Toyota’s Prius+ MPV is 7-seat and comes in a 5-door hatch bodystyle. Toyota claims it is a totally new vehicle that was “designed from scratch”.
The Geneva auto salon saw the debut of the Toyota Prius+ hybrid 7-seater MPV.
Although it is Toyota’s most popular model, the Prius+ was a brand new vehicle that the Japanese automaker calls “designed from scratch”. It’s a 5-door MPV hatch with a third row (2) at the rear, in a 50/50 split configuration.
Toyota will use a lithium-ion battery in a non plug-in hybrid for this Prius+. This is in contrast to the nickel-metal-hydride pack that was used in the standard Prius. We don’t know what the new battery pack will do for range or performance as Toyota didn’t release any specifications on the model. The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive System, (HSD), in the Prius+ is likely to be similar, if not identical, to that found in the Prius, Auris HSD model. This powertrain combines a 99 PS (73kW/98 bhp), 1.8-liter fourcylinder petrol unit with an electric motor that produces 81 PS (60kW/80 bhp).
Three drive modes will be available on the Prius+: ECO, which maximizes fuel efficiency and EV, which only uses electric power to reduce emissions, and POWER, which is for performance.
The European market launch of the Prius+ will begin in 2012 by Toyota.