California, engineered in Michigan, and will be built in Kentucky, and when it goes on sale, it will have the highest US content of any vehicles sold in North America.

There will be two versions of the Toyota Avalon available, a V-6, and a hybrid version. There will be several modes in which you can drive in both cars. In the V-6 model you have ego, normal, and sports, while in the hybrid version you get those 3 plus an EV mode.

The V-6 model will definitely slant much more towards the “drivers car” then the hybrid. The V-6 will have 268 hp and 248 foot-pounds of torque, and can do a 0 to 100km run in 6.7 seconds. In eco-and normal modes the car feels very composed, switched into sport mode the steering firms up very nicely, the ride is just a bit more firm, and if you didn’t know, you’d think you were in a German performance sedan, and that’s no joke.

The hybrid version of the Avalon is geared much more towards comfort. It still handles well, steers well, but in driving them back to back, the differences are noticeable. The hybrid Avalon, while maybe not having the driving dynamics of its V-6 version, is still very composed, and does not feel like some boulevard cruiser.

There are some very interesting design dynamics going on with the new Avalon. It seems to borrow from quite a number of cars. In the front it has a trapezoidal grille reminiscent of some current Ford products, taken from certain angles in the rear, or the side, you can see design elements from the Mercedes-Benz S class, the Jaguar XJ, and even the Audi A7. All that amalgamation comes out very well and while some people may not care for the nose of the car, there can be few complaints about the design of the rest of the car, save the need for a larger wheel and tire package.

The interior gets a massive upgrade on the new Avalon from the previous model. Again with the German sedan theme, if you were familiar with the interiors of current Audi products, there are many similarities with the new Avalon. The use of materials textures and colors really make the interior standout, and give it a very high-quality feel. The stitching on the leather of the–Israel hand stitching. There are a select number of people in the factory in Kentucky who hand stitch these together on machines, there is no automation, and the attention to detail is obvious. The use of contrasting and complementary colors and materials again gives the car a very upscale look, in addition to a center stack that draws inspiration from modern midcentury design.

Many modern cars that have a swoopy rear end styling to give the illusion of a coupe, sacrifice rear seat head and leg room in the name of style. This is not the case with the Avalon. Toyota have done a nice job of creating space for rear seat passengers so that even those well over 6 foot will have plenty of room. Toyota feel so strongly about this design, that they are pursuing the livery market with the Toyota Avalon.

The 2013 Toyota Avalon is a major change in direction from its past models. No longer a Boulevard cruiser for the retirement community, the Toyota Avalon is now an upscale luxury sedan ready to challenge the Germans, but with the quality, dependability, and reliability that you would expect from a Toyota.

Toyota Camry, Prius V, Sienna Selected As Best Family Cars Of 2012

Moms and dads across Canada can find joy and comfort in the fact that not one, not two, but three Toyota models have been selected as among the Best Family Cars of 2012 by Parents magazine and Edmunds.com. They are the beloved Camry sedan, the versatile Prius V, and the high-capacity Sienna minivan.

The Toyota Prius v took home honors in the high-mileage category, while the Camry won in the sedan category and the Sienna minivan in the large vehicle category. Vehicles considered were evaluated on a number of criteria important to families. These factors included safety, fuel economy, and kid-friendly features, as well as ride comfort, styling and handling.

“We’re proud to have several Toyota models on the list of best family cars for the fifth year in a row,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager, Toyota Division. “Families know they can always depend on Toyota for safety, quality and durability, but they also recognize the importance of the convenience and technology features in our vehicles that help make their lives easier.”

In the high-mileage car category, the editors chose vehicles that were rated at a minimum of 5.88 L/100km  on the highway and offering safety features and modern conveniences. This made the Prius V an ideal candidate with its above-par fuel economy rating of a scant 4.6L /100km. Journalists cited the Prius V for its stable ride and ample cargo space and was praised for its versatility and standard technology features including the Entune mulitmedia system and a hands-free smart key, which unlocks the driver’s side door as you approach the door handle.

