Toyota Dazzles With All-New 2016 Prius

Toyota unveiled the all-new, fourth-generation Prius the other night in Las Vegas, and those spy photos that were circulating around the web were right. As you can see from these photos, the 2016 Toyota Prius has a striking exterior design that shares more than a few visual cues with their hydrogen-powered Mirai.

Reactions have been mixed so far, but personally I like the fact that Toyota is taking some creative risks, as lets be honest.. The old Prius is pretty forgettable looking.

The hood is lower and the distinctive roof peak has been moved forward. Bold character lines run along the side from the front fenders – one just above the sill that sweeps up towards the rear fender, while the upper crease morphs into the rear spoiler, which has been lowered.

The use of new standard LED headlamps minimizes the Prius’ front fascia and, at the same time, provides an arresting lighting display which helps define the vehicle’s character. The unique and striking rear combination lamps express the distinctive lines of the Prius from the rear spoiler to the trailing edges of the sides.

The Prius’ new, premium interior adopts advanced technology complemented by features that are functional, fun and have high visual impact. The wrap-around dash design, form-hugging seats, ease of controls and improved visibility put the driver in complete control.

The wide instrument panel, seamlessly designed to be both functional and beautiful, gives a sense of comfort and spaciousness. Available premium white ornamentation in the lower sections of the cabin is reminiscent of fine bone china.

The new Prius is 2.4 inches longer, 0.6 inches wider and 0.8 inches lower than the outgoing, third-gen model it replaces, providing a planted on-road presence while delivering more occupant and cargo room. Toyota is claiming that the new platform gives the Prius a lower center of gravity which, when combined with the new, responsive suspension package, will “dial up the driving excitement.”

Toyota hasn’t giving us specifics of the powertrain or fuel economy of the new Prius, but they promise a 10% fuel economy improvement on core models, so expect something like 56/53/55 city/highway/combined fuel economy for the new Prius.

No word yet on pricing or availability, but we’ll be sure to update you as more information becomes available.