WHAT is Prii?
Well, according to Toyota, Prii is the official plural form of Prius is Prii, and recently, UMW Toyota has launched two Prii, the new Prius and the all-new Prius C.
Taking center stage is the Prius-C, a compact hybrid the size of the Yaris but looks a lot nicer. It runs on the previous generation Prius 1.5L 1NZ-FXE engine and Hybrid Synergy Drive system but the latter has been upgraded to be six per cent more efficient. Both the engine and the electric motor when combined pushes out 99hp, which is sufficient for this 1,140kg car (kerb weight) to offer nippy performance.
Apart from that, the Prius C is fully loaded with seven airbags, Anti-lock Braking System (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA), Traction Control (TRC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC). There is also a 3.5″ full colour TFT screen for the Multi information Display and a double-DIN CD player, tuner, MP3 head unit with AUX-jack, USB and iPod compatibility. Pay an extra RM2,990 and upgrade to a Panasonic-made DVD and satellite navigation system (with Mapking Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei maps) with a built-in reverse camera. Best part is, the Prius C is priced at RM97,000 on-the-road with insurance (Peninsular Malaysia).
The new Prius is a facelifted version of the third generation Prius and changes are more than just cosmetics. Apart from the LED Daytime Running Lights, there are twin LED projector headlights (the first Toyota to sport such technology) on the Prius Luxury (standard Prius gets the usual single projector halogen lights). Tail lights and the third brake light are now LEDs while the wing mirrors fold in automatically.
For the Luxury version, you also get leather interior and an 8-speaker 8-channel JBL sound system that includes a 6.1-inch touch screen display with reverse camera. Unfortunately, no satellite navigation system is offered for the Prius. Engine remains the same 1.8L unit that can safely run on RON 95 fuel. The new Prius is priced at RM139,900 for the standard spec while the Luxury variant is priced at RM145,500.
Both models come with a standard 3-year or 100,000km warranty, which includes the Nickel-metal Hydride batteries. Already the Prius C commands a two to three months waiting period while the Prius can be delivered after a month. UMW Toyota plans to sell 1,500 units of the Prius and 2,500 units for the Prius C.
Hezeri Samsuri
