The Prius is, without doubt, one of the best-known names in Toyota’s lineup, and people tend to have a lot of trust in that name in general. And Toyota don’t seem to be planning on resting on their success anytime soon, as the company has been quite active in improving what the Prius offers, including in its alternative variants. Recently, it’s been revealed that the 2015 Prius C is going to get some refreshing improvements, bringing it up to a more modern level.
And it’s certainly true that the Prius C has needed this update for a while now, as the car was generally known for being underpowered and not really impressive in any way. The updates that Toyota have announced don’t seem to be that excessive, but they still look like they have the potential to make the Prius C a more interesting offer. Fuel efficiency has been improved, and the 73 horsepower engine can actually deliver 50 mpg.
While this may sound like quite a lot – and it really isn’t a small number – it should be kept in mind that the Prius C is a hybrid, and it uses some tricks to reach that mileage, including regenerative braking and electric power steering. According to reports, the car is capable of going for at least one full mile just on electric power, which isn’t a small feat in itself.
The new 2015 Prius C also comes with an “Economic” mode, which will make fuel efficiency even better through the use of advanced technology. The drawback is that the car won’t feel as responsive when throttling, and it might also not be the ideal mode for hot summer days, as it will sacrifice some of the air conditioner’s power in order to give the car itself slightly better performance.
It’s nothing impressive, and the Prius C has certainly never been known as a powerful vehicle in the first place – but it seems like the new 2015 version will fit a nice market niche given its price, and should do a nice job at attracting some new customers to the brand. Not that Toyota have been showing any signs of suffering in this regard lately, but you can never go wrong with getting even more exposure in this market.
Those who’re interested in a moderately priced car with great fuel performance, although admittedly not much power under the hood, should definitely take a look at the 2015 Prius C, but buyers who insist on getting a lot of performance out of their car might want to look elsewhere, as the market certainly has more powerful offers in this price bracket from some of Toyota’s competitors.