According to AutoExpress, the next-generation Toyota Prius will be launched in 2015 with some significant changes.
For fuel saving purposes, "The current 1.8-litre engine will be modified, while the inverter and motor will be downsized, but will deliver more power". This will enable the car to return more than 90 mpg UK (74.9 mpg US or 3.1 L/100km) and have CO2 emissions of less than 70 g/km - that’s about 25 per cent better than the existing Prius.
More interestingly, the new Prius will adopt a four-wheel drive system similar to the one employed by Peugeot. "The rear wheels will be driven by a motor in an e-4WD system," said the Toyota insider. "Targeting snowy areas, they will operate at up to 37 mph."
There’ll be a new design to go with the radical tech. "The bonnet height will drop by at least 90 mm and the car will lose its wedge shape. The A-pillar will move backwards and the roofline will be pushed forward by around 500 mm."
The Japanese carmaker will stick with a nickel-metal hydride for the standard Prius because engineers feel old-style batteries manage power delivery better than new lithium-ion batteries. However, the plug-in variant will use a lithium-ion unit.
