Toyota Prius i-Tech 2016 Long-term review - 1

Toyota Prius i-Tech
Long-Term Test (Introduction)

Four generations of Toyota’s Prius hybrid have created a five-door hatch that’s more refined, more economical and a better drive than it’s ever been. Added safety technology, newly fully-independent suspension and a general re-work of the dynamics, as well as a more compact driveline and battery system all add up to a better Prius. Will we feel the same when we hand back our latest long-termer?

Long-Term Tests
motoring.com.au aims to make your choice of vehicle easier. Our Editorial section does this via our mix of news, international and local launch reviews as well as our seven-day tests.

From time to time we also take the opportunity to spend more time in a vehicle. These longer-term tests can be as short as a couple of weeks, but more recently we’ve settled on a three-month period as indicative of ‘normal’ ownership.

Long-term tests give our staff writers and contributors a chance to get to know a car as an owner would. While the car is with us, we pay for fuel, pay for the servicing and generally use and live with the car as a new owner would.

We believe long-term tests give car buyers an added insight into the vehicle on test, but also the qualities behind the brand and nameplate. The extended period also allows us to touch base with the dealer networks in question.

It comes as no surprise that manufacturers tend to have a love-hate relationship with long-term tests. Three months is plenty long enough to fall out of love with the latest and greatest, and start to nitpick – just like real owners do

Toyota Prius i-Tech
As a purpose-built hybrid, Toyota’s Prius brought some interesting technology to the table when first introduced to the Australian market as a four-door sedan in 2001.

A full parallel hybrid, the $39,990 Prius was rather more practical than its only competitor at the time, the $48,900 Honda Insight three-door hatch that was as expensive as it was generally unimpressive. Both factors contributed to its demise in 2004, when Honda replaced it with the Civic hybrid sedan that retailed for a much more affordable (and cheaper than the Prius) $29,990.

But where the Honda eventually ceased being available as a hybrid, the Toyota has been a constant presence, upgrading through the years to the fourth-generation model that came to market early this year.

Four generations of Prius mean that the latest version is significantly more economical than the original with a combined fuel consumption quoted at 3.4L/100km (4.4L/100km in 2001), more powerful, with a bigger 1.8-litre petrol engine (1.5 litres originally) doing the fossil-fuel work and fractionally bigger overall in most dimensions except the wheelbase.

It’s grown a little in weight too, but not much more than 50kg or so, and it’s more aerodynamic, with a quoted drag coefficient of 0.24 comparing favourably with the original sedan’s (still impressive) 0.26.

Toyota is pretty chuffed about the fourth-generation Prius: The high-grade i-Tech model we are discussing here, which has just arrived as a long-term test car, is actually cheaper than the original i-Tech ($42,990 before on-road costs, as compared to $45,000 in 2001), and comes not just with the technological benefits that 15 years of development have wrought, but also more standard equipment.

On top of the gear that came with the 2001 i-Tech Prius (including sat-nav and climate-control), the new model gets the LED headlights that are now standard on both versions, 17-inch alloy wheels, powered leather seats and a cordless phone charger that looks for all the world like a mini-spa sitting on the floor ahead of the centre console.

This is all wrapped up in the all-new aero body that sits on Toyota’s latest GA-C platform and brings, for the first time, an independent double-wishbone rear suspension to enhance both handling and ride quality. The Prius is tighter, too, with 60 per cent more torsional rigidity and has a 24mm lower centre of gravity

The electrically-assisted steering has been recalibrated for better feel, and the ratio changed for quicker responses.

In terms of the drivetrain, Toyota says the fuel economy improvements have come about via a lighter drive package, improved thermal efficiency for the Atkinson-cycle petrol engine, a 10 per cent smaller, faster-charging battery pack and smaller electric motors in the hybrid system.

Speaking of batteries, we come to a bit of a stumbling block with Toyota’s retention of a nickel-metal hydride system (NiMH) where (Li-ion) is becoming the norm. Even versions of the new Prius sold on other markets have gone to Li-ion.

This has been well covered elsewhere by motoring.com.au and it seems that although Toyota talks about the improved space-efficiency of its new NiMH batteries, the most compelling reason for not moving with the times appears to have been financial. We can only assume Li-ion batteries will eventually find their way into Australian versions of the Prius.

