The first redesign of the Toyota Prius hybrid in almost seven years will debut on September 8 in Las Vegas, the automaker announced. Toyota spokesman Ryo Sakai told Bloomberg that the 2016 Toyota Prius will be shown to media on September 8. However, he did not say when production or sales of the new model will begin.
Toyota last updated the Prius in 2009, with the model becoming the first hybrid to cross 500,000 units in its first full year on the market. Prius sales in Japan are dwindling because of the lack of major updates, while US sales are affected by low gasoline prices which do not favor hybrid vehicle purchases.
Sales in Japan, the Prius’ biggest market, fell 31 percent this year through June, while deliveries in the US dropped 14 percent during the same period. The Prius also has to face increasing competition from other hybrid and electric vehicles.
The revamped Prius will be the first model to implement Toyota’s effort to reduce development costs by 20 percent through sharing platforms, parts and powertrains. The model will get a smaller and lighter yet more efficient hybrid powertrain with new electric motors boasting higher-power density and an improved gasoline motor. The system will drive the front wheels through a CVT, with fuel efficiency expected to see an improvement of around 10 percent.
Toyota will continue to offer a Prius plug-in hybrid model, which will be available with a wireless charging system through a special pad placed in the owner’s garage or driveway.
While the plug-in model will use lithium-ion technology, it’s still not clear if the regular Prius will adopt it as well rather than continue with nickel-metal-hydride batteries.
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