By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com
For 2014, the Prius v gains daytime running lights and also offers the Panoramic View Moonroof as a standalone option on Prius v Three. Largest in the line, the Prius v provides room for families with active lifestyles while offering 42 mpg combined fuel economy.
Generous interior space and good visibility are complemented by a high seating position, ample head room and a roomy 35.9 inches of rear seat leg room. A low, wide-opening rear hatch accesses 34.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind the 60/40 split folding rear seats, which expands to a generous 67.3 cubic feet with the seatbacks lowered. The fold-flat front-passenger seat allows the vehicle to carry long items. Sliding second row seats allow for easier ingress and egress and rear-storage flexibility, with a 45-degree recline for greater comfort.
The center mounted instrument panel is a visually succinct, space efficient design that is also easy to use. As with other Prius models, the driving controls including push button start, parking switch, drive-by-wire shift toggle and driving mode buttons are immediately at hand. Instrument panel controls, including a single dial automatic climate control, provide an advanced look and user friendly function.
Seamlessly integrated into the Prius v are state-of-the-art electronics and enhanced connectivity features. A Bluetooth wireless connection for compatible hands-free phones is standard, enhanced by an automatic phone book transfer function. A standard USB port allows playing of music and video from portable audio devices using the vehicle sound system and in-dash display screen, including full iPod integration.
The standard audio system has a 6.1-inch screen and six speakers. The screen displays the car’s energy monitor and fuel consumption data, and functions as the monitor for the integrated back-up camera and the Display Audio System. The screen also serves as a portal for the available navigation and Entune App Suite. An available HD Radio system enables CD sound quality from digital FM broadcasts and enhances analog and AM broadcast sound quality. The system includes HD Radio with iTunes tagging for future purchase and SiriusXM Satellite Radio.
Toyota’s Entune App Suite takes advantage of the user’s smartphone to provide a richer in-vehicle experience with fully integrated access to navigation, entertainment and information services. Engaging mobile apps include Bing, iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com, OpenTable, and Pandora; info services include such as weather, traffic, fuel information, stocks and sports. Toyota Entune brings an extensive selection of music options to the vehicle, including iHeartRadio’s 750+ stations, and Pandora’s personalized music service. The audio systems featuring Entune offer a voice recognition system.
A Toyota-first, the resin Panoramic View Moonroof with power retractable sunshades provides an open feeling in the cabin and is 40-percent lighter than a conventional glass roof of similar size. The construction also provides excellent heat insulation performance, reducing the load on the vehicle’s climate control system. The moonroof has an electrically operated shade system with a jam protection function.
The Hybrid Synergy Drive system in the Prius v is essentially the same as in the current Prius model. The system combines the output of a 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine with an a 60kw electric motor that mainly works to power the compact, lightweight transaxle and another smaller motor that mainly works as the electric power source.
Hybrid Synergy Drive’s combined 134 net system horsepower feels even stronger to the driver due to the unique way the system combines the power of the gasoline engine and electric motor. It is a series-parallel hybrid system that can provide power either from the engine alone, or the motor alone, or a mix of both. Regenerative braking helps to recapture electrical energy under deceleration, which helps to reduce fuel consumption. An automatic start/stop system also helps to reduce fuel consumption in urban driving.
In addition to the standard driving mode, the Prius v includes an ECO driving mode, an EV driving mode, and a POWER mode. In POWER mode, enhanced mid-range response enables easier coping with slopes and mountainous terrain. In EV mode, the Prius v can run on battery power alone under certain conditions, at lower speeds, for up to about a mile. In ECO driving mode, the engine management system prioritizes fuel economy, managing throttle response and limiting power consumption from the air conditioning.
The Prius v platform is designed with a force-absorbing body structure. Increased use of high-strength steel, notably in the front frame members, is a key part of providing a strong body structure without increasing weight. Helping to protect the cabin from side and rear intrusions are similarly engineered reinforcements using high tensile steels, all designed to disperse energy strategically throughout the vehicle to help protect passengers.
An available Pre-Collision System retracts seatbelts and applies the brakes in certain conditions when a frontal crash is unavoidable. It is paired with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. Another available safety system, Safety Connect, can access a call center with a live operator who can dispatch police and emergency vehicles. The system offers automatic collision notification and a stolen vehicle locator feature, designed to track the location of the stolen vehicle via GPS and help guide police to recover it.
The 2014 Toyota Prius v will have a starting price of $30,395.00, the one I drove included the Preferred Accessory Package, and it came in at $31,498.00 including delivery processing and handling fee. The EPA fuel economy estimates 44 MPG city, 40 MPG highway and 42 MPG combined. mlezcano@carsntravel.com
