I wonder will Toyota upgrade next year new 2.0 hybrid engine to Prime/PHV - the new hybrid engine will be available for next generation Auris New Toyota Auris launched with more powerful hybrid | Autocar It has 178 bhp..also new battery.. more info about new powertrains Toyota Announces New Powertrain Units Based on TNGA | CORPORATE | TOYOTA Global Newsroom
I believe that is for their larger, heavier vehicles. It will likely be used as a Hybrid since no mention is made of a Plugin version. In fact the current Prius & Prime do bot have a belt based CVT. It is directly gear driven. They call it an eCVT because it functions similar to a belt driven CVT.
i have been holding of on prime, waiting for toyota's announcement. this could be a prius paradigm shift.
It would be a nice upgrade. The extra power can help compete with the Volt and if they up the battery size, it can offset the additional weight. (And also solve the 5th seat problem.... more structural reinforcement... more weight... ). The only drawback is whether the chassis can support the 2.0 litre engine with the large battery. (I don't know how much heavier the 2.0 litre is compared to the 1.8 litre). The other option is the 2.0 litre may go into the Touring models of the standard Prius or there may be a special edition Prius with the larger engine.