The 2012 Camry was highlighted as a best pick in the sedan category.  Completely redesigned for 2012, the all-new seventh generation Camry was selected for its updated styling, convenient technology including Entune, excellent fuel economy, quiet ride and ample trunk space. The Camry is America’s best-selling car, and as an IIHS Top Safety Pick for 2012 it is extremely popular with families.

Rounding out the best family cars in the large vehicle category is the Sienna minivan, chosen for its flexible configurations to fit every type of trip, family and cargo combination. The Sienna was completely redesigned in 2010, catering to traditional family van needs while also meeting growing demands for more responsive driving characteristics, contemporary styling and onboard entertainment technology.  With state-of-the-art features and rewarding driving dynamics, the Sienna is a vehicle that families of any size will find satisfying to drive.

“Toyota has a long history of satisfying the automotive needs of American families,” said Scott Oldham, editor-in-chief, Edmunds.com. “The Sienna minivan, the redesigned Camry and the all-new Prius v hybrid are leaders in their respective segments, offering America’s families the spacious, fun, fuel-efficient and reliable transportation they need.”

Toyota Hybrids Flying Off Dealer Lots

With the month of April 2012 in the log books, Toyota Motor Corp has noted that its hybrid sales jumped an amazing 125 percent for the month, selling 32,593 units. Of that total, Toyota-branded hybrids accounted for 30,126 and most of those carried the increasingly popular Prius family.

With the ever-expanding Prius hybrid family now including the small Prius c, versatile Prius V, and advanced Prius-plug-in total Prius sales in April reached 25,168, up 102 percent from a year ago. Notably, the Prius C is one of the lowest-priced hybrids on the market and has been a hit since day one, and has caused Toyota to increase the production rate.

The Prius c, which starts at $20,950, is graced with an updated version of Toyota’s venerable 1.5 liter inline four cylinder engine. The enhancements help improve fuel efficiency with lighter weight valve springs, lighter tension weight piston rings, along with a few other items like the elimination of an accessory belt. In doing so, the power steering, air conditioning and water pump are all driven via electric motors to reduce drag and friction and improve fuel economy. This is paired with a Ni-MH battery pack that is about 2/3rds the size of the one found in the larger Prius, and provides an additional 25.9 horsepower to the c’s 73 horsepower engine. The transaxle in the Prius c is an all electric unit that has no belts.

Additionally, Cars.com filtered through loads of sales data through April and found some loud-speaking numbers. The Toyota Prius Plug-In managed to walk away as the third quickest-selling car in the large United States market, spending just five days on dealer lots in April of 2012. Likewise, the turnover rate for the all-new Prius c is just seven days.

There are currently 18 hybrid vehicles in Toyota’s worldwide lineup, sales of which account for 15 percent of Toyota Motor Corporation’s overall vehicle sales this year. And with the Prius being far and away the most popular hybrid in the world, Toyota Motor Corp. has sold 4 million hybrid vehicles since 1997 when it introduced its first gas-electric car in Japan. Toyota calculates that the hybrids it has sold globally since 1997 have resulted in a reduction of about 26 million tons in carbon dioxide emissions, compared to a scenario where these hybrids would have been similarly sized gas-only models.

Demand For New Toyota Prius c Is Soaring

Back in December, when the Toyota Prius c first went on sale in Japan, the company received 120,000 orders in the first five days it was on sale. That’s pretty amazing, and the love for the Prius c has found its way to North America, selling 1,200 units in the first three days it was on sale in the United States, and has become the fastest selling vehicle in the market. Because demand is so high, production of the little Prius c has increased.

The Prius c, which starts at $20,950, is graced with an updated version of Toyota’s venerable 1.5 liter inline four cylinder engine. The enhancements help improve fuel efficiency with lighter weight valve springs, lighter tension weight piston rings, along with a few other items like the elimination of an accessory belt. In doing so, the power steering, air conditioning and water pump are all driven via electric motors to reduce drag and friction and improve fuel economy. This is paired with a Ni-MH battery pack that is about 2/3rds the size of the one found in the larger Prius, and provides an additional 25.9 horsepower to the c’s 73 horsepower engine. The transaxle in the Prius c is an all electric unit that has no belts.

