This article is from page 61 of the 2005-10-04 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 61 JPG
we love horsepower, naturally. And responsive handling – the more g’s, the more grins at Carmody Street. Sexy sheetmetal? Always gets our attention. We’ve never denied our affinity for luxurious ameni- ties, either.
Above all, though, we are admirers of brilliant design and engineering. Which is to say, design and engineering that advance the state of the automo- tive art without forcing users to relearn what they already know about the au- tomobile.
Prior to 2004, cars like the Prius were unlikely to find their way onto motor- ist’s short lists of favourite vehicles. After all, we’ve experienced hybrid vehicles before, most notably Honda’s agreeable, but capacity-challenged two- seat Insight and Toyota’s own previous- generation Prius which was conspicu- ously short on performance, and style.
When the all-new Prius was unleashed in 2004, however, it represented an al- together more compelling proposition. Not only was it the first hybrid that an enthusiast could truly enjoy, it provided a tantalizing preview of a future where extreme fuel-efficiency, ultra-low emis- sions, and stirring performance could happily exist.
Unlike the previous wallflower edi- tion, the current model is a versatile five-door hatchback wearing striking, almost futuristic bodywork and entirely in keeping with its forward-thinking mission – the Prius even boasts a drag coefficient of just 0.26, making it one of the most aerodynamic production cars ever to hit our roads.
At 106.3 inches, the wheelbase of the Prius is six inches longer than the previ- ous model’s and just an inch shorter than the full-size Toyota Avalon’s. Passenger room has climbed from just under 89
cubic feet in the old Prius to more than 96. Indeed the Prius 1s so spacious, it’s now classified as a mid-size sedan. Five adults can fit comfortably, with more than 16 cubic feet of cargo room left over in back. The 60/40 split rear seats also can be folded flat, creating a cav- ernous cargo hold under the rear hatch.
One glance at the Prius’s dashboard – with its ‘Power’ starter button, LED gauges nestled in a strip under the windshield, and small joystick shifter- -and you know you’re not in Kansas any more. The Prius is so brilliantly approachable, so undemanding and un- complicated to drive, you could easily convince an unsuspecting guest driver that it’s just a conventional car.
But it isn’t. The simple user interface belies the sophistication of the Prius’s computer-operated petrol/electric Hy- brid Synergy Drive. With its heady torque peak of 295 pound-feet available at O rpm, the electric motor delivers in- stant and enthusiastic thrust in around- town driving. Above 40 mph, the petrol engine automatically kicks in. Actually, ‘kicks’ is the wrong word. The transi- tion from electric-only to electric/petrol and back is seamless and all but unde- tectable. A large, moving Energy Moni- tor pictogram on the standard dash- board Multi Display screen reveals the Prius’s constantly changing power flow and the draining/recharging status of the nickel-metal-hydride battery pack. No automotive enthusiast could watch this fascinating electronic juggling act without smiling at the serene wizardry Om im-0e
In the next few years we’ll see more hybrids from automakers around the globe. Indeed, Toyota says a large por- tion of its model lineup will offer hybrid power by 2007.
But it’s the Prius that will be remem- bered as the first vehicle to move the hybrid concept from the penalty box to enthusiasts’ garages.
For that – a feat of true engineering brilliance – Toyota deserve many’s the accolade.