The next member of the Prius Hybrid family is getting closer and closer to its showroom debut. When March 2012 shows up, the all-new Prius c will follow suit as the smallest and most efficient conventional Toyota hybrid. Its 53 mpg city rating is the highest of any industry offering excluding plug-ins and its Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle (SULEV) label will be carried with pride. A tidy but useful five door design, innovative features and reasonable base price should make the Prius c a wanted little brother to Toyota’s now iconic hybrid family.
When the car hits the streets, it will carry with it a starting MSRP of $18,950 making it the least expensive and thus gateway Prius. Four trim levels will be offered named according to their rank. Grade One, the base car, will include standard features such as automatic climate control, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, remote keyless entry and bluetooth phone pairing. Grade Two will add a six speaker stereo, cruise control and 60/40 split rear seats while Grade Three gives the Prius c navigation, Entune, satellite radio, and auxiliary audio playback all controlled via a 6.1 inch touchscreen display. The top level Grade Four adds 15 inch eight spoke alloy wheels, Softex trimmed seats with front heat and integrated fog lamps to the impressively equipped third grade. Available options include 16 inch wheels and a power moonroof. The most expensive offering, the Grade Four, starts at $23,230.
All 2012 Prius c Grades use a 1.5 liter DOHC inline four cylinder paired with Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive electric assist. A permanent magnet AC synchronous motor is powered by 144 volt nickel-metal hydride battery to work with the gasoline powered engine and put out a total of 99 horsepower. The subcompact should be able to achieve up to 46 mpg on the highway for a mixed driving average of 50 mpg.
Source: Toyota
