Prius c engine displacement, etc.

The 1.8l is already EPA certified (same in other countries) that would make it a LOT cheaper.

A smaller Prius would not be on my radar, I am more a Prius v customer, so it won't cannibalize those who need the room. If you drive all alone with no gear, it may replace a current Prius.

 

That appears to be the plan. The cost for the 1.8L may even be less than for a 1.5L atkinson version. The drawback is extra weight, but the prius c already will weigh less than the prius.

If you look at the mazda skyactive engine there are some tricks to make it more efficient. I don't think toyota intends to make changes to the engine design, but there are some efficiency techniques.

Toyota is licensing hsd to mazda. We can expect that they know if they don't offer the latest features someone else will.

The current improvements are Lithium and DI. You can bet toyota has been working on them. The thing is every one knows about this, so hyundai, ford, and gm already may be designing prius beaters for the next round. Hyundai is the leading candidate.

 

Can you give a source? Mine was car and driver, but they don't have a firm comment from toyota. I have not read that anyone in the industry has mentioned an engine for the yaris hsd. So I have no idea on the yaris either way.

 

Thanks.
That is pure speculation from a priuschatter. Then again I engage in the same pure speculation. I only have educated guesses on the engine on the yaris hsd, and my gut says 1.5-1.8L.

Here is one article mentioning the 1.8L on the prius c
Toyota Prius c Concept Debuts: Toyota Prius News

 

I am more curious still, about the use of li-ion. There is to be a version of Prius V, with a third row of seats made possible by a more compact li-ion battery. Could something like that find its way into the C as well? Is Toyota being gradual about li-ion because they make so many more units than the competitors, and therefore have a far bigger supply problem with such an innovation?

 

producing lion batteries is not completely different from producing nimh, Toyota already adopted some lines (100k/year) in their Panasonic JV plant for lion battery production.

problem is cost and unknown reliability, which might make them use nimh for models that should be cheaper than Prius.

I would expect Prius to gain lion a lot sooner than smaller and more affordable models.

 

My random speculation is different, i say they will launch the yaris HSD with lithium, expecting low volumes in the first year (auris HSD had 15k units in 2010). that way the can monitor, learn and expand. then each new model released (actual new, not this "model year" rubbish) will get lithium from the get go.

 

Hm, I think it would be cool if Toyota made the Prius C much like the second generation. Had the same drive train, electric motor, battery, engine, voltages, ect.

HOPEFULLY IT WILL HAVE THE LARGE COLORFUL ENERGY MONITOR.

 

Here's some speculation on the c without any real news, but with decent analysis:

Alas, that’s all we know for sure right now, as Toyota hasn’t released specifics on the concept, let alone the production model. If the FT-CH exercise is any guide, however, the 2013 Toyota Prius c should be a whopping 22 inches shorter, an inch or so narrower, and several hundred pounds lighter than the familiar Prius hatchback. That should allow using a smaller, lighter battery pack and maybe a smaller, lighter 4-cylinder gasoline engine, perhaps on the order of 1.2 liters versus 1.8.

Reality Check: 2013 Toyota Prius c

I'm hoping that Toyota does not "short-sell" the c so that it makes it cool, but if, as the writer suggests, the c is supposed to be entry level and several hundred pounds lighter I would be really surprised that the weight reduction would come from only from the smaller chassis. The author also speculates that to keep the costs in-line with its target crowd, Toyota will use NiMH.

It's a fun read, and I hope we have specifics about the c soon.

 

Me too!

I'm not interested in the Prius V or the PHEV due to my long highway commute. I would be interested in a smaller Prius that could pull off 60mpg average (EPA rated).

 

You might get your wish. But I definitely think Toyota will use their venerable NiMh battery as it is extremely reliable and very cheap. The 1.8L will more than likely be used to provide a lot of oompf and may steal sales from leftover Prius 2. They're showing seats with no padding, (i.e. mesh) so everything is on the table for saving weight. Seats are a BIG weight factor as is general size. Take glass, they may use Prius v resin for the back window and the concept looks like it uses reverse opening rear doors (like the xtra cab on the Tundra).

 

Just a guess but I am going to say an atkinson cycle modified 1NR-FE (1.3L). The size is right, and it is a new engine and made in quantities by Toyota.

Putting a 1.8L from the Prius would allow for only a small MPG gain of less then 5mpg in my opinion. With a projected 60 or more MPG you need to shrink the engine. With the lighter weight of the C the car will feel at least as snappy as the current Prius.

From wikipedia:
The 1NR-FE is a compact straight-4 [ame="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piston_engine"]piston engine[/ame] featuring "Stop & Start" technology and Dual VVT-i. It was introduced into European market in late 2008 with the Yaris XP9F. Improved engine performance combined with low emissions and fuel consumption was the principal aim during its development. Advanced engineering has been applied throughout the 1NR-FE engine. Toyota engineers streamlined the engine's intake channel, used computer simulation to optimise airflow, smoothened all surfaces for less turbulence and rounded off all angles and sharp edges inside the engine. One of the key elements of the 1NR-FE engine is its piston design. Smaller and lighter than on the previous 1.3 unit, they are designed with a smaller contact area and use carbon ceramide, an advanced material commonly used in Formula One engineering, to reduce friction. The engine also features cooled exhaust gas recirculation (cold area specification models only) to reduce pumping losses and reduce NOx emissions.

 

So in keeping with Toyota's numbering the engine would be a 2NR-FXE for Atkinson cycled engines. Hmm makes one wonder if they would use the same types of pistons in the 1.8L instead of all aluminum. Of course with the lower compression why would they.

 

High voltage, low capacity, NMH traction battery mated to a 1.4 - 1.6L atkinson ICE. That is my guess for the Prius C. I won't be surprised if the pack is half the volume of the one in the Prius. At this point Toyota might be approaching a $1000 hybrid premium to increase fuel economy overall by 30-50%.

 

It won't be a "30-50%" increase, since the most economical engine in the Yaris right now is the 1.4D at 67mpg...