Toyota’s fourth-generation Prius is being delayed from next spring until December 2015, with the plug-in model postponed for nearly another year after that, according to a report late last month in Automotive News. Perhaps that’s because Toyota has really got its hands full with all of the different versions of the Prius that it is planning to offer the next time around. A new interview with Toyota’s senior powertrain manager Koei Saga, also published in Automotive News, suggests that not only will Toyota offer standard and plug-in versions of the Prius, but that it will offer two different kinds of batteries for the standard Prius: a cheaper, nickel-metal-hydride battery (as it has now) and a larger-capacity lithium-ion pack for spendier customers willing to invest in more electric-only range.
And interestingly, all-wheel drive is also reportedly on the table for the Prius for the first time. “I think we will possibly do it,” Saga said. (D’ya hear that, Seattle?) No mention was made, however, about whether Saga was talking about the standard Prius, the Yaris-based Prius C (doubtful), or the larger Prius V wagon.
As we reported previously, the 2016 Prius will be built on Toyota’s new lightweight modular architecture. As a result of that mass reduction as well as thermal-efficiency achievements and other powertrain improvements, fuel mileage is expected to rise by about eight percent, possibly even more. “I think we will come up with a fuel economy that will surprise everyone,” Saga said.
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Is the world ready for this many flavors of Prius? Who knows? For our part, we’re happy to see Toyota offering more varieties of its popular mileage champ and taking its time to get the car right. And here’s to hoping that one of those versions will actually be fun to drive.
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