There was a time when Toyota Prius was the only “Green” car in the market and because there were no competition, they had no problem in sales. But now hybrids are everywhere and also there are many diesel-powered cars around which are more efficient, so the life for Prius is not as good as it used to be! That’s why they are increasing its value.
The new options for the car are mainly there to make it safer, and a little bit luxurious. So it gets a £2,975 Safety Pack which includes:
- Pre-Crash Safety system
- Adaptive Cruise control
- Leather upholstery
- Dusk-sensing headlights
- LED low beam headlights with washers
- Electrochromic auto-dimming rear view mirror
- Water-repellent front side window glass
Not sure what “Leather upholstery” has to do with safety, but there it is! You can also order Dark tinted rear privacy glass, for £265.
Pre-Crash Safety system and Adaptive Cruise Control
The PCS system uses a millimetre-wave system and lane detection cameras to monitor the road ahead and detect the risk of a collision. If it judges a high possibility of an impact, it first alerts the driver with a buzzer and warning light on the dashboard. If the driver does not respond, it then activates the front seatbelt pretensioners and initiates emergency braking to minimise the consequences.
ACC uses the same radar system to automatically adjust vehicle speed to keep a set, safe distance from the vehicle ahead. When a slower vehicle is detected in the road ahead, ACC slows Prius by reducing engine power and, if required braking. If it cannot slow the vehicle sufficiently, an alarm is sounded to alert the driver. One the road ahead is clear, ACC automatically returns the car to its pre-selected cruising speed.
LED low beam headlights
The low beam LED headlights give Prius a distinctive, premium appearance. As well as being stylish, they last significantly longer than conventional halogen bulbs (+>1,500 hours) and high-intensity discharge lights (+3,000 hours). The headlights come with integrated headlamp washers and an automatic, dusk-sensing function.
