From the pressroom.toyota.com press release on the '06 Prius yesterday: http://pressroom.toyota.com/Releases/View?...YT2005110477677 "Prius employs the industry-leading Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), Toyota's third-generation gas-electric hybrid powertrain technology. HSD gives the Prius acceleration comparable to a four-cylinder, mid-size car, with zero-to-60 mph acceleration in about 10 seconds." Toyota's third-generation gas-electric powertrain technology? What am I missing here? Isn't the '05 second generation?
I think G1 was the Japan only Prius.. The very first one. I then believe G2 was the first Prius in the USA. And, G3 is what? 2004, 2005, 2006? Or, is G3 only 2005, 2006? Something like that. My understanding is also, that the current hybrid technology in the Ford escape is the G2 from Toyota. Which, even on a good day puts that thing on a level behind the leader.
daron is correct. The true first generation was sold only in Japan, a few have now been exported elsewhere. In the US most of us consider the '01-'03 1G, '04-'06 2G, and suspect that '08 MY will bring about a 3G.
In the U.S. most refer to the '01-'03 as Gen 1 (to us) and the '04-'06 as Gen 2. A few, in deference to the early Japanese model ('97-'00), call THAT Gen 1. The Yahoo Prius groups, where I hung out before (and still monitor) use the U.S. 1-2 frame of reference; two of the groups call themselves "2G" ('04 and after). From the broader perspective, the Japanese-only model was Gen 1, even though substantial changes were made to bring it to the U.S. market. Call them as you will.
They're referring to the 3rd generation HYBRID powertrain, not the model itself. Even though our 01-03 was sort of a gen 1.5, it had the updated THS II hybrid powertrain and thus the 2nd generation powertrain.
If they're calling the current HCH 4th generation hybrid tech, then the Highlander/400h qualifies as 4th gen HSD tech also, and the next Toyota one would be 5th generation.
