The world’s best selling hybrid car with over 3.5 million units shifted is coming back with an all-new fourth generation model. The 2016 Toyota Prius is going back to its roots in the sense that, like the early models, it is once again featuring a bold and rather controversial design. The car is way too advanced for the conservative design recent models have.
Going on sale in Japan by the end of this year and then globally next year, the 2016 Toyota Prius has grown in size rather significantly, boasting a 60mm longer length. It also sits lower than the previous model by 20mm, all of which means it now sits on the ground with more presence and it should be more stable on the road as well.
The presence part is further boosted by employing some unique head and taillights that give the car a decidedly Japanese look and make it recognizable form a mile away. Looks like Toyota has taken a leaf out of Lexus’s book here. You get new colors as well, including one “Emotional Red”. As for the interior, Toyota has once again gone with the layered construction that separates the “display zone” from the “control zone” which is now closer to the driver.
Built on Toyota New Global Architecture with a new chassis that is 60 percent more rigid than before, the 2016 Toyota Prius benefits from improved driving dynamics. Toyota has not yet revealed the specs of the engine, but they way 40 percent of the powertrain is new. Safety-wise, all models will feature the Toyota Safety Sense package, which includes (depending on grade and market) Pre-Collision System, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.