Prius C (Aqua)

[u54mot]

[u54mot]

[u54mot]

[jeffy]

aqua... hrmm does it run on water ?

looks evil xD

[trentmeyer23]

A Sportivo Prius Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the Prius in the first place? There is nothing sporty about one, but then again they aren't environmentally friendly either.

[01 VEY]

A Sportivo Prius Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the Prius in the first place? There is nothing sporty about one, but then again they aren't environmentally friendly either.

Yeah it does seem a bit weird to use the TRD - Sportivo - Emblems on a Hybrid. As far as I can make out the environment would be better off if we all drove 6.0 litre GTO/Monaros or Mustangs.

[ToyotaFreak]

At the Malaysian launch of the Prius C, an accessorized Prius C was also displayed.

http://paultan.org/2012/02/20/new-toyota-prius-c-officially-launched-rm97000-otr/

[jeffy]

aaand toyota still wins with its fist gap arch :P -_________________-"

imo that blue led on the emblem should be red :]

[ToyotaFreak]

aaand toyota still wins with its fist gap arch :P -_________________-"

imo that blue led on the emblem should be red :]

The blue bit on the emblem aren't actually LEDs lol. That blue flame is an identifier of Lexus & Toyota hybrid cars. Aftermarket companies offer them in other colors too.

[Jims Bond]

Looking good!

From what I saw in the new Prius ads on TV, the whole new range looks much more sporty, way better looking than the current gen. Also liking the look of the Prius V although would it have sufficient power to haul the whole family effectively?

Hope the Aussie ones stay true/similar to the looks of these pics and the TV ad, the pics of the American versions are bland and boring as!

Edited March 9, 2012 by Jims Bond

[Ronnyboy]

It looks alright... Should be good for city driving.

[Adamsy]

These things are GREAT!!! The whole package is great. Not a bad looking thing quite low a "sporty" quite fun to drive actually rather supisingly engaging and nimble with a little bit of poke that's actually somewhat unexpected. Amazing standard features and fuel economy should be a winner!

Edited March 26, 2012 by Adamsy

[450HP/tonne]

Waiting periods in Japan reached a year for this model! Good vehicle or great marketing? I think both.

But ... I'm in the market for an 86 whilst there is still crude oil left :(

[Ronnyboy]

I saw a Prius C Series in the city earlier, looks like it was just launched today.

[u54mot]

Prius c $23990

Prius c i-Tech $26990

Prius $33990

Prius i-Tech $45990

Press Release:

SMART, STYLISH AND AFFORDABLE: TOYOTA'S NEW PRIUS c

Toyota has combined dynamic styling with clever engineering to deliver Australia's most affordable hybrid car and the best fuel economy in the city for any petrol or diesel car.

The new Prius c - compact and dynamic with a fun and youthful attitude - brings hybrid technology to the market from $23,990^*, or $6,000 less than any other hybrid vehicle.

Inheriting a family resemblance from Prius, the world's premier eco brand, Prius c exhibits a unique personality designed to attract an entirely new audience of singles, couples and young families.

Toyota now offers three hybrid cars in Australia, with Prius c joining the flagship Prius and the locally manufactured Camry Hybrid.

The new car's hybrid system, derived from Prius, delivers maximum output of 74kW from the combination of a highly efficient 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, an electric motor and an electronic automatic transmission with infinitely variable ratios.

In city traffic, where Prius c is expected to spend most of its life, it is the new fuel-economy champion for vehicles that do not require a power socket for charging.

The proven hybrid system returns just 3.7 litres/100km^** on the city cycle - even better than Prius - and 3.9 litres/100km on the combined cycle with CO₂ emissions of 90 grams/km^**.

Clever downsizing and packaging of major components has resulted in a car that is shorter, lower and narrower than Prius, yet still has ample space for five adults and their luggage.

Prius c is also up to 285kg lighter than Prius and - in a Toyota first - the hybrid battery and fuel tank are placed under the rear seat, providing optimum luggage space and allowing for a full-size spare wheel.

Based on the Yaris platform, Prius c has a longer interior and more legroom and hiproom front and rear than Toyota's popular compact car.

Toyota Australia executive director sales and marketing Matthew Callachor said Prius c delivers a compelling value proposition.

"Prius c combines a compact exterior, spacious interior, desirable features, engaging driving dynamics, advanced technology and five-door hatchback utility with aggressive pricing," Mr Callachor said.

"It is designed for people who want a dynamically styled, fun-to-drive city car and the undeniable 'cool' factor of driving a car with cutting-edge technology and fantastic fuel economy.

"Prius c adopts the name of the world's best known and best selling hybrid vehicle, Prius, to communicate it has the advanced features and excellent fuel efficiency unique to Toyota's hybrid vehicles.

"Prius c is further evidence of Toyota's commitment to achieving greater market penetration for hybrids by making this core technology more attainable for a wider audience," he said.

