Yet, as Car and Driver reported, the Prius Prime has a carbon-fiber hatchback made at Toyota’s Motomachi plant in Japan where the carbon-fiber Lexus LFA supercar came together. Also, compared with the previous plug-in Prius, the Prime gets double the battery capacity. The new 95-cell, 8.8-kWh battery pack accounts for 265 pounds of the claimed 285-to-365-pound weight gain over the regular Prius as well as a reduction in cargo capacity of roughly 5 or 8 cubic feet, depending on the liftback in question. But it allows up to 25 miles of electric-only driving, 10 more than the previous plug-in and 25 more than the liftback that essentially runs only as a gas-electric hybrid. A smaller, yet higher-powered, onboard charger replenishes the battery more quickly than in the old PHEV, or in 5.5 hours on household 120-volt power or two hours and 10 minutes when fed 240 volts.
Now as you can see this is definitely a redesign of the previous Plugin Prius models. As well, the two tone interior looks nice plus the iPad dashboard seems to attempt a Tesla look. Some people do or don’t like the look. I’m on the it’s ok look….
However with the redesign, said Prius Prime is no aero jellybean. It’s chiseled profile and edgy character lines seem to dare the wind to stand in its way. Energy-conserving quad LED headlights glow like diamonds cutting the night, and LED rear combination lamps leave an unforgettable nighttime signature. Driver visibility remains excellent, aided by a full-width aero glass panel over the rear spoiler and a standard backup camera. The distinctive aero rear window is eye-catching and adds to its slipstream character.
“When we set out to build the 2017 Prius Prime, we wanted to deliver a car that would live up to the idea of the word ‘Prime,’ – a plug-in hybrid vehicle with no compromises. With the new Prius Prime, Toyota has delivered the most efficient car in America and we are thrilled to receive the Electric/Hybrid Best Buy Award from Kelley Blue Book,” said Nathan Kokes, advanced technology vehicle manager, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc.
Toyota Prius Prime Plugin hybrid electric car was declared the 2017 World Green Car at the New York International Auto Show; which is the second consecutive year Toyota earned the World Green Car title.
“It is a great honor to see the Prius Prime named World Green Car,” said Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager of Toyota division. “For global automakers like Toyota, this award is a testament to our focus on developing products that both stir the emotions and meet the mobility needs of our customers in all corners of the world.”
It’s Safe Too!
As Motor Trend outlines, the 2017 Prius Prime has yet to be tested by the NHTSA or IIHS. That said, the standard forward collision warning system qualifies the Prius Prime to earn the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, the highest mark awarded by the institute. The Toyota Safety Sense P package is standard equipment for the Prius Prime, which boasts high-tech safety features including the aforementioned forward collision warning system, an automatic braking system that detects obstacles and pedestrians, adaptive cruise control, and a blind spot monitoring system. A lane-departure assist system is also part of the package, and provides automatic and light steering inputs to keep the Prius Prime on its intended path.
At $29,400 this is priced just right for a 96 MPG average car for a high tech, comfortable and nimble car.
Source: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/test-drive-results-2017-toyota-prius-prime-plugin-hybrid_us_5943614be4b0940f84fe2d50