Toyota just launched an all new Prius

The Prius has never looked like a “normal” car, really (with the exception of the first generation, perhaps. No, fcuk who am I kidding) — but with the official unveiling earlier this week in Las Vegas of the all-new 2016 model, Toyota seems to be doubling down on the quirkiness.

Meet the fourth generation of the Prius, Toyota’s weird, shoe-shaped showcase of efficiency that helped launch hybrid petrol-electric drivetrains into the spotlight a decade and a half ago. But the company seems to be taking a distinctly different approach with this one: “It’s not just about MPG anymore,” the local press release reads, noting an evolutionary ten percent expected boost in fuel economy is expected on the main non-plug-in models. Instead, Toyota is shifting the focus to design and technology, waxing poetic about the car’s “athletic shape,” better driving dynamics, and Toyota Safety Sense — a package that includes things like automatic pedestrian avoidance and full-speed dynamic cruise (meaning the car will manage your speed for you, going all the way to a full stop in a traffic jam). Whether these features will make it to SA is yet to be known.

I’d take some issue with Toyota’s use of “athletic” to describe this car’s appearance. The basic shape is the same as the outgoing model, although the 2016 Prius is the first global production car to make use of Toyota’s new shared platform — Toyota’s New Global Architecture, or TNGA — and the company touts TNGA’s lower center of gravity for better handling. I suppose there’s a glancing blow at athleticism there.

You can definitely see shades of the hydrogen-powered Mirai in this car’s aggressive angles, which isn’t necessarily a good thing — no one would accuse the Mirai of being a pretty car. And interestingly, the Mirai has taken Prius’ spot as Toyota’s most forward-looking eco-friendly hero vehicle, which could theoretically give the Prius room to lay off the bizarre design and blend into traffic a little better. No dice, though: if you buy this car, you’re going to stand out, unless you’re rolling through a neighborhood that’s full of them. (Given the Prius’ local popularity, that’s out of the question.)

Either way, a new Prius is sure to cost a lot less than a Tesla (or even the Mirai) — it’s just going to take a little while to get used to that face.

Look for it on sale “sometime next year,” Toyota says.

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Papi Mabele

Papi Mabele has a marketing background, he is a digital marketing expert with extensive experience in launching and building global brands in the emerging markets. Papi is also an avid tech writer, enthusiast and all round tech junkie. As a freelance writer and analyst he has been numerously published in Popular Mechanics (SA), GQ South Africa, Premier Magazine, Driven Magazine, Bloem News, Courant, The Weekly, Enthooze Magazine and PiE magazine amongst others.