Prius - more power and efficiency

The first two generations of Toyota’s groundbreaking Prius put hybrid vehicles on the map, establishing hybrids as mainstream choices.

Now Toyota’s ready with an all-new, third-generation Prius for 2010. It improves on almost all of the current Prius shortcomings, delivers even better fuel economy and, when it hits showrooms in late May, likely will be priced little more than the current Prius.

The 2010 Prius is so superior to the car it replaces that it almost achieves what should be a primary engineering goal for all hybrids: making you forget you’re driving a hybrid.

Hybrids typically are a little whiny and wheezy, particularly if you’re merging into fast-moving traffic in which you’d like something resembling acceleration.

That shortcoming is addressed by the 2010 Prius’ new 1.8-liter four-cylinder that is a solid 22 horses stronger than the outgoing Prius 1.5-liter. The new engine, now all-aluminum, makes a serious difference in all driving situations and is a major factor in eradicating the light-on-power feeling that is a hallmark of hybrid driving dynamics.

Toyota engineers say the larger engine raises the 2010 Prius’ efficiency to 50 mpg city/49 mpg highway, compared with 48 mpg city/45 mpg highway for the current Prius.

“Hybrid synergy drive” — the electric stuff that combines with the gasoline engine to drive the car and recover energy when the Prius decelerates — provides some of the special entertaining and techie features of the 2010 Prius. On the center console just forward of the gear-selection lever are three buttons labeled “EV,” “ECO mode” and “Power mode.”

Punch the EV setting and you run purely on electric power up to 25 mph and as far as 1 mile (a longer distance would deplete the Prius’ nickel-metal hydride batteries too much). The ECO mode massages the inputs from the throttle and puts the air-conditioning into an energy-conserving setting, maximizing your fuel-economy potential.

Some of the new toys available for the 2010 Prius include a solar panel incorporated into the optional sunroof that runs a fan that helps cool a parked Prius while you’re away, as well as light-emitting diode headlights, which currently are offered almost exclusively for big-money luxury-sport cars.