Is my car a prius 3 or 4? vincheckup website says Trim: Four. but 2015 is supposed to be Gen 3 right? Trying to learn more about the car to get proper answers to questions in here.
There was a Prius Four for 2015. The main difference between a Three and Four trim level for 2015 is cloth versus SofTex.
There are generations, and there are trims. Generations: 2001–3 was Gen 1, 2004–9 was Gen 2, 2010–15 was Gen 3, and so on. Trims: in each generation, you could buy the car in different trim levels, which came with different stuff.
Toyota didn't use their usual trim designations(LE, XLE, etc.) with the Prius until about the halfway point of the gen4's life. Before that, it was just numbers.
No alternator on a Prius. The 12V components and accessories are supplied power by a DC-to-DC converter that steps down the voltage from the traction battery. The inverter on the car switch the current between AC and DC between the motor/generators and the battery. M/G1 replaces the alternator functions, as it is virtually always making electricity while the engine is running.
And before that, at least for 2010 model year, in the States, it was Roman Numerals (I through V), which created a bit of confusion when the Prius v (a distinct model from Prius) came out, in 2012. Our 2010 Canadian "Touring" Prius is comparable to a US Prius V, albeit stripped of some of the high tech stuff. This is a REALLY good resource for older car brochures: Auto-Brochures | home
