So, here we are. 12 hours from the big reveal of the first addition to the family. Tomorrow is kind of like a wedding with Toyota bringing an unknown commodity into the Prius clan. A January wedding in snowy Detroit, but still, kind of like a wedding. Right now is obviously the best time to start talking up what YOU think the Prius v is going to bring to the table. Does the Prius v have to hit a minimum mileage mark to be worthy of the Prius moniker? If so, what is it? 40 MPG, 45 MPG? I'm thinking it'll have a 2.5 liter engine with an HSD system similar to the 3rd Gen Prius. What kind of guesses do you want to throw out there for the PriusChat community to munch on? Remember, no one's wrong until 1pm Eastern. You can watch the live Prius v reveal right here on PriusChat. Coverage begins at 12:30pm Eastern: http://priuschat.com/2011-prius-family-reveal
Although I'm sure the Prius v is underneath a cloth sheet, inside a truck, inside a building, with 24/7 security guards watching it right now, there was a quick segment on the 10 o'clock news tonight (Sunday) that showed a "sneak peak" at the autoshow and it had a car that looked A LOT like the front end shot that we've seen of the Prius v (like the the link you posted above). I assume 99.9 that what I saw was not the Prius v, but whatever it was it sure looked like it during that quick one second that they showed on tv.
Prius v: -160 combined hp - 5 seat station wagon design - starts at $25k w/ similar but fewer packages as current prius
Screw it, going out on a limb and saying this will share the drive train with the Camry hybrid, not the Prius. As such its mileage will be worse, but for a hauling vehicle I am not sure the current Prius drive train will cut it. If I am right about Camry drive train, base price of this will be about $26k.
I think it is going to have a new generation of larger Atkinson cycle ICE that will eventually go into Camry hybrid and HS250h, possibly 2.5 liter. I am still hoping for the pull out 3rd row for a total of 7. Price may be between Mazda 5 and Sienna depending on the options.
not sure what the specs will be, but I am wondering one thing: Prius v ...is the "v" pronounced like the letter "v", or is it a "5" ? hard to hear through the internet. lol
It uses the same 1.8 liter HSD as the Prius. The interior is very upscale. I like it better than the current Prius. 40 MPG seems low for being Prius. Lexus CT200h compact is rated for 42 MPG (with the same 1.8 liter) so it is good for Mazda 5 size.
I'm starting to think the regular prius has hit a hard upper bound for MPG, for it's size, weight and aerodynamics. aerodynamics is probably the biggest limiting factor here, since wind resistance increases at roughly velocity squared. So even tiny decreases in slipperiness could hit mpg hard.
It's probably getting there. Weight could always be reduced to help city mileage but making it out of carbon fiber is not going to happen. Things like a stronger motor to accept more regen braking can give improvements, though. For its highway I can't see huge increases except over time.
