The Japanese publication BestCarWeb also gives the release dates for the new car. Thus, the classic hybrid will be released in December 2022, and the hydrogen Prius in 2025.
Currently, Toyota is testing a fundamentally new system – an engine adapted to run on hydrogen (not to be confused with a classic fuel cell vehicle). It is installed on the Corolla Sport sports prototype. The car uses a 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine with a modified injection and fuel supply system, thanks to which it burns not gasoline but hydrogen. The fuel is stored in cylinders under a pressure of 70 MPa - they were borrowed from the Toyota Mirai.
It is likely that the Prius V will get exactly this internal combustion engine. There is no point in making a classic hydrogen car out of it, as it would interfere with the sales of the Mirai.
As for the regular hybrid, the new Prius will be equipped with a time-tested 1.8-liter gasoline engine operating on the Atkinson cycle, as well as an electric motor.
It should be noted that the current generation of the Toyota Prius (in the XW50 body) has been produced since 2015; it is equipped with a 98-horsepower 1.8 four-cylinder engine, an electric motor with 72 hp, and a small battery installed under the rear seat. Today, the model is considered outdated.
In Ukraine, the Prius is not officially sold, but the car is well known to our audience: hybrid Toyotas are actively brought from insurance auctions, and they are also used by the patrol police.
