People who have difficulty walking use canes because they are more stable than two legs. Even young people who are not old use trekking poles when climbing mountains because it makes exertion much easier.
The 2023 Prius, reborn as the fifth generation, has acquired a hiking pole. Despite becoming younger with a fresh design. Because life has become harsher. There is no rule that the road ahead will only be a well-paved new road. In life you sometimes have to go along winding mountain passes. Moreover, you must not just run. You must run "like a Prius."
The fifth-generation Prius has an attractive design. It feels different from previous generations that prioritized efficiency. It is sophisticated. That fifth generation even added all-wheel drive. It is equipped with Toyota's proud "E-Four system."
Again, life has become unforgiving. Surprisingly, the biggest rival is electric vehicles. Who doesn't know that the Prius is a fuel-efficient car? But drivers who have experienced electric vehicles have begun to expect more from internal combustion cars. Although it is a hybrid, the Prius is no exception.
You need to refresh the design and add all-wheel drive to at least appeal to those who have experienced electric cars.
Toyota's all-wheel-drive "E-Four system" does not mechanically transmit engine power to the rear via a drive shaft. Without a separate device that transfers engine power to a rear differential, it adds an electric motor to the rear drive axle to turn all four wheels. Most modern electric vehicles use this method.
The "Prius HEV AWD XLE," released on Sept. 8, is a full-time all-wheel-drive equipped with Toyota's "E-Four system." Of course, it is not the type of four-wheel drive meant for fording streams or racing over rutted rocky roads.
It is the kind of all-wheel drive that improves driving performance and stability by appropriately distributing driving force to the front and rear with a rear motor on ordinary roads. It normally drives as a front-wheel drive to contribute to fuel efficiency true to the Prius name, but it immediately performs an auxiliary function when needed.
At start-up it improves acceleration, and in low-friction conditions such as snowy or rainy roads it helps maintain driving stability. The rear motor, which provides up to 30kW of output, contributes to smooth acceleration and stable handling.
Toyota's considerable advanced technology gives sensitive drivers confidence. Expectations bubble up that the car will move as the driver intends when ascending or descending winding courses, and the car actually responds that way. This kind of trust is rapport with the car. The basic element of what is commonly called "fun driving" is the "trust and rapport" that responds to the driver's intent.
The all-wheel-drive model "Prius HEV AWD XLE" puts "fun" on the fuel-efficient Prius hybrid.
The soprano acceleration sound of the 2.0L naturally aspirated gasoline engine that produces a maximum output of 152 horsepower somehow feels endearing. Since most of the cars I have test-driven recently are electric vehicles, it also feels like reminiscing the sounds of home I had forgotten for a while.
152 horsepower is not all the maximum output the Prius (hybrid) can produce. The system total output that adds the motor's output is 196 horsepower for the front-wheel-drive model and 199 horsepower for the all-wheel-drive model. The difference is slight, but sensitive drivers feel that difference physically.
Even if it is an all-wheel-drive that helps stable driving, it would be ridiculous if the Prius did not feel like a Prius.
What makes a Prius a Prius is still fuel efficiency. That the all-wheel drive does not cause a large efficiency loss makes the "Prius HEV AWD XLE" true to the Prius name.
The official combined fuel economy of the "Prius HEV AWD XLE" is 20.0km/l. In actual driving this figure usually comes out higher. It is rather difficult to drive to the official fuel economy.
There is a surprising fact. The front-wheel-drive Prius has a fuel economy of 20.9km/l. It is virtually no different from the all-wheel-drive model. Even with four-wheel drive, the Prius was still a Prius.
The mention of all-wheel drive makes one look again at the suspension of the fifth-generation Prius.
The Prius uses front MacPherson strut suspension and rear double-wishbone suspension for quick responsiveness and high rigidity. The double-wishbone suspension is well known for excellent steering response and driving stability. From the start it had suspension that could readily accept all-wheel drive. This suspension is originally excellent in grip and cornering performance, and the Prius used high-strength lightweight materials for the coil springs and stabilizer to also contribute to improved fuel efficiency.
The front MacPherson strut suspension increased cornering and straight-line stability by adjusting the camber angle of the suspension and the position of the stabilizer link. Changing the material of the coil spring reduced weight by 5%, and optimizing the bushing shape of the lower suspension arm minimized road noise.
Braking has reached a level where one cannot feel any awkwardness from regenerative braking. The awkwardness of regenerative braking is more often mentioned in modern electric vehicles. The regenerative braking of the Prius hybrid has effectively dispelled controversy over awkwardness with the fifth-generation Prius's "active hydraulic booster-G (AHB-G) brake."
A sensor detects the driver's brake pedal input and, based on that, appropriately distributes regenerative and hydraulic braking forces so that braking occurs at the level the driver wants. Regenerative braking efficiency is maximized while avoiding any sense of awkwardness.
The "AHB-G" device in the brakes contains a high-performance pump motor to provide sufficient braking force. With an on-demand pressurization system, it provides smooth brake operation and independently distributes front and rear braking forces to stably maintain the vehicle's posture during braking.
The basis of these devices is the second-generation TNGA platform (Toyota New Global Architecture Platform) of the fifth-generation Prius.
The second-generation TNGA platform improves driving performance with a low-center-of-gravity design and a high-rigidity body. It realized a low center of gravity through a 50mm lower height (PHEV SE / HEV LE) and 40mm lower height (PHEV XSE / HEV XLE) compared with before, and a 20mm wider width. Using high-strength materials increased body torsional rigidity and suspension tower rigidity to provide excellent handling, stability and ride comfort.
All of this forms the foundational devices that make all-wheel drive natural. The suggested retail price for the "2026 Prius HEV AWD XLE" is 45.3 million won (special consumption tax 3.5% basis).
[OSEN]