All the indications are that Toyota's hybrid, mark II, will make an impact its parent never managed. Andrew Hamilton reports
We came across the power of Hollywood just last week while holidaying in Palm Beach, Florida. Being intensely curious about American reaction to the new Toyota Prius hybrid car, we dropped in on a Toyota dealership there.
Our first encounter was with a salesman called Bud, who told us supply was very limited and that there was a two-month waiting list. "We've sold just three," said Bud. "People here don't like to wait for a new car."
Then a middle-aged couple arrived back from a test run and Bud invited us for a drive. But first we spoke to the couple, Syd and Doris. Why on earth were they interested in the Prius which, at $20,000, is more expensive than bigger cars?
Were they motivated by its eco-friendly credentials? Doris, who seemed fond of talking, wasn't into eco-friendly stuff. No, she was an admirer of Leonardo Di Caprio "and he has several Prius, you know."
Off we went on our brief drive, leaving Bud, Syd and Doris in negotiation. When we came back, Syd and Doris had gone but Bud reported that a deal had been done and that sales had gone up to four.
The first Prius was launched in 1997 and updated in 2000. It appealed to our responsible side, with the low emission hybrid drive. The styling was odd, even unattractive, but it didn't stop Hollywood stars rushing to Toyota showrooms. Cameron Diaz and Meryl Streep are among the other stars, anxious to make a green and clean statement about themselves.
Now, there's a new Prius and all the indications are that it will make an impact that the old model never managed.
Here around 250 Irish sales are expected in 2004, with an ex-works price of €28,500 - that's after a 50 per cent concession on the VRT element. Worldwide production is set to jump from 6,000 to 10,000 a month, almost double initial estimates.
The new second generation car looks better and is bigger, with a full five-seater, five-door bodyshell. The Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive gives more power.
Most of the time, the Prius works as a parallel hybrid, which means both a 1.5 four-cylinder petrol unit and an electric motor powering the car. The pair are coupled with a planetary gear set, with a controller deciding the proportion of power coming from each source depending on the conditions and driver demands.
Maximum power of the electric motor has risen from 44 bhp to 50 bhp, while the 1.5 petrol engine now produces 78 bhp instead of 71 bhp. Toyota says that, with total combined output of 128 bhp, power is equivalent to that of a 2.0 litre car with the torque of a larger V6.
On the road in the US and again early this week in Italy, we found that Prius II cruised easily and silently at 60 to 70 mph. It doesn't like hard acceleration: the CVT transmission had the engine positively wailing. Presumably, though, most eco-friendly Prius owners will be politically correct in their driving manners. The suspension, as might be expected, is set up for comfort rather than speed.
Toyota claims it will get from 0 to 62 mph (or 100kph) in 11 seconds, while top speed is said to be 105 mph. More appealing, perhaps, is the car's frugality: in the combined mode, it should deliver 66 mpg. It's also cleaner, producing an amazing 100g of Co2 per kilometre.
We found a roomy cabin, with excellent rear legroom and headroom. A neat and intuitive dashboard lever selects drive, park or reverse.
The small print showed a difference between American and European market cars. European models get more refined suspension tuning and 16-inch rather than 15-inch wheels.
Exciting times do seem to be ahead for the second-generation Prius. In the US, our Palm Beach outlet notwithstanding, dealers are expecting to sell almost 40,000 in the first year. Hopefully there's a more conscientious attitude to gas guzzling - or is it just the influence of Hollywood film stars?