Toyota Prius 2004 test drive - 2006 hatchback

Review of the updated Toyota Prius car

Toyota decided to surprise us with something unusual?
I want to admit: like many women, I am interested in secular chronicle. And then one day I go to the site that publishes any secular nonsense from the life of the stars of Hollywood (it is called The Insider) and I learn that supposedly all the beloved artist Leonardo DiCaprio participated in the filming of the commercial in the suburbs of Los Angeles. And everything would be nothing, but this video is dedicated - what would you think? Toyota Prius car. Honestly, my doubt even crept in, but is this fiction? Although on the other hand, why not? After all, everyone knows how, at the beginning of this year, DiCaprio, known for his environmental antics. It is necessary to decide, take and roll on an annual Academy Award ceremony in the Prius car. Remember what noise rose after that? In a word, the participation of DiCaprio in the advertising campaign of this model seemed to me a very real thing. But then, I thought, there is every reason to believe that in its new car of the PRIUS lineup, the Toyota company prepared some very elegant surprise!. And, extremely intrigued by this assumption, I began to look forward to the release, which contained information about the new partial modernization of the Prius car.
A month later, I finally managed to see with my own eyes what the famous artist spent his time, that is, the new Toyota Prius car. It should be noted right away that it did not seem to be something very different from the previous model. But I did not experience disappointments. If we talk about the appearance, then Shane struck over the front block of the headlights. Further, on the side repeaters of the rotation signal, I have noticed Hybrid inscriptions. Such, I would say, an unobtrusive reminder, what kind of car is in front of you. Well, what's inside? The front panel now has a rough coating of almost smoky color. Seats, trimmed with genuine leather and velor, turned out to be quite comfortable. But in general, I repeat, no significant differences from what was in the previous model.
So, ”I told myself disappointed,“ the fact of participation in the advertising company DiCaprio is only an advertising move and only, and M will not be possible to see something unusual. With such anxious thoughts, I got behind the wheel of a new car and set off to make a trial trip on a regular program.
Technical characteristics of the Toyota Prius G car
Full length 4445 mm x full width 1725 mm x The full height is 1490 mm.
Wheel base: 2700 mm.
Machine weight: 1280 kg.
Drive: on the front wheels
Internal combustion engine: 1.5-liter, 4-cylinder with in-line cylinders, developed power 77 hp. at 5000 rpm, maximum torque 11.7 kg/m at 4200 rpm.
Electricians: power 68 hp/1200 ~ 1540 vol./Min., Torque of 40.8 kg/m,
0 ~ 1200 vol./Min.
Gearbox: CVT CVT variator
Car price: 2 million 625 thousand yen.
Do not judge by appearance, you need to understand the essence!
But, no matter how much there was a prejudice that arose after an external acquaintance with a new car, as soon as I started off and did several hundred meters, one thing became clear to me: the car is simple, perfection itself. I already had the experience of driving a Prius car, and I definitely remembered that in the previous model, that is, before its modernization, the steering wheel in the middle position acted somehow sluggishly. In the new car, this turned out to be fixed. This cannot be called in the full sense of the sports type of steering, and there is still something to work on, but the fact remains: much more information is now transmitted to the steering wheel about the true position of the wheels on the road.
I would also call the suspension work more consistent than before. This was especially noticeable on the Cobadak highway. You know, there is a place where you have to overcome a series of joints of the roadway. So, the suspension worked according to the following scheme: at first she took an impetus, and then tried to smooth it as much as possible. In this regard, despite the external similarity, in fact, these are two different cars. For a test trip, I chose the modification G and G Touring Selection. So, if you compare these two versions of the same model, then the last machine that is equipped with an order of magnitude large size of the tires, namely 195/ 55r/ 16 when driving along the city streets behaved somewhat constrained, sometimes even annoyed. Therefore, from two modifications, I would choose a Prius G car as more balanced.
But what is most surprising is the absolute identity of the details of the steering mechanism of the new and old model. That is, the difference in the operation of the steering is due not to constructive changes, but exclusively by the difference in adjustment. This was told to me by a representative of a group of designers responsible for the suspension of Mr. Umayama. As follows from his words, not only the adjustment or stiffness of the steering drive affects the behavior of the steering and suspension, then the strength of the body nodes on which all this mechanics are attached. And especially important in this regard is the reverse side of the front wall of the cabin, where all these parts enhancing the wall are hidden. So it doesn’t matter that appearance is the same. You need to look inside, see all this rigid reinforcement, and it will immediately become clear where such a feeling of controllability comes from.
Why couldn't this be done from the very beginning? - Such a question, I am sure, arose not only with me. And the thing is that the task was originally set to achieve the best indicators for fuel consumption. In this regard, as you know, the Prius car really became a record holder. Could this happen if it was stuffed with additional toughnesses? After all, this is overweight, right? And if the designers immediately went to make the front panel as hard as possible, it would be impossible to achieve the necessary light lightness. And it’s good that everything changes, and the science of the resistance of materials does not stand still. Therefore, now it is possible to sharply increase the stiffness, donating no more than 2 kilograms of weight.
It is worth stopping making noise, and you will be called matured
I first noticed that the new car looks more mature and solid. I believe that one of the main secrets of such growing up should be considered a sharp decrease in the number of noise that penetrate the salon. But at the same time, an enhanced subjective sense of speed appeared. It would be clearer for me if the new car had a significantly changed power unit, after which the designers would say: we changed everything here, and the car went differently. But no, Mr., the chief designer-developer of hybrid power schemes, explained that, it turns out, everything was balanced and designed, in the previous model, so there was no particularly zeal here. The fact is, - continued Mr. that the success or failure of the hybrid system depends on many factors, such as engine power, rotation speed, electric power plant and battery capacity. Moreover, all these factors must be reduced to a single denominator, that is, thoroughly balanced. For example, if you take the engine from the Harrier Hybrid car and combine it with a small capacity battery. And what happens? Only a hint that the machine can develop decent power. You remember that the first -generation Prius model, after the first modernization, was completely updated, although in terms of terms it was just a partial update of the model range. The reason for this was precisely in the insufficient equilibrium of all components of the components. But the second -generation model was already more carefully worked out. And what is the point of immediately changing what is already doing perfectly?
In this regard, the question arises of how the driver should feel the speed of the car controlled by him does not have an exact answer. We can assume that speed seems more because the salon has become quieter. It is especially impressive when, when driving along a high -speed highway, when a low muffled accompaniment suddenly appears, and the irritating noise of the engine, as it were, fades into the background. The bottom of the car is laid by a farm, which is complemented by anti -vibration material - this is done for several years, there are no discoveries - a thin transparent film is applied to the front glass, the main task of which to prevent the penetration of noise into the salon. But besides this, for the first time in the world, high -tech anti -vibration material of the super -fabric type was used. All this reduces the noise of the engine and reduces the level of vibration of the salon floor.
I also remember that earlier, having tested the previous model, I thought: how good if the automatic parking device were more simple to handle! It would be very into the hands of those who, like me, are always lost when I need to steer to fit into the target of the gate or just get into narrow space for parking. When the debit of the car took place, I tried to use the automatic assistant parking, but only in the picture on the rear view screen to steer is quite inconvenient, so I never mastered this technique. And now the rear view camera itself finds the so -called stop line, that is, it is searching for the most suitable parking position in automatic mode. The driver can only slightly adjust the direction, and everything is in order. In this case, any race even in a small opening gives more options for successful parking than before.
The new Prius car seems to me a kind of schoolboy who, from time to time, meeting face to face with his strict class teacher, became quieter and below the grass. And at that moment he seemed so serious, so matured. True, such a conclusion, as a rule, is hasty. But this is about people. But how does it look like a car?

