Gen 4 Staff Manual (In Japanese) =/ Specs/Design/Other Info

beats me how "pretty obvious" it could be: car is not out yet. The only thing is obvious at this point that they made it cheaper. How do we know that? They say so. Oh wait they also said it will be lighter.

 

but not 20% lighter, just a goal. and cheaper does not necessarily mean msrp.

 

so 20% lighter and cheaper = heavier and more expensive in Toyota talk, right? (you should have seen what we got first!)

Do you know the history of 20%? Toyota used to issue 10% buttons to employees (they might still?), symbolizing that every employee must strive to improve Toyota by 10%. 20% = twice as nice.

You are absolutely right they never said 20% all of Gen4, so I'll bet there is one part on Gen4 which is 20% lighter, and another one which is 20% cheaper.

 

Nothing can compare to the Mitsubishi Mirage!

 

I don't remember an official statement from Toyota saying that the GenIV Prius would be lighter.
They always stated that the TNGA base would be lighter, but unless you drive Flinstone's car, you need to add other pieces to drive it: it doesn't mean you automatically obtain a lighter car. That someone reading tomatoes wrote about potatoes and speculated that all the car would be lighter, well that would not be the first time that speculations are wrong. Toyota may have choosen to use the saved weight to improve other aspects that we will not be sure about until we see all the specs: better suspension, maybe better safety (Gen3 lacks a bit in some crash tests), maybe better insulation, maybe they also used a standard (and heavier) battery this time, maybe we have to wait until the 27th

 

except the diamante.

 

once again, they never said anything about Prius weight being 20% less ... they were talking about TNGA, which is their new platform that will likely be on 30+ vehicles by the end of the decade. They never mentioned Prius being lighter at all or cheaper... Just like they didnt say it will be produced in the USA... I suggest you dont believe everything you read on the internet, especially on blogs.

They also never said that TNGA vehicles will be cheaper to the end customer, but that it will be cheaper to Toyota and that they will invest 60% (i think) of the savings into better equipment and more advanced engines.

 

we already know about more sophisticated suspension, more (base) equipment, quieter/better interior...

 

And how do you know that? Read on internet in some blog? Someone suggested you shouldn't trust such sources.

 

never drove one, i don't think they sold that many. not sure why mitsi never really caught on.

 

But it seems Motor lost quite a bit of power. Current Gen 3 is
80HP(60KW)
153lb-ft(207Nm)

That considerable loss of torque and power from electric Motor, 15% lower power and almost 25% less Torque (Engine is fine).
Based on specs from Japan manual, it seems weight is same between Gen 3 and 2016 model. May be 50lb atmost.

Now, I am worried. Hope it does not turn out to be dog slow.

 

Those figures are for Gen 3, directly from Toyota website for 2015 Prius.

Toyota Prius Interior, Exterior & Safety Features

 

For consideration:

Gen 1 Prius:
Peak MG2 output = 44 hp (33 kW)
Peak torque = 258 lb.-ft. (350 Nm)

Gen 2 Prius:

Peak MG2 output = 67 hp (50 kW)
Peak torque = 295 lb.-ft. (400 Nm)

Gen 3 Prius:

Peak MG2 output = 80 hp (60 kW)
Peak torque = 153 lb.-ft. (207 Nm)

Gen 4 Prius:

Peak MG2 output = 71 hp (53 kW)
Peak torque = 120 lb.-ft. (163 Nm)

 

Torque can be multiplied via gearing, but horsepower stays the same regardless of gearing.

 

Yes, the reduction factor might help multiply the torque at lower speed, but that does not account for HP.

Assuming that is the case here, HP should have stayed same, but HP has been lowered too, unlike Gen 3, where HP actually increased despite lower torque. That indicates that Gen 3 motor can reach considerably higher speeds than Gen 2 despite half the torque.

But Gen 4, seems lost Torque, and HP. Means Torque lowered, but it is not compensated by high RPM.

That is the reason I am suspecting this is going to be slow. I was hoping sub 9 sec 0-60 for Gen 4, been holding off replacement my Gen 2.

 

Thanks for complete comparison data! This is really helpful in getting the comparative perspective.