Page 58 - ElectriCar Magazine
P. 58

                   Prime can drive up to 25 miles using pure electric power
P rius needs no introduction. Its claim to fame is its
amazing gas mileage, efficiency-first styling and space-age interior. While
the interior and styling have changed over the years, the Prius’ retains its fuel-sipping tendencies, which are even better in the Prius Prime.
With the regular Prius, you can only fill up its gas tank. But what if you could separately recharge its battery pack for even better efficiency? The Prius Prime answers that question. It has a bigger battery and can drive
in full All-Electric mode for 25 miles or so. For many people, that’s more than enough for around-town driving. Once the battery is depleted, the Prius’ hybrid powertrain takes over and delivers excellent fuel efficiency.
We also like that Toyota has addressed a couple of issues on the 2020 Prius Prime. It now has a rear bench seat with a fifth seat and comes standard with Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa. The latter is
an appealing substitute to Toyota’s native Entune infotainment system.
56
There are still a couple of downsides, including tepid acceleration and a small cargo area. But on the whole,
the Prius Prime is worth checking out
if you’re shopping for an affordable and efficient Plug-In Hybrid.
All Prius Prime models feature the
All Prius Prime models feature the same powertrain and basic layout. Once the battery is depleted, the hybrid powertrain takes over and delivers great fuel efficiency
same powertrain and basic layout, so opt for the XLE trim. It gives you a decent set of extra features while keeping the price reasonable. Its notable add-ons compared to the base LE are its standard navigation system, larger touchscreen,
simulated leather upholstery and a wireless smartphone charger.
The 2020 Toyota Prius Prime is available in three trim levels: LE,
XLE and Limited. All share the same hybrid powertrain with EV mode and perform identically, so the differences among them boil down to features. The LE is obviously the value play
of the range, but it has a decent list
of standard equipment. The XLE, meanwhile, brings a few key comfort- oriented items. The Limited level adds a lot of features that will surely appeal to tech-savvy buyers, though they come at a big increase in price.
All Prius Prime have a 1.8-liter four- cylinder engine paired to a Plug-In Hybrid system. Total system output is 121 horsepower, delivered to the front wheels through a specialized continuously variable automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard. All-wheel drive is only available on the regular Prius.
The EPA estimates the Prime can drive up to 25 miles using pure electric power. Fully charging the battery takes 5.5 hours using
 ElectriCar Magazine












































































   56   57   58   59   60