The Toyota Prius c also carries on the family tradition of being incredibly fuel efficient. Rated by the American EPA at 3.5l/100km in the city,  4.0l/100km on the highway, and 3.7l/100km combined. For those that worry that this B-segment car is cramped inside, it is not. Front seat passengers have plenty of room, no fear of rubbing shoulders with your passenger. For back seat passengers, two normal sized adults will be able to ride comfortably. We had the drivers seat set for us at 5’11”, then jumped in the back seat behind and were able to get in and out with no problem, and our knees were not touching the back of the driver seat either.

The rear seats do fold in a 60/40 arrangement allowing for good load flexibility, bicycles and snowboards will have no problem fitting inside. With the seats up there is 484.2 liters of space in the hatch area, which should be more than enough room for day to day items, or runs to the grocery store.

Demand For New Toyota Prius c Is Soaring

Back in December, when the Toyota Prius c first went on sale in Japan, the company received 120,000 orders in the first five days it was on sale. That’s pretty amazing, and the love for the Prius c has found its way to North America, selling 1,200 units in the first three days it was on sale in the United States. Because demand is so high, production of the little Prius c will be increased.

The Prius c, which starts at $20,950, is graced with an updated version of Toyota’s venerable 1.5 liter inline four cylinder engine. The enhancements help improve fuel efficiency with lighter weight valve springs, lighter tension weight piston rings, along with a few other items like the elimination of an accessory belt. In doing so, the power steering, air conditioning and water pump are all driven via electric motors to reduce drag and friction and improve fuel economy. This is paired with a Ni-MH battery pack that is about 2/3rds the size of the one found in the larger Prius, and provides an additional 25.9 horsepower to the c’s 73 horsepower engine. The transaxle in the Prius c is an all electric unit that has no belts.

The Toyota Prius c also carries on the family tradition of being incredibly fuel efficient. Rated by the American EPA at 3.5l/100km in the city,  4.0l/100km on the highway, and 3.7l/100km combined. For those that worry that this B-segment car is cramped inside, it is not. Front seat passengers have plenty of room, no fear of rubbing shoulders with your passenger. For back seat passengers, two normal sized adults will be able to ride comfortably. We had the drivers seat set for us at 5’11”, then jumped in the back seat behind and were able to get in and out with no problem, and our knees were not touching the back of the driver seat either.

The rear seats do fold in a 60/40 arrangement allowing for good load flexibility, bicycles and snowboards will have no problem fitting inside. With the seats up there is 484.2 liters of space in the hatch area, which should be more than enough room for day to day items, or runs to the grocery store.

First Drive: 2012 Toyota Prius c

It’s been twelve years since the Toyota Prius first came on to the American stage. Thought of as a science experiment then, and in many ways it was, now in it’s third generation the Prius Liftback IS the face of Toyota.

While the hybrid and plugin electric market may only be 2.5% of all vehicle sales in the U.S., the Prius accounts for more than 50% of those sales. The most shocking statistic is that 96% of all Prius’ sold, are still on the road today. Looking to expand the sales of the Prius, Toyota have expanded the sub-brand of Prius into four models, with the goal of the Prius family of vehicles surpassing Camry in sales

The first expansion of the Prius family was the v, not quite a crossover, yet more than a wagon, it was Toyota’s move to get growing and active families more space to fit their lifestyle without compromising fuel economy or the integrity of the Prius name. The Plug-in Prius will be the current Liftback model that will have the ability to drive 15 miles on pure electric, then revert back to a standard Prius Hybrid once the charge has been depleted. The last component is the source of our review, and that is the Prius c. It is a B-segment car, which will be competing against the likes of Toyota’s own Yaris and iQ, along with the Mazda2, Ford Fiesta, Chevy Spark, Honda Fit, Nissan Versa, Kia Rio and Hyundai Accent.

