2016 Toyota Prius Launched, says Hi! to Las Vegas First

MANILA: Toyota Prius was first revealed to the world in the 90's, and with it was initiated the mass-production of hybrid vehicles. Crowned as the cleanest car by US Environmental Protection Agency and California Air Resource Board, Prius has been around for long and for all good reasons. We all are aware of the next-generation Prius that has been on web for some time now but only in bits and pieces. But, but, but no more bringing broken pieces together as Toyota itself has come forward with official pictures of this green car.

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Looks weird, with a debut lined up today at Las Vegas, we wonder what got inside Toyota's head and forced it to take such a step. Well, maybe it's a sweet gesture for the crazy car enthusiast that has gone mad seeing wrapped and camouflaged versions for months now. Drawing full inspiration from Mirai fuel cell, the hydrogen-powered car's essence can be felt in those sharp angles. Well, the launch has taken place and the pictures seem to fully mirror the center stage car showcased at Vegas.

An absolute piece of cake, red velvet to be precise, Prius seems to be designed with spots, speed and athletics in mind. The over appearance replicate the ongoing model, but one thing that differentiates it fully is its new platform – Toyota's New Global Architecture or TNGA. Among the benefits, it is positioned to give a lower center of gravity giving better handling and stability at high speed.

Exterior body is studded with arrow shaped headlights with a complimentary set of fog lamps and zero-size grille, hope you pay attention. On to the side with a floating roof line and steeply-rising beltline are more than enough to capture one's attention. The rear end now gets a big, larger than life taillight which obviously create a harmony with the front, and the rear spoiler housed over the tailgate adds to its sporty appeal. Dimension wise the car is now 60mm longer, 15 mm wider, and 20 mm lower than before.

Inside, wooh, it's good, you can say a bit similar but still different. The instrument cluster rests on the centre-top of the dashboard and gives out complete driving info-spec with the help of the Hybrid Synergy Drive System that now displays everything in colour. Moving down and you'll see a big touchscreen display that take care of basic yet important functions. White seemed to rule the car, as its highlights can be seen on the centre console, tunnel and steering wheel. The blue cube gear selector looks futuristic and is coupled to electric parking brake on the left.

Under the hood, details are still under the veil, but we expect to see an improved engine, motor, and battery. The air indicates towards the same 1.8L engine, but with an improved performance. What is confirmed is an internal combustion engine with the world's highest thermal efficiency, also a 10% improvement in fuel economy is further promised on the core model.

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Toyota Safety Sense now guards the safety arena and is armed with advances like Pre-Collision system, Lane Departure Alert, Automatic High Beam, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Europe-only Road Sign Assist.