Standard features include smart (keyless) entry and start, automatic air-conditioning, 6.1-inch touch-screen display audio, CD player, Bluetooth^™ audio streaming and phone connectivity^{^}, USB port with iPod^® connectivity^{^^}, a 3.5-inch colour thin-film transistor multi-information display, 15-inch wheels with a full-size spare, cruise control, foglamps, power windows and mirrors, and 60/40 split-fold rear seat.

Safety is also standard with seven airbags, reversing camera, vehicle stability and traction control, anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, and hill-start assist control.

Prius c is expected to be awarded a five-star safety rating.

High-grade Prius c i-Tech is $26,990^* - just $3,000 extra for upscale features including satellite navigation with live traffic updates^#, alloy wheels, self-levelling LED headlamps with washers, power retractable exterior mirrors, a larger rear spoiler, premium seat coverings and interior trim.

Engineers adapted Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive^® technology to the smaller Prius c platform by reducing the size and weight of major components, while also improving efficiency.

Weight reductions include more than 40kg from the redesigned hybrid system, including more than 8kg each from the transaxle and the redesigned nickel-metal hydride hybrid battery.

The air-conditioning unit is thinner, lighter and more efficient.

Improved routing of the refrigerant contributes to power consumption savings at the compressor of 12 per cent.

More than half the Prius c body shell is made from high-tensile steel, which cuts weight and contributes to fuel economy.

The engine has no accessory belts and can be operated in Eco mode to reduce energy consumption by governing the throttle and electric air-conditioner.

EV mode allows Prius c to be driven solely on electric power for short distances (1-2km) at low speed (under 40km/h) - providing quiet driving in suburban neighbourhoods.

A quick-acting catalyst reduces warm-up time to help lower emissions while the battery has been redesigned for faster recharging in slow-moving traffic.

Key drivetrain components are located within the chassis to help provide optimum interior space and handling as well as enhanced weight distribution.

The Prius c centre of gravity is low, contributing to its flat ride and nimble handling, while its strong body creates a stable platform for the long-travel, all-coil suspension.

The front suspension uses a MacPherson strut design and the rear rides on a tuned torsion beam. Coil-spring and shock-absorber characteristics have been tuned to enhance handling, flat turning and ride comfort.

Exterior colours include two new vibrant mica metallic paints - Sunrise (orange) and Aqua - and a crystal pearl White Mist.

The futuristic yet passenger-friendly interior uses black as the basic interior colour with contrasting lighter colours for the door trims, seat surfaces and the instrument panel.

Prius c, like all new Toyota vehicles, is covered by Toyota Service Advantage with a capped price of $130 for each of up to six scheduled services in the first three years or 60,000km^##.

Owners of Prius c wishing to keep their vehicle in pristine condition can choose from a range of Toyota Genuine Accessories specifically designed to protect their car.

Toyota Genuine front and rear park assist⁺ is available to help drivers negotiate tight parking spots and avoid bumps and scrapes.

Also available are Toyota Genuine carpet floor mats, bootliner, headlamp covers, and door handle and bumper paint protection.

/end

[Braddles]

A Sportivo Prius Doesn't that defeat the whole purpose of the Prius in the first place? There is nothing sporty about one, but then again they aren't environmentally friendly either.

The TRD parts for Toyota's large range of hybrid vehicles would tend to improve their fuel economy. Changing bulbs for LED reduces drain from the 12v battery, lowering the car reduces drag, etc. all of which saves petrol.

On the other hand, changing wheels might not help if weight reduction is offset by increased drag from wider tyres and spoke pattern.

http://www.trdparts.jp/english/list_aqua.html

TRD parts for non-hybrids may include parts specifically designed to increase performance and therefore almost certainly increase fuel consumption.

Just think if you could order TRD parts for any Toyota instead of the paltry range of accessories sold here. You can Even buy TRD parts for the AE86, all the way to a new racing engine.

[Foss]

That is one nice looking Prius! (I can't believe I just said that)

Braddles, you can if you can be ****d to translate bits of the Japanase site and import it. Bit of effort and probably quite a bit of expense though. Something I heard recently, apparently the TRD above isn't the same as the TRD that we have in Aus. that did the Aurion, Hilux and parts. Hence we can't get many of the parts shown on the Japanese site through dealers here.

[Braddles]

Midnight, here's the complete list of cars, in English: http://www.trdparts.jp/english/list_car_index.html

You'll notice that there's a lot more than Aurion and HiLux.

I have Japanese brochures for the Prius alpha (Prius V NVW40 when it goes on sale here) with 10 pages of accessories, including 6 different Navigation units to choose from, but no TRD parts for the NVW40 or NVW41.

Yes, TRD in Japan is not the same as TRD in Australia.

[hallett505]

Just traded the Presara for my new Prius C itech yesterday, just covered 100km so far and already loving it! So many details of interest on the multi display, I love the feature where you can enter the lit per 100 of your last car (in this case 10.5 for the Aurion) and then the current price of fuel and the display shows at the end of each trip what you would have spent on the Aurion and what you did spend and the total $ saving. This is a very quiet car if driven sedately. Another great feature is the speed alert linked to the GPS, so far it is very accurate in the number of speed zones I have been in!