2012 Toyota Prius V

[رانيا 2]

The hybrid lexicon is a language built on a foundation of disjunction. Buyers may have phenomenal fuel economy or space for kids and cargo. You can embarrass your neighbors at the fuel pump or have a satisfying driving experience. In fact, opting for a battery pack is so fraught with compromise that it's almost as if hybrid manufacturers have completely deleted the conjunctive 'and' from their diction. Even so, that fact hasn't stopped buyers from seeking out electrified vehicles in increasing numbers.

Toyota has sold over one million Prius models in the United States since the vehicle first debuted a decade ago. That number blossoms to two million if global sales are accounted for, and the model's popularity has helped usher in a bloom of hybrid products from over 16 manufacturers. The technology may not be the perfect solution to our fuel economy concerns, but the Prius has taken off in ways that would have been difficult to imagine when the first gangly example whirred off the line.

Now Toyota is set to grow its Prius lineup with three new models. In fact, Bob Carter, Toyota division group vice president and general manager, says that the Japanese automaker fully expects the Prius family to become its best-selling product line in the near future – beating out internal combustion titans like the Camry and Corolla in the process. As a result, the company is planning to unleash of a barrage of products that include a model based on the Prius C Concept, a plug-in version of the hybrid and the taller, boxier Prius V. The thought is that a few simple variations on the company's successful battery-powered recipe will offer buyers solutions that the conventional Prius simply couldn't match. The only question is whether or not the will respond to what is effectively a few clever re-body jobs. If the Prius V is any indication, the answer is a resounding yes.
Thanks to years of steady sales, legions of faithful buyers and an overwhelming popularity with the celebrity set, the Prius has established itself as an icon of automotive design. Unsurprisingly, Toyota says that the Prius has the highest brand awareness of any hybrid on the road right now, and when it came time to design the Prius V, the company's artists wanted to ensure that the newcomer was instantly recognizable as a member of the Prius dynasty. For aerodynamic reasons, that meant maintaining the wedge-like shape of the liftback, though with a slightly taller roof for greater functionality.

Up front, the vehicle wears both stylized head lamps and a rounded front fascia that's remarkably similar to the 2011 Prius, though it's worth noting that the front fenders and hood are completely new sheetmetal. In fact, the headlight housings themselves have been slightly altered to incorporate a new ridge that reduces wind turbulence around the side view mirrors. Toyota says that the small change has a huge impact on interior noise.


From the side, it's nearly impossible to escape the wagon-like presence of the Prius V. With its long roof, similarly lengthy rear doors and an extended cargo area, the vehicle ditches the awkward hatchback aesthetics of the current Prius for a twang of normalcy. We couldn't help but grow a little fond of the vehicle's shape after a day behind the wheel. It's almost as if Toyota has flanked us by using our love for wagons to lure us into the hybrid craze.

We spent time in the top-o-the-line Prius V Five trim level, complete with larger 17-inch wheels. The multi-spoke rollers aren't the most stylish stock on the planet, but from where we sit, they're far more attractive than the chunky designs of the Honda Insight and Civic hybrids.

From the rear, the Prius V offers up a fairly sizable hatch that terminates in a unique rear spoiler. As you might have guessed, the piece actually serves to benefit the Prius V aerodynamically. Speaking of slipping through the air, Toyota's designers and engineers have worked to decrease the vehicle's coefficient of drag as much as possible to increase fuel efficiency. As such, touches like protrusions from the front and rear bumper, specially-designed side skirts and extensive underbody cladding help the Prius V return its .29 coefficient of drag.