I've had to be quiet about it for a long time, but I can finally share my driving experience with the Prius Prime. A few weeks ago, I traveled to Japan to drive the Prime. Below is a dump of photos from the time I had with the Prime, and my First Drive review will be posted soon.
Thanks for sharing! Weren't you allowed to take pictures of the dash ? I guess the graphics displayed are probably a bit different to the graphics displayed in the normal version . I hate when Toyota does this,I mean the vehicle will be available soon anyway !
Re: Silver Prime, black dash... Was that the black applique accessory over the front (or rear) console with the 11.6" screen or was it really an OEM black console?
One would think we should start hearing specs for internal ft3 etc soon. When does it go on sale in Japan?...at least we get the Japan specs.
From NYIAS, it's the black applique accessory 2.0. It actually covers the insides of the cupholder (compared to the current version 1.0). do not know but one of the media outlets said expected deliveries is November.
Wayne at Cleanmpg.com is claiming the Prime doesn't lose space over the Prius. "If you look at the other mainstream PHEVs on the market today – Volt PHEV-53, Sonata PHEV-27, Fusion and C-Max Energi PHEV-20s and 22 for the 17 MY – They all severely sacrifice passenger or cargo volume from the platforms they are built upon. The Prius Prime’s pack size and design does not impinge on either." "Weight needed to be reduced in other areas the to maintain the world beating efficiency and vastly improved R&H qualities of the new 4th gen platform while still maintaining the approximate 24.6 cu. ft. of cargo volume the Pkg. Two, Three; and Three Touring offer." First Drive of the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime PHEV-22 | CleanMPG Mine and bisco's eyeball test say otherwise.
I ain't going to contradict Wayne...but I am a skeptic...he may be talking EPA Cargo Space, in which case it is bogus numbers without physical reality. However, I have said I will stop guessing until we see some spec numbers. I've said it's possible the Prime hatch back lid (the carbon fiber hatch door) is shaped to allow more open space above the tonneau cover. However, looking at Danny's photos, the one with the rear floor, I don't see much over the tonneau as I suggested might exist. If I had a Prime and a Gen4 in front of me I could tell you, but haven't seen either one yet to be honest.
The photos aren't Danny's. They were taken by Toyota. The profile between the two cars appears the same by the photos out there. Perhaps they are counting the extra space the curvy rear window allows. Or these are still preproduction cars, and the final released model will have a lower floor.
In this video, from 6'06" on one can see the trunk space better. It is my impression that the volume is matching that of a Prius 2, but it seems smaller than that of the 4th gen Prius. We'll have to wait for the real specs... Jan
And I would agree too. Passenger space (not count) isn't compromised, yes but cargo definitely is. Toyota is obviously placing emphasis on passenger comfort. The cargo space (if measured the same way as the Gen 4) is approximately 20 cu. ft. ~20 cu. ft. using the same fuzzy measuring methods as Gen 4 (so 4-7 cu. ft. smaller). I think your estimations in the other thread are pretty accurate. (The European method)
i don't care if it's a thousand cubic feet, if i can't fit my recycling container in there. what a load of hooey. and we depend on this guy's opinion for what? edit: okay, wayne says barely, so the quote is off, but i think it's more than barely.
@Trollbait found the EPA volume for the Volt which is 19 cu. ft. GM.com lists the Volt as 10.6 cu. ft. So, given that the Toyota estimated EPA volume is 19.75 cu. ft., we can make an educated guess that the "true" volume is approximately 11.3 cu. ft. without taking into considering anything about the shape of the rear window.