Powering the Prius c is an updated version of the venerable 1.5 liter inline four cylinder engine. It has been updated to improve efficiency with lighter weight valve springs, lighter tension weight piston rings along with a few other items like the elimination of an accessory belt so now that the power steering, air conditioning and water pump are all driven via electric motors to reduce drag and friction and improve fuel economy. This is paired with a Ni-MH battery pack that is about 2/3rds the size of the one found in the Liftback, which provides an additional 25.9 horsepower to the 73 horsepower engine. The transaxle in the Prius c is an all electric unit that has no belts.

Fuel economy is the raison d’etre in the Prius family and the Prius c will deliver that in spades. Rated by the American EPA 53 city (4.43l/100km), 46 highway (5.1l/100km) and 50 (4.7l/100km) combined. We had the opportunity to drive for a short 25 mile loop that was an equal mix of surface roads and highway. On the surface roads we pulled down 63.5 mpg (3.7l/100km) without really making an effort to maximize fuel economy, and at the end of the loop we had a combined 54.7 mpg, (4.3l/100km) and that was while driving highway speeds of 70-75 mph (110-120kph). Keeping with the rest if the Prius family, the c also has start/stop technology, so that the car is running only when it needs to when stopped in traffic. If you are in stop and go driving, this is an excellent way to save a few extras drops of fuel.

Lest you think this B-segment car is cramped inside, it is not. Front seat passengers have plenty of room, no fear of rubbing shoulders with your passenger. For back seat passengers, two normal sized adults will be able to ride comfortably. We had the drivers seat set for us at 5’11”, then jumped in the back seat behind and were able to get in and out with no problem, and our knees were not touching the back of the driver seat either.

The rear seats do fold in a 60/40 arrangement allowing for good load flexibility, bicycles and snowboards will have no problem fitting inside. With the seats up there is 484.2 liters of space in the hatch area, which should be more than enough room for day to day items, or runs to the grocery store.

In the upper trim levels Toyota have made Softex synthetic leather an option. Listening to their consumers, Toyota have eliminated the use of natural leather in the Prius family of cars. The Softext in our test car, was comfortable, had a quality feel to it, and was grippy so that we did not slide around in the seat.

There will be four trim levels to the Prius c, One, Two, Three and Four. Stepping up to trim level’s Three and Four will net you a smart key, which offers the ability to not have to take the key out of your pocket to get in the car, or need it for starting. The upper two levels also get you the top end audio system with navigation. It has a 6.1 inch touch screen with AM/FM/SirusXM/HD Radio and also will play CD’s along with MP3 and WMA files through a six speaker system.

All trim levels have bluetooth as standard but trim levels Three and Four allow for advanced voice recognition. The top end audio system also includes Entune. Entune is a system that Toyota have developed that works with the data connection on your smart phone to supply Pandora, iHeart Radio, OpenTable, MovieTickets.com along with real time traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports scores and weather to you.

You register on a specific Toyota website with your cars VIN number, and then you can assign up to four different phones to the system so that everyone can taylor the system to themselves, if multiple people in a household share the car.

The Prius c also contains a 3.5-inch (8.9 cm) TFT display to the right of the offset digital speedometer. There are multiple levels of menus to explore within. Items like energy monitors, drive information, scoring the last 100 drives and how economical the current one is, 5-minute consumption. There is an ECO Savings level where you can program the current cost of gas in, and also the mpg of another vehicle to see how much you are saving with the Prius c. It also calculates the current cost of your current trip, and past trips, and brake it down into a cost per mile. It will also grade you on how economically you are driving and braking on a scale of 1-5 and display it in a bar graph.

Many people worry about safety in cars that are as small as the Prius c. To address this Toyota is including nine standard airbags along with items like ABS, traction control, vehicle stability control, brake assist, brake force distribution and smart stop.

Smart stop is a system that intervenes when both the brake and gas peddles are pressed at the same time. In a panic situation one might press down hard on both peddles without meaning to. The system senses this, and disengages the gas, it also incorporates a hill assist into the system so that if you are on a hill and stopped, you do not roll backwards when transferring from the brake peddle to the gas peddle.