Toyota doesn’t talk about increased cabin space for the new Prius and probably didn’t feel it needed to, because that’s always been a strongpoint. But it does mention the increased boot capacity made available through the relocation of the battery and fuel tank to a spot under the rear seat. The i-Tech gets an increase in capacity over the base model’s 457 litres to 502 litres because the space-saver spare has been replaced by a repair kit.

Both base Prius (priced at $34,990) and i-Tech versions come with seven airbags, Toyota’s PCS Pre-Collision Safety System which includes Lane Departure Alert (LDA) with steering input, Automatic High Beam (AHB) and All-Speed Active Cruise Control (ACC) which works all the way to a full stop. Both come with new seats, twin 4.2-inch colour TFT displays, a colour head-up display, redesigned seats, an electrochromatic rear-view mirror and that wireless phone charger.

The i-Tech upgrades safety with a blind-spot monitor system, as well as rear cross-traffic alert, and also comes with DAB+ digital radio to complement the 10-speaker JBL audio system. The top-spec Prius also gets the new, lightweight 17-inch alloys that are claimed to save 0.7kg per wheel.

That’s a brief overview of what has been wrought dynamically with the latest Prius and our plan over the next few months is to find how it all works.

At this stage, the overriding impression confirms what earlier testers have discovered: It’s not yet a sports hatch, but the Prius is definitely a sportier hybrid than before.

The increased body rigidity is immediately apparent: The Prius feels a lot more solid. Where previous models have rated as acceptable in terms of their on-road dynamics, the fourth-generation feels pleasantly responsive and predictable, not at all bad at flicking and weaving through a tight set of corners and responsive enough with its total of 90kW (the petrol engine produces 163Nm of torque while the electric motor has 163Nm at its disposal) assisting acceleration out of corners.

The reworked electric steering goes from lock-to-lock in a reasonably quick 2.8 turns and feels solid: It has a nice, reassuring weight to it when cornering and not only steers with a sense of assurance not previously notable, but also tracks nicely in a straight line by virtue of work done on improving the on-centre feel. Obviously the bigger wheels with their 215/45-series tyres help too.

And interior space remains a strong point: The reasonably long wheelbase means there’s good space in the back seat and, of course, the boot is entirely usable if you don’t mind the idea of having to haul out a repair kit if your i-Tech Prius suffers a flat.

The hybrid driveline, which uses not a belt-and-pulley CVT system like everyone else but cleverly manipulates a planetary gear-set to perform all the hybrid functions, is as seamless as ever. The segue from petrol to electric power is usually undetectable and the fossil-fuel engine is pretty quiet too.

The instrument panel with its massive centre displays is easy enough to get used to, as is the high-set drive selector and the straddling mode switches allowing the driver to move between Eco, Normal and Power. There’s also the familiar ‘B’ mode that ups the regenerative braking function to channel more charge into the batteries. For what it’s worth, the brake pedal feels more consistent than previously as the system juggles regeneration with regular power-assistance.

At this stage, our average fuel economy, not unexpectedly, has not matched the official 3.4L/100km – but at the time of writing our 4.6L is virtually identical to the claimed figure for the original 2001 Prius. We reckon that’s pretty good and we’ll see how things develop as we pile on more kilometres.

And what has offended us about the fourth-gen Prius so far?

Not a lot, apart from the front-end styling – a totally subjective issue anyway and not reflective of the rest of the car’s looks – and the fact that Toyota persists with a foot-operated parking brake.

So far, so good.

2016 Toyota Prius i-Tech 2016 Review pricing and specifications:
Price: $42,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 72kW/142Nm 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol
Motor: 53kW/163Nm water-cooled DC, permanent magnet
Total system output: 90kW
Transmission: Continuously variable
Fuel: 3.4L/100km (ADR Combined) / 4.6L/100km (as tested)
CO2: 80g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: N/A

Also consider:
>> Toyota Camry Hybrid (from $30,490 plus ORCs)
>> Toyota Prius c (from $22,990 plus ORCs)
>> Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (from $47,490 plus ORCs)