Here’s our walkaround video:
The new look works in person, I think. The proportions are good, especially the way the wider rear hips feel, and the dramatic rake of the roofline feels sleek and modern, even if we can’t really figure out where the A-pillar ends and the roof begins. One puzzling issue I had with the new look is this:
Why, Toyota? For the roughly half of U.S. states that don’t require a front plate, do they really have to have a bumper that looks like someone jammed a brick in there and then painted over it? Perhaps this is the Euro/Asia bumper skin and the U.S.-market one will have something that works with or without a front plate? That’s possible, I suppose, and at least they considered the front plate at all, which some cars just don’t at all. But still. Also interesting is the windshield wiper setup, which has one very beefy wiper mount that seems to have an extra joint, perhaps to reach high up to the far corner of the windshield?
David also rolls around under the new Prius to try to learn some of the new Prius’ suspension and chassis secrets, and so far I think the most notable discovery is that the fuel tank appears to be located behind the rear axle — not a common location for a modern car. David and I agreed not to mention the Ford Pinto in this context, so I won’t. [Editor’s Note: This is a joke. Toyota safety engineers tend to know what they’re doing. -DT]. Overall, this is a massive improvement to a very important car. The old Priuses did their jobs very well but were never what you might call non-stomach-churning to look at. Also, sometimes they beeped so freaking much you’d want to puke. This new one looks great, and I’ll let myself hope it doesn’t beep so damn much. I have always loved both of your takes on things. Still, interior is where I’m interested. If I cared too much about aesthetics I wouldn’t be driving a Prius. Hope the trunk is still deceptively roomy like the prior generations. No rear wiper? I didn’t watch the whole video front-to-back but I didn’t see that mentioned. I would not be happy with that… But it is pretty clear the new Prius is trying to appeal to wider range of folks. Like you say, the wild card will be interior space. If I can still fit 10′ boards inside it, I’ll consider buying a PHEV version to replace the current Prius (hopefully easier to get than the RAV4 Prime). I guess I’ll get over the unnecessary 19″ wheels I’ll have to buy tires for. More power while still getting 50 mpg won’t be a bad thing.
