Source: Toyota - Press releases (2) after the jump.
Prius c Launch Kicks Off with Strong Sales
Prius Family Sales Nearly 10,000 in First Half of March
Toyota’s subcompact Prius c five-door hatchback, the newest member of the Prius family of hybrid vehicles, is off to a quick start since going on sale March 12.
In its first three days on the market, it sold 1,201 units, making it one Toyota’s fastest-selling vehicles and eclipsing Chevrolet Volt and Nissan Leaf sales for the entire month of February.
“A number of factors drive the auto market, and fuel prices is one of them,” said Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division. “With 53 miles-per-gallon in the city and priced under $19,000, the timing for Prius c couldn’t be better.”
During the first half of March, the four-member Prius Family, including the new Prius c, roomy v, third-generation Liftback and new Plug-in Hybrid, accounted for sales of 9,821. Last month Prius sales totaled 20,593 and 32,593 year-to-date.
Toyota Prius c Completes the Prius Family of Vehicles
• Highest rated city fuel economy of any vehicle without a plug
• Introduces proven hybrid powertrain at MSRP below $19,000
• Wide array of available convenience and premium technology
Following the U.S. debut of the all-new 2012 Prius c at the 2012 North American International Auto Show here, Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., plans to bring this dynamically styled, five-door hatchback to market in March of 2012, and introduce Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive to the subcompact segment.
The letter “c” represents “city” in the Prius c name.
Designed to function as an urban-friendly vehicle with an engaging
driving experience, hatchback utility, and a city fuel economy rating of
53 mpg, Prius c offers the highest city mpg rating of any vehicle without a plug. The all-new Prius c joins the Prius Family, which includes the third generation Prius Liftback, the versatile new Prius v and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid, which will debut in early 2012.
Beginning with the first generation fourteen years ago, over two
million Prius units have been sold worldwide. Prius remains the world’s
premier eco-vehicle brand, and has made great strides establishing
consumer trust in hybrid technology. With Prius c, Toyota will
make the market’s most proven hybrid technology available to subcompact
car shoppers with a starting MSRP below $19,000.
Unique Place in the Prius Family
A gateway product into the Prius Family, the new Prius c
will find favor with younger shoppers seeking a smartly designed,
fuel-efficient subcompact car packing advanced drivetrain and in-car
technology. The Prius c will offer engaging driving dynamics with superior urban maneuverability. When the 2012 Prius c arrives in showrooms this spring, the all-new hatchback will offer:
- The highest rated city fuel economy estimate of any vehicle without a plug*; 53 mpg in the city, and 46 mpg on the highway, for a combined rating of 50 mpg
- The most accessible Prius will feature a starting MSRP below $19,000 with proven hybrid powertrain and premium technology
- A premium subcompact car experience thanks to a wide array of available convenience and advanced in-car electronics features, including a standard 3.5-in. full color TFT multi-information display, hands-free phone capability, USB port with iPod® connectivity, and available Display Audio system with Navigation and Entune™
The scale of the all-new Prius c becomes apparentwhen compared to the familiar proportions of the midsize Prius Liftback. The Prius c is
smaller and lighter than its midsize Prius stable mate with 19.1 inches
less length (157.3 vs. 176.4 inches OAL) and 542 lbs. less weight than
the Prius Liftback (2,500 vs. 3,042 lbs.). In adapting the Hybrid
Synergy Drive to the smaller Prius c platform, each of the system’s major components were re-designed to reduce weight, scale, and improve efficiency.
OAL
|
OAH
|
OAW
|
Wheelbase
|
Curb weight
|
|
2012 Prius
|
176.4 in.
|
58.7 in.
|
68.7 in.
|
106.3 in.
|
3,042 lbs.
|
2012 Prius c
|
157.3 in.
|
56.9 in.
|
66.7 in.
|
100.4 in.
|
2,500 lbs.
|
Four Grades with Generous Standard Equipment
The Prius c will be available in four trim levels offering
desirable features, equipment, and enhanced capability giving consumers a
compelling value proposition. Prius c provides many standard
features such as automatic climate control, tilt-telescopic steering
wheel with audio, climate, Multi-Information Display and Bluetooth®
hands-free controls, and remote keyless entry with illuminated entry
among a long list of standard equipment.
Efficient Packaging
The Prius c’s effective packaging design strategically
locates key drivetrain components within the chassis to help optimize
interior space and handling. The compact gasoline engine, transaxle and
power-control unit are optimally placed within the vehicle to help
enhance weight distribution and lower the center of gravity. In
addition, the hybrid battery and fuel tank are positioned together
beneath the rear seat, ideally distributing their mass within the
wheelbase to improve weight distribution to help enhance handling. By
locating the battery and fuel tank below the rear seat, the Prius c is able to offer 104 cu. ft. of interior volume (87.4 cu. ft. passenger volume, 17.1 cu. ft. cargo volume).
