Automotive
America got its first look at the newest addition to the Prius family from Toyota last week. Known as the Prius c, this new hybrid car was unveiled at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit on January 10. Having just finished a
test drive and been impressed by the
fuel efficiency and
handling of another Toyota
model -- the
2012 Prius v that will be reviewed separately on this blog shortly -- I'm looking forward to getting behind the wheel of the latest Prius
vehicle soon to experience it first-hand.
The 2012 Toyota Prius v, big sister to the brand new Prius c
iPhone photo by Janis Brett Elspas, MommyBlogExpert.com
The smaller and shorter Prius c -- the c stands for "city" -- will be available in
March 2012. At
53 mpg in town and
46 mpg on the highway with a
combined rating of 50 mpg, this
urban-friendly model has the highest
in-city fuel efficiency of any car
without a plug in America according to
Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc.
Designed as a five-door hatchback with a starting MSRP below $19,000, this all-new vehicle will usher in Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive to the subcompact market when it goes on sale. This car will be offered in three new uber cool colors: Habanero, Moonglow, and Summer Rain Metallic, in addition to existing hues such as Blue Streak Metallic, Absolutely Red, Black Sand Pearl, Magnetic Gray Metallic, Classic Silver Metallic, and Super White.
The Prius c joins siblings that include the third generation Prius Liftback and the new Prius v, both already on the market, and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid which will debut early this year. Since the first generation of the Prius was introduced to consumers 14 years ago, more than two million of the brand's units have been sold around the world. With Prius c, Toyota's most proven hybrid technology will finally be available to subcompact car shoppers, in addition to having access to options such as the car manufacturer's sophisticated Entunes system which was first announced last summer.
Based on what I've learned so far about this car and my own current experience with the Toyota
brand -- because of its
hip styling and
pricing -- I wouldn't be surprised if the Prius c sells particularly well to
first-time and
youthful drivers as well as to
older consumers who are
young at heart but also
budget conscious.
Have you test driven any hybrid cars? If yes, what did you think of the experience?
FTC Disclosure: I was selected for participation in the Toyota Women Influencers Network TWIN community through a program with Clever Girls Collective. I did not receive any compensation for writing this post or payment in exchange for participating. The opinions expressed herein are mine, and do not reflect the views of Toyota or any of its brands. See complete FTC Disclosure information that appears at the bottom of MommyBlogExpert's main page and at the bottom of every individual post on this blog, including this one.
