Roaming the streets of San Francisco, spy cameras have caught the 2016 Toyota Prius.
The fourth generation of the Prius is set to be released until the end of the year, but now we get the first images and specs of it. The back of the Toyota Prius was also spotted in Bangkok in May.
The first obvious change in the prototype of the Toyota Prius is the body, which will now be sleeker and sitting at a lower platform. On one of the spy photos, the two versions, the old one and the new one are positioned together in order to see the difference.
The second change that customers can expect is the outlook of the body. Toyota has developed a new platform, which at the moment is called Toyota New Global Architecture. The goal of the new platform is to reduce the weight of the car, all the while increasing the overall body rigidity. The engineers have managed to achieve the goal by using materials with higher strength and implementing some new laser techniques in the design.
Another change is made in the inside of the car, where Toyota has opted for a conventional dashboard for the 2016 Prius. The company has removed the central gauges, but there are still some features from the previous models.
Huge changes are expected in the fuel economy and performances of the car. At the moment, the Toyota Prius scores EPA rating of 50mpg on combined driving. The minimum for the 2016 hybrid is 60mpg combined, but we might see even better economy and efficiency. According to reports, the base model will still use the nickel-metal battery, while there should also be a premium model with a lithium-ion battery.
The 2016 Toyota Prius was initially expected to debut during the Detroit Motor Show in January. However, the Japanese company delayed the launch and the car is now scheduled for the Auto Show in Los Angeles in November. The 2016 Prius should make it to the market by the end of the year. Same as the current version, the 2016 version will offer both regular and plug-in hybrid models. One improvement is that the plug-in version will support wireless charging via wireless pad that will sit in the garage of the drive or on the driveway.
