Seven-seater tops Prius family

The third member of Toyota’s expanded Prius hybrid family is now on sale in Australia, in the form of the seven-seat Prius v peoplemover.

Priced $2000 higher than the Japanese giant’s original hybrid icon - the five-seat Prius hatchback (base pricing for which was cut by a further $1000 to $33,990 in March following slow sales), the $35,990 Prius v is the new flagship of Toyota’s compact hybrid model range.

Not that the v-badged (for ‘versatile’) Prius is compact. Riding on a stretched 2780mm wheelbase and measuring 4615mm long, 1775mm wide and 1590mm high, the newest Prius is 135mm longer, 30mm wider and 100mm taller than the standard Prius. The seven-seater's wheelbase is also longer -- 80mm in fact.

At near-$36K the v now tops the Prius range. It's near-50 per cent more than the new Yaris-based Prius c city-hatch which is priced from $23,990. This breadth of market presence is a clean indication of the importance Toyota places on its Prius sub-brand.

Toyota has made good use of the v's bigger body, which shares no panels with either of the existing Prius models. The new layout adds 785mm of interior length and squeezes in a third row of seats to produce the first seven-seat hybrid peoplemover. Inside the v are three independent sliding, reclining and split/folding second-row seats and a 50/50-split folding third tier, behind which is 180 litres of cargo space. This expands to 485 litres with the third row stowed.

Toyota says every seating position in the Prius v offers more space than in the regular Prius, with 1625mm between the front and middle seats, and 965mm between the middle and rear seats. It says the front seats can accommodate adults up to 190cm tall, with the second row good for 180cm people and the third row capable of seating 170cm occupants.

Compared to the Prius, the v offers 25mm front headroom (1006mm) and 23mm more second-row headroom (977mm), while the rear door openings are 1105mm wide (95mm wider than the Prius) and luggage space is 75mm longer at 985mm. Storage solutions include five cup-holders, 500ml bottle holders or A4-sized map holders in all four doors, two additional 500ml bottle holders in the rear interior trim, an 8.5-litre glovebox, 4.5-litre passenger-seat upper box and a 2.0-litre centre console box capable of holding eight CDs.

The most family-oriented member of the Prius trio also breaks new ground in terms of its petrol-electric drivetrain, which is lifted directly from the standard Prius but draws its power from a lithium-ion battery pack positioned under the centre console between the front seats. It is Australia’s first Toyota model to employ the latest Li-Ion battery technology.

Smaller and lighter but offering similar storage capacity to the older-school nickel-metal hydride batteries used in Prius hatch and Prius c, the v’s more advanced Li-Ion battery is claimed to have minimal impact on either passenger accommodation or cargo space. Indeed the V's capacity is claimed to rival many (compact) SUVs thanks to the ability to fold down both the rear and centre seats.

The plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Prius hatch, which remains under consideration for Australian release, was the first Toyota model to feature Li-Ion battery technology. The new-gen batteries will also be seen in a rash of new EVs to arrive here this year, including the upcoming Nissan LEAF, Renault Fluence ZE and Holden Volt.

For now, the Prius v not only tops Toyota’s local hybrid line-up, which also includes the Australian-made Camry Hybrid (from $34,990), but affectively also replaces the discontinued Avensis in the nation’s almost non-existent compact peoplemover segment.

Other small seven-seat passenger cars include Kia’s Rondo 7 (from $25,990), the diesel-only Citroen C4 Picasso (from $39,990 drive-away) and Volkswagen’s Caddy Maxi Life (also from $39,990, plus ORCs), while Proton will soon join the compact peoplemover segment with its first fully in-house model, the Exora.

Australia’s first seven-seat hybrid employs the same tried-and-proven Hybrid Synergy Drive system seen in the Prius, namely a 73kW/142Nm 1.8-litre Atkinson Cycle four-cylinder petrol engine matched to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) with a 650-volt, 60kW/207Nm electric motor squeezed in between, bringing total power output to 100kW.

As in previous Prius models, the 2ZR-FXE engine features twin overhead camshafts, intelligent variable valve timing (VVT-i) and cooled exhaust gas recirculation, plus an electric water pump, air-conditioning compressor and power-steering assistance. Instead of an alternator, a DC-DC converter supplies 12-volt power for vehicle ancillaries like lighting and sound, while the number one motor-generator replaces a conventional starter motor in another unique fuel-saving move. As with other Prius models, three selectable drive modes are available.

The bigger body comes at the expensive of weight and fuel efficiency, however, with a 1565kg kerb weight making the Prius v just 135kg heavier than the regular Prius and bringing ADR 81/02 combined-cycle fuel consumption to 4.4 litres per 100km.

Although the Prius v sets a new efficiency benchmark in its class, it is 0.5L/100km thirstier than the Prius and Prius c, and also emits at least 10 grams of CO2 more per kilometre than either model, at 101g/km.

Unlike the Prius and new Prius c, the Prius v will be available in just one specification.

Standard equipment will include a six-speaker sound system with 6.1-inch touch-screen and USB/Bluetooth connectivity, automatic air-conditioning, energy monitor, head-up display, keyless entry and starting, automatic headlights, daytime running lamps and cruise control. The v also comes with 16-inch alloy wheels with plastic wheel covers (and a space-saver spare wheel), plus rear side sunshades, electric driver’s seat lumbar adjustment, rear side privacy glass, front/rear foglights and a reach/rake-adjustable steering wheel with Touch Tracer audio, climate and trip computer control.

Safety features include seven airbags, a reversing camera, hill-start assist, stability and traction control, plus antilock brakes with brake assist, electronic brake-force distribution and emergency stop light signalling.

Toyota Australia believes the Prius v will attract buyers of small and mid-size sedans and wagons, as well as compact SUVs, crossovers and even commercial vans, and says it will sell a hundred a month.

“Prius v will compete in multiple segments with its combination of size, versatility and fuel efficiency in a mid-size package,” said Toyota Australia Executive Director Sales and Marketing, Matthew Callachor.

“With all its useable interior space and convenience, as well as its competitive price, performance and fuel economy, Prius v will present a compelling choice for buyers.”

Hybrid vehicles have not proved as popular in Australia as they have on a global scale, with Toyota expecting to sell more than a million hybrids in one year for the first time in 2012.

Toyota Australia said at the Prius c launch in March that it would easily sell all of the 1200 examples it has secured from Japan for this year, which is only a few more than the 1000 sales it expects from the 2012 Prius this year – despite the fact it sets a new hybrid price benchmark in Australia.

Despite a $5000 price cut last April, Prius sales slumped by almost half last year due in part to tighter supply and, at just 822, accounted for less than a fifth of Toyota’s original annual sales forecast of 4500 when the MkIII Prius was launched here in July 2009.

However, after a further $1000 price trim in late March, last month the Prius found 76 new homes for a 2012 total of 292 sales – up almost 30 per cent on 2011 levels, Meantime, the Prius c attracted some 405 buyers in its first full month on sale, accounting for more than a third of its expected volume for the entire year.

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