LONDON, July 24 — Toyota Europe has announced that the new version of its Prius Plug-in Hybrid will be able to carry up to five people thanks to redesigned back seats.
The transition from four to five seats has been made possible through the installation of a new back seat designed to increase passenger capacity while maintaining comfort. Also new in the interior is new cloth upholstery intended to increase visual quality.
Not much else has changed in the new model. The Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid still has the hybrid engine offering fuel consumption averaging 1.3 litres/100 km, the equivalent of 28 grammes per kilometer of carbon dioxide emissions. In full-electric mode, the vehicle can travel up to 45 km and reach a maximum speed of 135 kph. The car's exterior has not changed, although Toyota has added a new metallic black colour option.
As before, this model is equipped with a heat pump using exterior air and a large rooftop solar panel which produces electricity to recharge the hybrid battery. Depending on weather conditions, this solar charger can increase the vehicle's autonomy on electric power up to five kilometres a day. — AFP-Relaxnews