To Kodak Theatre's ceremonial entrance on the Prius car of the most fresh model!
So, undoubtedly: the new Prius almost did not change outside, and inside looks like a more mature car than its predecessor. What is the reason for such a quick growing up? This is how Mr. OGA answered this question, which is the curator of the Prius project. Look, ”he says either as a joke, or seriously,“ our car was immediately accepted wherever possible, the number of owners increased, the number of all kinds of claims to it increased. What to do, I had to put the sleeves again!. It should be noted along the way that this car received the title of a car of the year in Europe and America, and if we talk about the volume of sales, then at the present moment it reached 15 thousand cars a month (the total volume in all countries of the world). She goes especially well in America, where 10 thousand pieces are sold monthly.
It is clear that so popularity contributed to a certain extent contributed to the global prices for gasoline. And maybe at the moment, it is precisely such cars that the world needs? It is possible that these priorities can be fixed even in law. And how else to deal with the threat of global warming, how to reduce the amount of fuel burned, if you do not transfer hybrids to cars?
Maybe someone will seem too serious to someone. But it does not bother us all more serious when it comes to problems such as environmental problems. See for yourself: would actress Cameron Diaz just say that, they say, the future looked at her house? And Harrison Ford, would he, for no reason, give his new wife a similar model? Why, tell me, Hollywood stars became so favorable to the Prius car? Let it be considered to be a tribute to some extent, but this fashion, nevertheless, is still based on alarm for the future, which I am thinking about.
There are rumors that next year the shooting of a new film will begin with the participation of DiCaprio, which will be dedicated to one of the heroes of the racing Formula 1. I would like to hope that when it will once again be invited to the Oscar’s presentation ceremony, he will again roll to the front door, Leading in Kodak Theatre on the Prius car of the newest model. Why not?
 

 
 

Source: CarView.co.jp