Prius c Hybrid Synergy Drive Propulsion
The Prius c’s Hybrid Synergy Drive system integrates
the operation of components that include a gasoline engine, an electric
motor within a Continuously Variable Transaxle, a nickel-metal hydride
battery, a power control unit (inverter), a DC-DC converter, a step-up
converter and a hybrid control computer. The hybrid control computer
governs the seamless application of gasoline engine and electric power
depending on driving demands and selected drive mode.
Gasoline Engine
|
Engine Output
|
Electric Motor Output
|
Total System
Output
|
|
Prius
|
1.8-liter, four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle with VVT-i
|
98 hp@5200 rpm
105 lb.-ft.@4000 rpm
|
80 hp
(60 kW)
|
134 hp
(100 kW)
|
Prius c
|
1.5-liter, four-cylinder, Atkinson cycle with VVT-i
|
73 hp@4800 rpm
82 lb.-ft@4000 rpm
|
60 hp
(45kW)
|
99 hp
(74 kW)
|
The Prius c relies on a SULEV (Tier 2 Bin 3) rated 1.5-liter
in-line, four-cylinder gasoline engine that utilizes an Atkinson cycle
to increase efficiency. This engineproduces 73 horsepower and 82 lb.-ft.
of torque, contributing to a total hybrid system output of 99 hp.
The Prius c’s hybrid system utilizes a 144-volt nickel-metal
hydride battery pack that has been located under the rear passenger
seat, near the center of the vehicle, and low in the chassis to help
improve the center of gravity.
Prius c offers three distinct drive modes: Normal, Eco, and
EV mode. Eco mode reduces overall energy consumption by governing
climate control and throttle to improve vehicle efficiency. Under
certain conditions, the EV mode allows the Prius c to be driven solely by electric power for a short distance (under 1 mile) while remaining below 25 mph.
Vehicle Structure – Improved Handling and Safety
The Prius c’s body structure makes extensive use of
lightweight, high-strength steel to help reduce vehicle mass and improve
fuel economy. The strategic use of high-tensile-strength steel
contributes to the vehicle’s ability to absorb and disperse impact
energies helping enhance occupant safety. The high level of torsional
rigidity afforded by the Prius c body structure allows the suspension to be more optimally tuned for ride and handling.
Suspension and Steering for Enhanced Handling
The front suspension uses a Macpherson strut design, and the rear
rides on a tuned torsion beam. The coil-spring and shock-absorber
characteristics of the Prius c have been tuned to enhance handling, flat turning, and smooth ride comfort. Prius c is
available with 15- or 16-inch wheel-and-tire combinations. The 15-inch
wheels are available in steel with wheel cover for base model or in
aluminum alloy for elevated trim levels. Prius c models equipped
with the available 16-inch aluminum alloy wheels enjoy enhanced handling
thanks to a faster steering ratio (2.28 turns lock to lock), which
helps quicken the vehicle’s dynamic response.
Youthful Exterior and Interior Design
The Prius c exterior design helps project a fun, youthful
attitude for this all-new addition to the Prius family, while offering
excellent aerodynamic performance. Extensive aerodynamic features were
engineered into the Prius c to help achieve a 0.28 coefficient of drag. Adding character to this subcompact, the Prius c’s
lower-body styling is wider below the beltline, featuring sculpted rear
flares to help express a sturdy, athletic stance that communicates a
more agile driving experience.
The Prius c’s available exterior colors include vibrant hues that are unique and expressive. The available colors for Prius c include
three new colors – Habanero, Moonglow, and Summer Rain Metallic – along
with Blue Streak Metallic, Absolutely Red, Black Sand Pearl, Magnetic
Gray Metallic, Classic Silver Metallic, and Super White.
The Prius c interior design seeks to create a space that is
futuristic yet passenger friendly. Using black as a basic interior
color, the door trim, seat surfaces, and instrument panel feature
treatments in lighter colors to help create contrast.
The 2012 Prius c will offer three audio system
configurations. A base audio system features either four or six
speakers, depending on the model, and includes AM/FM CD player with
MP3/WMA playback capability, auxiliary audio jack, USB port with iPod® connectivity, hands-free phone capability, phone book access, and music streaming via Bluetooth® wireless technology.
The Display Audio with Navigation and Entune™ has six speakers and
augments capability with a 6.1-inch touchscreen, SiriusXM™ Satellite
Radio capability (with 3-month trial subscription to XM Select package),
HD Radio™ with iTunes® tagging, and advanced voice
recognition. Toyota’s Entune™ multi-media system functions through
select smart phones’ interface that brings applications such as Bing and
Pandora® to the vehicle audio display. It also features real time information such as traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports, and stocks.
Standard Safety Features
The Prius c is equipped with nine
airbags strategically located to help protect the driver and passengers
in the event of certain types of accidents. The new 2012 Prius c,
like allToyota models, is equipped with the standard Star Safety
System™, which includes Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction
Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake Force
Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), and Smart Stop Technology (SST).
* 2012 EPA 53/46/50 city/highway/combined mpg estimates. Actual mileage will vary.
