I really didn’t think it was possible.
During the press conference, Akihiko Otsuka, chief engineer for the 2010 Toyota Prius, issued a challenge. He said that he managed to get 62.9 mpg during a one-hour drive, and he dared all the journalists in the room to do better.
2010 Toyota Prius
Video: 2010 Toyota Prius
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Engine: 2ZR-FXE 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-I four-cylinder engine
Motor: Permanent Magnet Synchronous motor (powers front wheels, regeneration during breaking)
Hybrid battery pack: Nickel-metal hydride
Transmissions: electronically controlled CVT
Drivetrain: front-wheel drive
Horsepower: 98; hybrid system net output is 134
Torque: 105 lb-ft
Wheelbase: 106.3 inches
Length: 175.6 inches
Width: 68.7 inches
Height: 58.7 inches
MPG (city/hwy): 51/48 mpg
Base price: TBA
Gauntlet thrown, we filed out of the room and hit the road in the third-generation Prius. Some of us took it seriously. Some of us deliberately tried to thwart the Prius’s high EPA ratings. But all of us had a solid day behind the wheel of the iconic hybrid. Thus began the “Beat the Chief” challenge.
All-new for 2010, the Prius gets several aerodynamic and engineering changes that elevate it to EPA ratings of 51 mpg in the city, 48 mpg on the highway and 50 mpg in combined driving. This is 4 mpg better in combined driving and a 3 mpg better in both city and highway driving.
Curiously, one of the elements that aids in the increased fuel economy is actually a larger engine displacement. This new Prius contains a 2ZR-FXE 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve VVT-I four-cylinder engine. It’s a little counter-intuitive, but the bigger displacement means that the engine doesn’t have to work as hard. So at highway speeds, the vehicle operates at lower rpms, which uses less fuel.
In order to warm up to the challenge, my driving partner and I opted to take a couple of test runs. Without trying, I averaged 51.3 mpg in combined driving. We had some elevation changes as well as both city and highway driving. I simply followed the speed limit and was gentle with both acceleration and braking. After a driver change, my partner did the reverse route and averaged 67 mpg. Yeah, yeah, she did better than I did. OK, a lot better, but I should point out it was downhill on the way back. Honest.
During our next two treks we averaged around 62 mpg as we hit the highway and tried out the various functions and features on the new Prius.
Something new for 2010 are three additional driving modes. Depending on your driving situation, you can select EV, Eco and Power modes. Lead foots like me will benefit from Eco mode, which helps improve fuel economy through throttle control. Pushing this little button will reduce the throttle opening up to a max of 11.6 percent. On the flip side, power mode increases throttle response, allowing for better acceleration in the middle rpm range. My favorite new mode, however, is EV. This is the one that helps keep the vehicle in electric-only mode longer at low speeds. As long as you don’t try to go faster than 25 mph and you have enough battery power, you’ll be able to go about a half mile using only electric power.
Putting each of these modes through their paces as we tried to “Beat the Chief,” I have to say I was very impressed with their functionality. Power mode really did give that extra oomph for hills and passing, and Eco mode kept me from virtually leaking gas as I jammed my foot on the accelerator. Then you have EV mode, which is utterly beautiful. Even when I try to be light footed, I tend to slip up and press a little harder than I should in a hybrid. That immediately pushes me out of electric-only driving. EV mode, however, kept even me in check.
The 1.8-liter gasoline engine in the new Prius delivers a total of 98 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. When combined with the hybrid system, total output is 134 horsepower, which is a 24 horsepower increase over the previous model.
While I think that the ride and handling in the 2010 Prius is vastly improved, I’m not going to pull the wool over your eyes. This is a hybrid, and it drives like a hybrid. Suspension is neither stiff nor squishy, and even with the Power mode employed, you’re not going to have anything resembling a sporty ride. But, for what it is, it does very well.
At first glance, the 2010 Prius doesn’t look that much different. Though the top of the roof has moved back about 4 inches, it has the same curves and lines, the same familiar podlike shape.
“It still looks like a Prius, which we like.” said Chris Risdon, senior product education and development administrator.