Pricing (given in US Dollars) for the Prius c in trim level One starts at $19,710, Level Two is $20,760, Level Three is $22,395 and Level Four is $23,990, all prices include the $760 destination fee. While this is certainly on the higher end of the B-Segment price structure, cars like Ford’s Fiesta can quickly top $20,000 as well once they are optioned up. The base price of the Prius c is about a $2,000 premium over the Yaris to give some context.

Out on the road the Prius c drives very well. While the handling can’t be called sporty, it is very competent. It is very agile, has a better ride quality than the Prius Liftback or v, and also transmits less road noise through the tires than the Liftback or v as well. The Prius c engineers took extra time to mitigate as much NVH from the car as possible and their work shows.

Acceleration in city traffic from 0-40 (0-65kph) miles an hour is good, though not quick. Merging onto the highway the power can be best described as adequate. It is able to get on to freeways and merge without drama, and while you may feel you need to be going faster or accelerating quicker, once you look at the speedometer, you will see you’ve already gotten up to the speed of surrounding traffic. The car can engage an EV mode where it can run up to a mile with a max speed of 25 miles (40 km) an hour.

The Prius c was able to run (120 kph) 75 miles an hour on the highway with no issues, it was not moved around by semi’s going past, it felt very stable, and the interior is quiet enough to hold a conversation in a normal tone of voice.

While the other versions of the Prius have never excited us all that much, we feel that the c is the first Prius that we can get behind. It truly was a fun and satisfying car to drive. In a time when gas is again approaching (on the rise again) $4/gallon in the U.S., having a car that can pull down (sub 5l/100km) 50 mpg is an attractive proposition. And when that proposition asks very few compromises from you, it’s even more so. No the car is not a sports car, or a sporty car, what it is, is a small car that gets the job done, can be well equipped, and you don’t mind driving. While in the past, and even now with the Liftback and the v, the Prius’ could be described as automotive appliances, the c does not have that vibe, it feels like a car first, a hybrid second.

Toyota Re-Enters LeMans Racing With TS030 Hybrid LMP1 Racer

Toyota has generated an incredible audience by competing in NASCAR in the United States, and looks to re-enter the high-speed, high-profile LeMans Series, one of the biggest racing leagues in the world. It will be Toyota’s comeback after leaving the Series in the 1990’s. And to make a statement, the team will be racing in the LMP1 class against the likes of Audi with its TS030 Hybrid LMP1 race car. Yes, it’s a hybrid, and through racing, Toyota will be using the TSo30 as a test bed to research cutting edge hybrid driving technology. That includes the grueling 24 Hours of Le Mans endurance race in France.

Toyota is the first manufacturer to confirm its participation in the FIA World Endurance Championship using a hybrid system, emphasising the pioneering approach to this technology which has seen more than 3.5 million Toyota hybrid vehicles sold worldwide.

“Toyota has been working on hybrid systems for motorsport for several years, during which time we have made huge progress,” said Hisatake Murata, Hybrid Project Leader for the TS030. “Now we feel ready to bring our technology to the ultimate motorsport test: the Le Mans 24 Hours. Integrating a hybrid powertrain is, of course, a different challenge compared to a ‘standard’ powertrain. But we have worked together with partners such as DENSO, Aisin AW and Nisshinbo to develop the THS-R technology so it is part of the overall concept of the TS030 HYBRID. This technology will be used to recover up to 500kJ between braking events, energy which can be released via either front or rear motors to deliver a performance advantage. Toyota’s hybrid technology has already won a 24-hour race – the Tokachi 24 Hours in 2007 – so now we are bringing the latest THS-R development to global motorsport; we know this is a technically-demanding exercise but we are well prepared for the challenge.”

Official partners to the Toyota Racing programme include ZENT, Aisin, Nippon Steel, Takata, Toyoda Gosei and Michelin. Driving the pair of TS030 Hybrids will be several drivers with Formula 1 racing experience, including Alex Wurz and Kazuki Nakajima along with Nicolas Lapierre. And recently announced, F1 veterans  Anthony Davidson and Sebastien Buemi are on the roster for the second car.

The new team, which is based at Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) in Cologne, Germany, will make its race debut on 5 May in the Six Hours of Spa-Francorchamps, the second round of the FIA World Endurance Championship. Have a look at the vehicle specifications of the new race car with the table provided below.

