If you spend as much time on the internet as I do, you would have seen the heartbreaking image of a polar bear stranded on a chair-sized iceberg, doom and gloom writ large on its face. It brought out the tree hugger in me and I almost gave myself whiplash, nodding emphatically when Toyota asked me if I’d like to test drive the 2016 Prius.
While the Prius has been around since 1997, this is the first time the darling car of Hollywood comes to Arab shores with the 2016 model making its debut in UAE and Saudi Arabia. While I was tempted to ask Toyota for a TRD 86, I thought, ‘hey, if a Prius is good enough for Leo Di Caprio, it’s good enough for me’.
The world’s most popular hybrid gets a design overhaul and performance upgrades in its fourth generation 2016 model. Equipped with a 1.8L VVT-i engine (a variable valve timing technology developed by Toyota, to improve engine
Toyota claims drive dynamics have been significantly improved. It’s been dropped an inch from previous versions and it’s easy to gauge the effect this has had on the drive. The low centre of gravity, combined with the motor going under the rear seats instead of the trunk gives the Prius a very steady feel through corners and bends, although I wouldn’t hasten to compare that to an S2000, let’s say.
I have never been a huge fan of CV transmissions and the Prius has a CVT. I have to admit, though, that this technology has come far since inception, and the car doesn’t feel as sluggish or monotonous as models that have earlier versions.
The suspension feels on the stiffer side and this is good with marginal body roll even when I was taking bends at 90 kmh – substantial speed for a Prius. But this isn’t about track-days and accelerating through roundabouts. It’s about saving the polar bears, penguins and the future of the planet – and about saving your hard earned money. I got almost 4L per 100kms out of it on average despite Sheikh Zayed Road traffic. It beats my own 2L, 4-cylinder by more than double per litre. In a time of fluctuating fuel prices and eco-boosted V6s replacing good old V8s, the Prius is indeed a saviour to your wallet.
The 2016 model comes equipped with three driving modes – Eco, Normal and Power – yes, you read that right – Power mode…on a Prius! I have to admit that while Eco and Normal feel docile, Power actually makes for quite a peppy drive. Then again, if you’re looking for ‘hot hatch’ character in a Prius, you’re looking at the wrong car. The steering feels mushy and perhaps a little more road feedback from it would have made a solid difference in overall driving pleasure.
Hybrids have been available in this region for a while from Lexus, BMW and Porsche. However, none of them have the iconic status of the world’s first hybrid. Born in 1997, the Prius has accounted for 5.2 million of the total 10 million hybrids sold in the world until mid 2015. Having had almost 20 years to evolve, the effort expended into this model is perhaps most visible in its looks.
On the outside it’s a bit of a Marmite situation: you will probably either love it or loathe it. Honestly, I fell into the latter category although this might have strongly to do with the fact that I grew up in the UAE – where if it doesn’t have a hood scoop or a custom body kit it isn’t much of a head turner.
However, a friend who drove with me absolutely loved the futuristic looks, with its angles and lines along the body panel. I like its aggressive angular styling from the front and the rear but it’s the side view that sort of turns me away.
On the inside it’s a different story and while once we associated the Prius with the long-haired hippie variety, now you wouldn’t look out of place in it rocking a well-cut suit. The white airy interior is gorgeous. It looks like something straight out of a ‘Minority Report’ console. The gear shift lever is embedded in the dash unit and takes a little getting used to specially whilst executing ‘K’ turns. But it makes for great space which has been brilliantly utilised to include, wait for it – a wireless Android mobile charger! Without jest, I would buy the Prius just for this great feature.
Visibility is excellent except from the rear view, where a rear windscreen bar splits the view. Other than that, rear space is excellent and had no trouble fitting a friend who’s a tall guy. Headroom and leg room are fantastic. The 2016 Prius has been lengthened and this is obvious in interior comfort.
The Prius comes in two versions – the Dynamic and the Iconic, which I drove. The Iconic version has leather seats and a heads-up display which is quite cool and all new in the Prius. It also has cruise control and seven airbags.
The entertainment system in the Iconic version comes with JBL audio and the bells and whistles such as Bluetooth connectivity and navigation on a large, intuitive screen. There’s a rear view parking camera as well as blind spot warning. The boot is spacious although not very deep, owing to the battery resting underneath. Now if only they’d included holographic screens and pinch and swipe!
On the whole the new Prius has come a long way since its beginnings and Toyota has invested a lot in its contemporary design, its improved drive dynamics and its brilliant fuel economy.
In an evolving landscape where more and more people are losing sleep about the melting polar icecaps than their 0-100 record, the 2016 Prius is a well timed launch even in this part of the world.
Also, picture that cute fuzzy polar bear giving you a warm smile and a thumbs-up.
