Top Car

30 TOPCAR.CO.ZA|January 2016FIRST DRIVES.Leaner, meaner,greener machineThe fourth generation of the Prius is here, readyto battle against hydrogen-power, EVs and hybridsfrom every corner of the ea rth. We’re strapp ed into see if it’s up to the taskBUTFIRST, THATstyling- oh no,what have theydone? Looking like a 2015concept car from the1980s, its mental metalmelted in the sun now resembling a mangacaricature of its pred ecessor. Its best angle isundoubtedly the front three-quarter,dominated as it is by wickedly pinched saw-tooth Bi-LED headlamps, and a señormoustache below its Toyota emblem andabove a downturned air dam. If that air damwas a mouth it would be saying ‘meh’.Its profile is steeply raked from the noseall the way to its haunches, a medley ofrising and dipping lines that dive acrossthe bootline in a style reminiscent of a2000s era Celica. As for the rear end, itswonky-arse styling leaves you in nodoubtthat so meone at Toyota wasenjoying a bit too much freedom. Firs tly,that floating ro ofline ends in the middle ofnowhere but the invisible contour line thatdefines it is never picked up again. Instead, aswathe of body metal dissects the rearwindscreen forming a makeshift spoileritself flanked by another pair of ziggingand zagging LED lamp clusters that dropdown almost to the tarmac. The rear apronis just okay.I quickly settle on a favourite view of thenew Prius; that is the one from behind theTOYOTA PRIUSsteering wheel. ‘Aah, much be tter.’ The newcar loses some of the zaniness, and you’rerewarded with a pleasant and well-appointedcabin. We’ve beengiven the run of the FujiSpeedw ay handling circuit on a test coursethat incorporates bi ts of the park ing lot aswell, augmented with bollards andsimulated rutted surfaces to get a feel of thenew car’s chassis. Called TNGA (ToyotaNew Generation Architecture), the newplatform equips new Prius with a wider,lower stance. The front axle retains``````Simpleeco-mindfulcabin receives white-paneltreatment.OddlyrefreshingToyota Prius>PriceN/A>Engine1797cc4cyl, 72kWpetrol+ 53kWelectric, Combined system output90kW>TransmissionCVT, front-wheel drive>Performance10.6sec0-100kph, 180kph,3.0ℓ/100km, 70g/kmCO 2 >Weight1 395kg>On saleQ2 2016