Although it’s obviously a member of Toyota’s Prius family the Prius V sees a change the technology used in the Prius … and the Hybrid Camry too. Instead of being fitted with the nickel-metal hydride battery used in the standard Prius the Prius V will come fitted with a new lithium-ion battery.
This new battery is smaller and lighter than the nickel-metal hydride battery but has similar storage capabilities. By using a smaller battery pack in the Prius V Toyota was able to maintain the roomy interior needed in a seven-seat wagon.
In the Prius V the battery pack has been moved from the boot area … obviously something that’s already somewhat cramped by the very design of the vehicle … to the space under the centre console between the driver and the front-seat passenger.
Moving the battery and tossing in an extra set of seats is not what Toyota has done to arrive at the Prius V you see here. Instead the Prius V is a totally new design from the ground up and it shares no body panels with the standard Prius we see on the streets today.
The new Prius V is 135mm longer, 30mm wider, 100mm higher and has a wheelbase that’s 80mm longer than the Prius hatch. It’s powered by a 1.8-litre Atkinson Cycle petrol engine that produces 73kW combined with a 60kW electric motor.
Toyota has sold 17,000 Prius models in Australia so far and perhaps the Prius V should add quite a few more. Larger families seem to be a little more environmentally aware than most groups but I guess all will depend on price.
Expect to see the Toyota Prius V in the showrooms in May this year.