The Prius Prime is the newest model of this popular hybrid vehicle, and it packs some impressive features in its compact frame. It’s also the only Prius model that can run completely on an electric battery, going up to 25 miles on a single charge.
Exterior Styling
The exterior of the Prime looks similar to the traditional Prius, but it offers a few style updates. Its overall shape is sleeker and sportier with clean lines and rounded edges. The front end is especially aggressive with a wide, low grille and a sloping hood. It’s also available in appealing colors like magnetic gray metallic, blue magnetism, titanium glow, hypersonic red, classic silver metallic, and blizzard pearl. The back end of the Prime also showcases a carbon-fiber hatchback that’s made in the same Japanese plant that manufactured the carbon fiber Lexus LFA supercar.
Interior Appeal
The cabin of the 2017 Prime is also quite appealing, with a 7-inch multimedia screen that comes standard on the base model and a large 11.6-inch touchscreen display in the mid-level trim. That trim level also has premium synthetic leather upholstery on the seats, an upgraded multimedia system, and wireless phone charging capabilities. If you opt for the highest of the three trim levels, your Prime’s interior will include a heated steering wheel, remote climate control operation, a semi-automated parking function, a high-end audio system, and a head-up display.
Innovative Safety Features
For many drivers, safety is the top concern when shopping for a new car. The Prius Prime doesn’t disappoint in this area, especially on the top Advanced trim level that comes with blind spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert.
Class-Leading Performance
The Prime is also the most efficient car in its class, making it even more appealing to those who want to reduce their environmental impacts. Beneath its hood you’ll find 1.8-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine that puts out 95 horsepower on its own. It works along with an updated 8.8-kWh 95-cell battery, taking the combined output to 121 horsepower and 105 pound-feet of torque. The new battery in this version of the Prius is twice as large, and it can go more than twice as far on a charge.
It also charges a lot faster, filling up completely in 2 hours and 10 minutes on a 240-volt plug or 5.5 hours on a 120-volt plug. If you’re operating it solely on the electric battery, the EPA estimated economy comes in at 133 MPGe. But even when operating it as a hybrid with the gas-powered engine, it can still return an average of 54 miles per gallon combined.
Eligible for Tax Credits
The federal government offers incentives to buyers of hybrid and electric vehicles. Your state may also have available incentives. So if the price tag is keeping you from heading to your nearest Toyota dealer to buy a Prime, you may want to consider this exciting fact. In fact, buyers are eligible for tax credits of up to $4,500 when buying a Prius Prime.
With so many impressive aspects, it’s easy to see why the 2017 Prius Prime is generating so much buzz. Test drive one today to experience the sleek car for yourself.
Image via Toyota.com
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