I'm not sure what "geared CVT" is, but I'm quite sure that the principle is the same in the 2001-2003 Prius as in the 2004. A planetary gear with lots of control systems takes care of both motor and engine output to produce a smooth ride.

I agree with the rest of your post. I wonder if they checked the SoC of the battery before and after the test run?

Johan Erlandsson

See mileage data for my 00 Prius.
See my environmental performance (still in swedish only, feel free to ask).