Toyota Reveals 50 MPG Prius C at 2012 North American International Auto Show, Promises to Start Under $19,000

Toyota has recognized a need for an urban, incredibly fuel efficient and affordable vehicle, and has presented such a car at the 2012 North American International Auto Show. Cleverly titled the Prius c (the “C” is for “city”), it’s another addition to the growing Prius family, joining the standard Prius, the versatile Prius V, and the Prius plug-in hybrid. That’s a lot of Prii to go around.

The subcompact Prius c looks to be the most nimble and affordable of the group, utilizing a 1.5-liter four cylinder engine along with an electric motor that delivers 99 peak horsepower. It might be less than the standard Prius’ 134 hp output, but the Prius c’s smaller size and lighter weight (542 pounds lighter than the basic Prius) should provide a more entertaining driving experience. Best of all, however, is the Prius c’s estimated fuel economy rating of 50 combined miles-per-gallon. That’s about as good as it gets besides getting something that plugs into a wall.

Along with fantastic projected mileage, the Prius c will come with standard Star Safety System™, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop Technology (SST). Additionally, the Prius c can be outfitted with BlueTooth, USB port with iPod® connectivity, and available Display Audio system with Navigation and Entune. And thanks to its hatchback design and fold-flat rear seats, the Prius c comes with 17.1 cubic-feet of cargo volume. Now, consumers may have to pay a little more for all the bells and whistles, but the 50 combined mpg rating comes standard at a starting price that Toyota claims will fall under $19,000. Expect the little Prius to hit the market in March.

2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid Unveiled at Green Drive Expo

At the annual Green Drive Expo last month, Toyota peeled back the sheets to unveil the 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid, as the newest member of the Prius lineup of vehicles. It joins the popular third-generation Prius Liftback and the new Prius V, bringing together the benefits of the standard Prius model’s hybrid vehicle operation with extended electric vehicle (EV) driving and more affordable pricing than pure electric or range-extender type vehicles. True EV operation and performance will be available for up to 15 miles at speeds up to 62 mph. Quick home charging is achieved using a standard AC outlet and 15-amp dedicated circuit.

The 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid retains the Hybrid Synergy Drive of the standard Prius model and will seamlessly switch into hybrid operation at a pre-determined state of battery charge. A newly developed 4.4 kWh lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery pack replaces the standard Prius model’s nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery and fits under the rear cargo floor. A full charge takes approximately 2.5 to 3.0 hours using a 120V household outlet or 1.5 hours using a 240V outlet. The included 120V charging cable connects to the charging port inlet on the right-rear fender.

Leviton, an approved provider of Level 2 (240V) home charging stations, has developed a residential program exclusively tailored for Prius Plug-in customers. The program will include a one-stop solution for home charging stations, installation services for 120V and 240V applications, and dedicated support for Toyota customers. The program will also offer Level 2 (240V) 16-amp and 30-amp home charging stations designed exclusively for the Prius Plug-in (UL-certified, compact design, easy-to-use, and made in USA), industry-leading pricing for Level 2 (240V) with basic packages and a Toyota-dedicated e-commerce web portal with product information, order tracking, and other features. Customers can take advantage of Leviton’s special pricing starting this month.

The Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is essentially the same as the current third-generation Prius and new Prius v models. Using two high-output electric motors, one 60kW (80 hp) unit that mainly works to power the compact, lightweight transaxle, and another smaller motor that works as the electric power source for battery regeneration and as a starter for the gas engine. Hybrid Syndergy Drive is a series-parallel hybrid system that can provide power either from the engine alone, or the electric motor/generator alone, or any mix of both. Hybrid Synergy drive is built around a specially adapted, efficient 98-horsepower 1.8-litre four-cylinder engine that runs on the Atkinson cycle and contributes to a maximum of 134 total system horsepower.

The 2012 Prius Plug-in is among a number of Toyota models that offer the new Entune multimedia system. This innovative new system leverages mobile smartphones to provide a richer in-vehicle experience with fully integrated access to navigation, entertainment and information services.

