Things might be tough in the automotive sector, but some rays of sunshine are shining through. For Toyota, that beam has been its Prius, the poster boy for environmentally friendly motoring. For 2010, the car has not only garnered even more attention for its contributions to the greener side of things, but is a best seller in Japan from its release and ended off the banner year with the Japanese Car of the Year Award.

It might be clouded in a bit of controversy, but the Toyota Prius has made the Hybrid car fashionable and assessable. One would come to believe it’s a one trick pony, however Toyota has managed to make the necessary leaps to keep it on the forefront. Now in its 3rd generation, the Prius has evolved into the mass-market machine expected. The new body design, while aggressive and stylish, still is functional, reducing wind resistance. Inside it’s a revelation. Interior materials have been not only increased in quality, but developed in eco-friendly ways. Small touches like the lightweight bioplastics help keep the body weight down again to help fuel efficiency. It’s also the brave new world in appearance as it continues the trend of redefining ergonomics.

Mechanically, the engine has grown with the body as well. The new 1.8-litre motor is actually more efficient than the outgoing motor options due to its larger displacement. The higher amount of torque means the Prius no longer feels wheezy on the road and is able to provide more power to the electric side of things. Despite this, the whole package is 20  per cent lighter as the gasoline engine is the first in the world not to require accessory belts, and the electric motor contains more compact internals. This gives the Prius the ability to sustain 50mpg, partially helped by the fact that it can run full electric up to 30mph. For the real green there is the solar panel roof option that powers the car’s HVAC system, and in smaller numbers a plug-in model allowing even more flexibility and range.

However, while the green-tech is great, the big change has been to convert the Prius to normalcy. Hybrid motoring is rather awkward to those used to petrol power and has been seen as the barrier to getting more into Prius seats. The 2010 car breaks that barrier easily, starting with the driving feel. A lot of time was spent making the Prius feel like a normal vehicle. This meant handling tweaks that still retained efficiency, but gave drivers the natural feedback they expected. The new drivetrain also figured into this with its higher horsepower and reprogrammed CVT transmission. More importantly, the car now has a host of convenience options in line with the rest of Toyota’s automotive products, from Bluetooth, to back-up cameras, to premium stereo systems.

The success of the Prius has been a simple and effective move to the middle ground. By meeting drivers halfway, it moves away from the alienation the older models were perceived to have without giving up its core value of being the premium eco-friendly motoring choice.

RD