Toyota Motor Corporation’s philosophy in addressing global environmental issues has seen increased popularity in recent times, particularly with the much coveted and revered Prius which has met with runaway success in automotive markets worldwide.
The Japanese automaker has extended this highly renowned design to create a compact vehicle in the same vein with increased fuel economy and reduced green house gas emissions; in Japan it is known as the Aqua while the vehicle is badged as the Prius c in other markets.
The full hybrid gasoline-electric compact hatchback vehicle featured a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol combustion engine and a 45 kilowatt electric motor powered by a nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) battery.
Just as in the larger Prius, a continuously variable transmission (CVT) linked the key drive components with a comprehensive powertrain integration system known as Hybrid Synergy Drive.
The vehicle, though short at 3,995 millimetres (mm), looked fairly aerodynamic and not overtly boxy as opposed to the all too familiar ‘matchbox’ theme seen in national and imported B-segment contemporaries hogging our roads.
Featuring smart entry via an intelligent key, I noted that the vehicle’s ignition system was activated by a push start button.
This was a good sign given its price tag just under the six-figure mark.
High grade fabric seats, seven airbags, the multi-function LCD with navigator and reverse camera display functions were some of the features that made the vehicle a good value in terms of safety and amenities.
On the aesthetic side of things, the asymmetrical centre console and steering wheels gave the cockpit a quasi-organic feel; the meter cluster was an elongated design and integral to the dash.
This approach in meter display design had two advantages: it cleared up the space behind the steering wheel, giving me a larger field of vision and it enabled near eye-level visuals of the parameters, further adding to the passive safety factor while driving.
The shifter of the vehicle was a normal one with staggered partitions between settings: P, R, N, D and B; this was a visually obvious departure from that of the larger Prius which had a curiously small but user-friendly shifter placed higher up on the centre console.
The control buttons on the steering wheel featured manipulation of the sound system volume, station tunings, temperature control and a toggle button for various parameters on the dash display.
The dash level display illuminated the numerous parameters which were divided into pages which could be toggled at via the dedicated button the steering wheel.
Placed right below the hand brake were two buttons which determined the various modes of operation: eco, electric vehicle (EV) and normal which was enabled when the previous two modes were shut off.
More features to note were the numerous storage spaces and cubby holes for tucking away items in the car, including a nifty open tray for the front passenger, a meter side box (behind the steering wheel) and centre console tray.
The boot space was not enormous given the vehicle’s B-segment dimensions but there was a reasonable amount of volume for storage and extra room could be had facilitated by collapsing the rear seats.
Turning on the vehicle’s ignition via the start button, it was almost dead silent in the cabin as only the electric motor was used to get the vehicle going from a standstill.
The vehicle’s movement was quite smooth as handling was light and nimble, almost feather-like.
The CVT performed smoothly as there were no gear changes, per se.
The vehicle’s acceleration was of a different nature as it did not feel immediately punchy but this perception was deceptive because the CVT did not have the normally staggered (and instantly gratifying) acceleration profile of various gear ratios found in a multi-gear transmission.
Truth be told, speeding up to three digit speeds was not a gigantic effort by any means as the CVT worked efficiently to give improved performance as well as fuel efficiency, giving me the best of two worlds.
In EV mode, the Prius c was powered by the electric motor only but this was conditional upon speed and remaining battery power.
With either excessive acceleration or insufficient battery power, the vehicle’s control system automatically disabled EV mode.
In eco mode, the car became more energy efficient with fuel savings and a slight dip in performance.
With the transmission set on B setting, the vehicle’s transmission and acceleration took on a different character as the engine and CVT tunings felt tighter.
Overall, the combustion engine and the electric motor worked well in tandem to offer well-synchronised powertrain integration.
As with its bigger sibling, the car performed as a green automobile should.
Along with the seven SRS bags mentioned earlier, a high integrity cabin surrounded by crush zones as well as pedestrian protection were well implemented to create a high level of safety.
Given the overall package and the price point, the Prius c marks another milestone in the race to offer good value hybrid solutions for the ever growing and environmentally conscious Malaysian automotive market.