But the details are completely different. In fact, Risdon said that 90 percent of the next-generation Prius is newly developed. When you look more closely, you can see it. The lines are a bit more chiseled. Rear lights now include LED bulbs. Headlights have a new V-ish shape with a blue-tinted lens. It also has a Coefficient of Drag (Cd) of 0.25, which is one of the lowest in the world for a mass-produced vehicle. Wheelbase stays the same, but there is a miniscule increase in overall length (0.6 inches) and width (0.79 inches).
“It’s bigger, but we didn’t want to get crazy,” Risdon said.
While the outside is very familiar, the most noticeable changes come on the inside of the 2010 Prius. The center stack is completely revised, reflecting a much more futuristic appearance, and the dials and controls go decidedly upscale. I love the brushed silver swaths on the steering wheel and surrounding the gear shifter, and the blue accent on the gear shift is beyond cool. The center stack itself is now hollow, allowing for a little open-air storage. I found this was a perfect place for my small purse while I was driving.
The biggest and, in my opinion, best interior change is the multi-information display. Toyota took items such as the hybrid energy monitor, fuel consumption gauge and system indicator out of the navigation display screen and propped it on top of the dash in a 5-inch-wide fully integrated vacuum florescent display (VI-FD). This is more visibly accessible while driving and makes it very easy to monitor how you’re driving. Some of the images on the multi-information display are a bit too retro, digital for my taste, but I do like how the information is displayed, and it is very easy to scroll through the information using thumb wheels on the steering wheel.
Speaking of thumb wheels, the new Touch Tracer Display is one of the more intelligent and visually interesting things I’ve seen in a car to date. After lightly tapping the thumb wheels, a 3-D graphic pops up on the VI-FD and displays steering wheel control operations in amber. You can adjust audio volume, radio station and the cabin temperature by swirling your fingers around the thumb wheels, similar to how you operate an iPod. When you’re done, the 3-D graphic disappears.
I had a great driver’s position in the new Prius, and much of this is due to there now being a manual seat height adjustment and a tilt/telescoping steering wheel. I had great visibility out all windows, and I could reach all buttons and dials with ease. Plus the seats were comfortable for our day-long driving.
For 2010, Toyota has gone away from using trim level terminology with this hybrid in an attempt to focus on the Prius. Instead, there is a single grade with four equipment levels. Prius II is the standard model. Prius III adds features like the JBL audio system, integrated satellite radio and Bluetooth. Prius IV adds a leather-trimmed interior, heated front seats, plasma cluster and HomeLink. The final equipment level is (you guessed it) Prius V, which adds 17-inch alloy wheels, LED headlamps and fog lamps.
In addition to the equipment level strategy, there are a couple of phenomenal new options to note: the solar roof and the remote air-conditioning system. Though the solar roof isn’t yet capable of powering the car, it does engage the outside air ventilation and blower mode to ensure that the interior of the car is cooled to the outside ambient temperature when parked. Separately, the remote air-conditioning system allows you to pre-cool the interior of the vehicle, and all the power is drawn from the hybrid battery. Anyone who’s experienced a sweltering summer understands the value of both of these features. Plus, when the vehicle is started, less energy is then expended at the outset.
My time in the 2010 Prius was incredibly brief, but I have to say that my first impression is overwhelmingly positive. Even though the Prius is iconic, Toyota needed to upgrade this car and make it the all-star hybrid that it should be. With the addition of the three driving modes, Touch Tracer Display and solar roof, I think they succeeded.
Oh, and the fuel economy thing. That’s huge. The 50 mpg number isn’t pie in the sky either, and I actually reached it without trying too hard. I’ve done fuel economy challenges in other hybrids, and the best fuel economy I had previously attained was about 43 mpg.
In the 2010 Prius, I am pleased to report that I did, in fact, “Beat the Chief” with an average economy of 63.3 mpg. I do have to admit with some embarrassment, however, that everyone else did better than me. And the editor of CleanMPG.com (an avowed hypermiler) even achieved a whopping 94.6 mpg.
Once again, Prius, chock full of possibilities, has set a benchmark for hybrid mileage and technology. It’ll be fun to see which manufacturers rise to the challenge.
