While there have been some reports saying that there will be a delay in the official roll out of the 2016 Toyota Prius to accommodate a last second redesign, it appears that Toyota CEO Jim Lentz has quashed the speculations by confirming that consumes will no longer have to wait long to see the next generation Prius.
But the Toyota executive still did not specify the exact date for the release of the 2016 Toyota Prius, only saying that it would be unveiled very soon, cites AutoGuide.com. But he did hint that the hybrid vehicle should be expected to debut this fall either at the Tokyo or Los Angeles auto shows. Production of the hybrid vehicle is said to start in Japan in December this year.
There are also reports that new Prius will not go into production until October 2016 during which it will come out already with wireless inductive charging capability and possibly a recharging plug.
Lenz also disclosed that he has had the opportunity to test drive the 2016 Toyota Prius and he says it was a fantastic experience for him.
He added that lower center of gravity of the 2016 Toyota Prius will make it quite superb and remarkable in handling that goes well with the hybrid vehicle’s stylish new design.
Better fuel economy
The Toyota CEO also confirmed that the next generation Prius will have better fuel economy than its current model but the initial reports of a 15% improvement over the current rating is bit on the overly optimistic side.
Lenz also explained that the last three generations of the Toyota Prius have averaged a six-year market cycle. The current model of the Prius was introduced to the market way back in 2009, which means that this is the year really when a new model of the hybrid car will come out in order to be consistent with its own market cycle for the Prius.
The 2016 Toyota Prius will be the first vehicle from the Japanese carmaker that will be using the new Toyota New Global Architecture or TGNA.
Continuing test runs
If the continued testing of the prototypes of the 2016 Toyota Prius in various parts of the world is any indication, it seems like the launching of the hybrid car is getting closer and closer.
In May, a heavily-camouflaged Prius was captured on video fuelling up at a gas station in North America. Last week, another prototype of the 2016 model was spotted cruising on the streets of a large city in Thailand.
Accordingly, the 2016 Toyota Prius will be more of a driver’s car than its predecessor model, as it will be fitted with blacked-out alloy wheels with a sporty design.
Last year, there were reports that the Japanese carmaker was not happy with the design of the 2016 Toyota Prius so the company sent it back to the studio to make it sportier, thus causing the delay in its production.
I just saw the 2016 Prius this morning on the streets of Tokyo. It was stopped at a stoplight behind the current gen. I had to do a double take to make sure it was indeed a Prius. Front end design is handsome. The rest of the car is similar to current gen.