2010 Toyota Prius Review – Walkaround and Interior Features
By Sam Moses [NewCarTestDrive]
There are significant changes in the styling of the new 2010 Prius,
all of them good we think, resulting in a sleeker car.
Walkaround
The coefficient
of drag has been reduced to 0.25 from 0.26, enabling the Prius to
continue its rein as one of the world’s most slippery passenger cars.
It’s about half an inch longer, all in the cowl, a result of A-pillars
that are moved forward to radically rake the windshield; and about
3/4-inch wider.
The roof is the same height, but its apex is moved back 3.9 feet,
smoothing the aerodynamic wedge. It’s got a discreet double hump that
adds character and curiosity.
The upper grille opening is smaller and tidier to more efficiently move
air over the hood. A new lip over the rear deck not only improves air
flow, it eliminates the chopped-off-tail look of the previous Prius.
The fender arches are a bit more aggressive, almost bulkier looking,
but they reflect additional aero improvement. The bumpers are sharper
and squarer at the corners than before. You can’t see the underbody
covers with splitters, but they too are part of the aerodynamic scheme,
to achieve that 0.25 Cd.
The blue-tinted headlights are elegant wraparound trapezoids, with
optional LED lenses consuming 17-percent less battery power. There’s a
styling tweak, like a wave or a lip or, with a stretch of the
imagination, a lightning bolt at the top, and it works, to deliver
distinction. The taillights are standard LED, reducing power draw by 88
percent.
The rear wiper is huge, and effective in keeping rain off all that
glass back there. The matt black trim around the windows on the Prius
II and III trim levels doesn’t do much to complement the car; the satin
black finish on the Prius IV and V is nicer.
Interior Features
The Prius interior is satisfying, at least with the optional
leather we tested. There’s a nice cozy cockpit feeling in the driver’s
seat, nestled by a stylish center console that runs from dashboard to
between the seats at a gentle slope. The CVT shift lever is located
there, just ahead of the world’s easiest-to-reach cubby. Oddly, the
heated seats button is located on the floor under the console, as if
they ran out of wire and it couldn’t reach.
The upper and lower gloveboxes hold a magnificent 12 liters. The
all-new front seats are comfortable with increased bolstering and
adjustability, addressing complaints about the previous Prius. The trim
looks nice, and Toyota claims it’s made of plant-derived resin
ecologically friendly plastic with excellent recycling characteristics.
There’s 20 mm (0.8 inches) more rear legroom, partly due to thinner
front seatbacks. The 60/40 split rear seats (with folding armrest
having two cupholders) drop flat, yielding nearly 39.6 cubic feet of
cargo volume, easily accessible through the big liftgate. And there’s
another 2 cubic feet in the tray for tools and laptops, hiding under
the floor of the cargo area. The compact spare tire is another level
down. A tonneau cover for the cargo area is standard.
There’s good forward visibility even over the long dashboard, stretched
by the steeply sloped windshield, although, as with other aero cars
(the Honda Fit comes to mind), you can’t see the front corners. And
visibility out the rear glass is somewhat compromised by the
aerodynamically sloped roofline.
The space-shippy four-spoke steering wheel with many controls is
interesting and not ugly, and speaking of space ships it’s cool to
watch the multi-function display of the instrument panel, although the
novelty might wear off. Or not. On a 5-inch-wide screen, there are
graphs and images, including an Energy Monitor, displaying the battery
charge in real time; a Hybrid System Indicator that reveals the
efficiency of your driving technique; fuel mileage in 1- or 5-mile
increments; past fuel mileage; and a Touch Tracer Display that projects
steering-wheel-control information upward so you can keep your eyes on
the road.
Curiously, in a vehicle made for techies, the USB port isn’t standard equipment.