Toyota Entune debuts the first-ever support of engaging mobile apps, such as Bing™, OpenTable®, and MovieTickets.com, along with accessing useful travel-related services, such as live weather, traffic, fuel information (location and price,) stocks, and sports. Toyota Entune brings the largest selection of music options available to a vehicle, including iHeartRadio’s 750+ stations, and the Pandora® personalized music service.

Continue to follow us on Twitter and be part of our Facebook community to find out about the latest news. Contact us today to book your test drive of the 2012 Prius Plugin Hybrid.

A Closer Look: Toyota’s 2012 Prius V

As you may know, Toyota is growing its Prius family line of vehicles in hopes that a few variations on our most successful battery-powered recipe will offer buyers solutions that the conventional Prius simply couldn’t match. Have you been considering a Prius but felt that the standard vehicle would not accommodate your growing family? Or do you lead a more active lifestyle and require something that will easily carry all your gear without you having to master the art of packing? Well, do we have the vehicle for you.

When it came to designing the Prius V, Toyota’s designers wanted to make sure that the newcomer would still be instantly recognized as a member of the Prius dynasty. Up front, the vehicle wears both stylized head lamps and a rounded front fascia that’s remarkably similar to the 2011 Prius. It also worth noting that the front fenders and hood are completely new sheetmetal. Also, the headlight housing has been altered to incorporate a new ridge that reduces wind turbulence around the side view mirrors. As a result, the small change has a huge impact on interior noise.

From the side, the wagon-like presence of the Prius V is inescapable with its long roof, similarly lengthy rear doors, and an extended cargo area. The rear offers a fairly sizable hatch that terminates in a unique rear spoiler which serves an aerodynamic purpose. Toyota designers and engineers made an effort to decrease the vehicle’s coefficient of drag as much as possible to increase fuel efficiency. Enhancements include touches like protrusions from the front and rear bumper, specially designed side skirts and extensive underbody cladding that help the Prius V return its .29 coefficient of drag.

Engineers essentially stretched the Prius floorplan to give the Prius V an extra three inches of wheelbase and six inches of overall length. Combined with a taller roof, additional glass and large rear hatch, this newcomer weighs 3,274 lb. Opting to skip throwing extra horsepower to all that weight, engineers simply changed the axle ratio from 3.268:1 to 3.704:1. As a result, the Prius V feels just as adequate on the road as the third-generation Prius. The new gear ratio means that acceleration is perfectly acceptable for matching wits with traffic in town or on the highway with 0-60 mph sprints taking an estimated 10.4 seconds. A total of four drive modes are accessible via buttons mounted on the center console, including EV, Eco, Power, and Normal modes.

Under the hood, the same 2ZR-FXE 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine found in the base Prius supplies power in conjunction with a pair of liquid-cooled motor generators. Engineers designed the transaxle case in the Prius V with integrated water jackets for the first time to keep the motors at a steady temperature, thereby increasing longevity and performance at the same time. Combined output sits at 134 hp at 5,200 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque at 4,000 rpm. The exhaust recirculation system was also redesigned to decrease the drivetrain’s warm-up period, as a result, the Prius V can reach optimum operating temperature up to a minute sooner than vehicles equipped with the old system.

As most other automakers are flocking to lithium-ion batteries, Toyota has decided that there is no need to pursue the added cost of the technology for the Prius V. Instead, the hybrid wagon uses a modified version of the same nickel-metal hydride battery pack found in the third-gen Prius. Total output has been boosted slightly to 650 volts, and the more compact battery configuration keeps from impeding on interior room. Additionally, the battery pack’s cooling duct now draws ambient air from a hidden location under the second-row seats.

If you’re looking toward a small SUV, a crossover, or a wagon, the Prius V has all the functionality of those vehicles with the fuel economy and panache that only the Prius name can offer. With improved functionality, the Prius V can be the vehicle to accommodate a growing family with an active lifestyle. Contact us to book your test drive today and we will notify you as soon as the vehicle hits our showroom. Follow us on Twitter and join our Facebook community to keep up with the latest updates.