Prius Prime Spotted in CA

...I am wondering if they did something with the rear roof/window angle compared to Gen4 to give more cargo space above the tonneau cover (assuming there even is a tonneau cover).

 

Ahh.. but what is hidden on the back of that car transporter under all that white wrapping?

 

Good question. I'll bet those are the ICE versions of the Chevy Bolt.

 

Is there a pic of those side by side?

 

I saw blue color with Michigan license plate on I-10 going to Santa Monica on Saturday Jun 4th.

 

Audi wraps their new cars for delivery to the dealers.

 

Yep - i snapped a shot of Model X's just a few dad ago - that just had wrap in the fronts & rears of the cars ;

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Others just cover the entire trailer.

 

i like the top ones.

 

I'm seeing quite a bit of cargo space under the window in the LB cavity the way the window curves out...maybe that's the thing cargo space preserved? We'll have to wait for EU/USA specs to get a handle on it.

I messed up the scaling somehow I made the car look wider in the photo

Wow those head rests are huge...could be my scaling again

 

That it does. I obviously don't spend enough time in the rear seats of my cars.

The 2005 Prius headrests may not meet current standards by being too low. "More recently, a government standard in effect since September 2010 requires a minimum of 29.5 inches from an occupant's hip to the top of a head restraint and a backset of 2.2. inches or less."-
Head restraints & seats test


This is the US spec Sonic rear seat.


And here is what the UK Aveo has for head rests.


I've been tempted to order those Aveo headrests from the UK; they wouldn't block the view out the back, and wouldn't need to be pulled out for the seats to fold flat. But they don't meet US whiplash specs.

 

see ..... there's NO reason for ANY of the monster-sized, view-blocking rear headrests to even exist, because this type shows the headrest can wrap down onto the seat & STILL provide plenty of headrest once their extended. This is the same type that our hybrid Lexus SUV has. How stupid to make headrests decent in a $50k lexus, and use chicken $hi* headrests in cheaper cars. What does it take for manufacturers to install common sense headrests ..... getting sued for designing a view blocking accident causing disaster? Is that $5 cost difference in manufacturing really worth it, just to save a few bucks? sorry ... end of personal pet peeve rant

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What year was your RX?

This is a 2007 RX rear seat.


And the 2014 one.


The change in headrests has nothing to do with cost, but with the change in US vehicle code for better whiplash protection for the rear passengers. That likely was pushed by the IIHS.

 

so you're guessing the earlier dropdown style (through 2010 iirc) simply can't be made plush enough for preventing whiplash ? hmmmm -
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The plushness a tiny factor in preventing whiplash; it might even be a hindrance if too soft. The position of the head rest in relation to the passenger's head is the big one in limiting whiplash injuries.
"IIHS evaluates the geometry of head restraints in passenger vehicles based on the height and backset relative to an average-size male. A restraint should be at least as high as the head's center of gravity, or about 3.5 inches below the top of the head. The backset, or distance behind the head, should be as small as possible. Backsets of more than about 4 inches have been associated with increased symptoms of neck injury in crashes." -
Head restraints & seats test


Those low profile rear head rests simply didn't come up high enough to meet the new standard. At least, not without adjusting. Considering some still find putting on the seat belt a bother, a regulation expecting people to adjust their headrest likely wouldn't have any positive results. Then when the passengers forget to put the headrest down, the driver's rear is as hampered as with the headrests we have now.

 

If a tree fell on the back hatch of the Prime, insurance companies might claim the car came that way.

 

Landing silently on the Prime's sound insulating glass, did it even fall?

 

Glass is insulating? I know it can be low E, & I know it insulates if its double pane ....
I don't think it looks like a tree hit it. I think it looks like someone's flabby rear-end in tight jeans.

But that's okay, it's purely individual taste when it comes to looks.
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