2012 Toyota Prius C
Toyota aims its new 2012 Prius C
hybrid at a younger, sportier crowd.
Prices: $18,950-$23,230
DELRAY BEACH, Florida—The sporty new, smaller 2012 Toyota
Prius C (for “city”) gas/electric four-door
hatchback is aimed at many young urban couples. It’s expected
to be the “gateway” car to larger, costlier members
of the Prius family.
The compact Prius C could have been partially inspired by the late
British genius car designer Colin Chapman, who won international race
championships by making his Lotus cars as light as possible.
So it is with the Prius C, which is based on the Toyota Yaris platform.
Automakers are happy to chop just 50 pounds from a car for better fuel
efficiency and handling. But the 2,496-pound Prius C weighs
about 550 pounds less than the standard Prius.
The result? Estimated fuel economy of 53 miles per gallon in the city
and 46 on highways. The lighter weight also results in crisp handling.
Toyota says the Prius C is a “fun and
free-spirited” eco-minded car. I found during a test drive on
Florida roads at a Prius C media preview in Delray Beach that the car
has nicely geared steering, sharp handling, good brake pedal feel and a
nice ride on smooth roads.
There were no rough roads on the drive, so I can’t comment on
how the new car’s suspension reacts to bad pavement. But it
should be comfortable on such pavement because it was designed a lot
for urban roads, which often are in bad shape.
Net horsepower of the the Prius C’s hybrid system is rated at
99 with its 1.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine and battery pack.
It’s no fireball, but its low weight helps allow its gas
engine and battery pack to provide decent merges into highway traffic
and acceptable 65-75 mph passing, without much powertrain noise.
There are two driving modes: ECO and EV. The ECO mode maximizes fuel
savings across all driving conditions. The EV mode helps keep the Prius
C in electric-only mode longer at low speeds. Toyota says that, under
certain conditions, the car can go approximately 25 mph for up to about
one-half mile—or possibly longer depending on vehicle and
battery conditions. The engine’s fuel tank has a 9.5-gallon
capacity.
One can spend a lot of time with the gamelike monitor screen displays.
For instance, the “ECO Savings Record” can display
the fuel cost or fuel cost savings over a comparison vehicle for the
current, past three months and year-ago month.
Efficient packaging allows decent room for four tall occupants, and
there’s strategically placed sound-absorbing materials for a
quiet cockpit. Front seats provide good support. The dashboard has lots
of plastic, but it has a nice texture that prevents it from looking
cheap. However, the material covering the inside doors looks marginal.
A newly designed heat exchanger allows improves heater performance,
reducing time to warm
air.
The Prius C body is highly aerodynamic, and the car has an impressive
bunch of cleverly engineered smaller, lighter components, compared to
the standard Prius hatchback, including the engine and battery pack.
A nickel-metal hydride battery has been made more compact and
lightweight for installation under the rear seat, helping provide more
cargo room and creating a low center of gravity for improved vehicle
dynamics. The battery is warranted for 10 years, or 150,000 miles.
Power-robbing and fuel-eating accessory drive belts are eliminated
because there’s an electrically driven air conditioning
compressor and water pump that reduce mechanical losses. And the Prius
C has the most compact and lightest of all Toyota Hybrid System
transaxles.
High-tensile steel sheet also helps weight reduction and provides high
body rigidity. A lightweight, rigid front body structure helps ensure
handling stability, high fuel efficiency and safety.
Safety features include anti-lock brakes, traction control, enhanced
vehicle stability control, brake assist, electronic brake-force
distribution and Smart Stop technology that automatically reduces
engine power when both pedals are pressed at the same time under
certain conditions.
There are four trim levels costing $18,950 to $23,230, excluding a $760
freight charge.
The base “One” model has items including automatic
climate control, power windows and door locks, remote keyless entry,
halogen headlights, 4-speaker audio system, steering wheel audio
controls and a rear window wiper, along with a Multi-Information
Display and single-piece fold-down rear seatback.
The $19,900 ”Two” model adds cruise control,
tilt/telescopic steering wheel, 60/40 split fold-down rear seatbacks
and a 6-speaker audio system. The $21,635 ‘Three”
version adds a push-button start and Display Audio with Navigation. And
the $23,230 “Four” adds heated and softer trimmed
front seats, alloy wheels and fog lamps.
Optional on the Four ae 16-inch alloy wheels with 50-series tires.
Other versions have steel or alloy 15-inch wheels and higher-profile
65-series tires.
The opening for the moderately sized cargo area is low and wide, and
the split rear seatbacks in my test car sat flat when folded forward to
significantly enlarge the cargo area.
The heavy hood is held up with a prop rod to reveal an engine
compartment with some hard-to-reach fluid filler areas.
Enlarging the Prius family with the Prius C is a smart move for Toyota
because its Prius is one of its top-sellers in America.
