We asked for your questions about the new seven-seat Toyota Prius+ before we went to the car’s press launch event last week, and now we’re back, we can now bring you the answers.
Read on to find out all about the UK’s first hybrid MPV – you can also find out more about the car here.
Q1: How much does the Toyota Prius+ cost?
Prices for the Toyota Prius+ start at £26,195 for T4 spec. The T Spirit model costs from £29,495.
Q2: What is the official fuel consumption of the Prius+?
The Toyota Prius+ achieves combined fuel consumption of 68.9mpg in T4 spec (which has 16-inch wheels), or 64.2mpg in T-Spirit spec (which has 17-inch wheels).
Q3: How much luggage room is there when all 7 seats are in use?
There is 232 litres of storage capacity in the boot when all seven seats are in use. Fold the back row of seats and this increases to 784 litres. If you flatten the second and third row of seats, there is 1,750 litres of space.
Take a look at these pictures from our Twitter feed showing the seats folded, and in position
Q4: With all the rear seats folded what is the maximum height from the top of the folded seats to the inside roof? Also what is maximum inside load carrying distance from the back of the front seats to the rear door?
The maximum height of the luggage space is 1,575mm. The measurement from the back of the front seats to the rear door is 4,615mm.
The maximum carrying capacity when the third row seats are up is 232 litres. That increases to 784 litres when they’re folded.
There is 1,750 litres of space when the second row of seats are folded flat. If you want to carry particularly long items, it is possible to fold flat the front passenger seat as well.
Q5: Where is the hybrid battery pack located?
The Prius+ uses a Lithium-ion battery pack, unlike the standard five-seat Prius or our other hybrids like the Auris Hybrid or Yaris Hybrid which use Nickel-Metal Hydride (Ni-MH) batteries.
Lithium-ion battery packs are more compact, so the one in the Prius+ is stored in the centre console between the front seats. Placing it there, rather than under the boot, gives more space for the third row of seats.
Q6: How much does the battery in the Prius+ weigh?
It weighs 34kg, 7kg less than the Ni-MH battery in the five-seat Prius.
Q7: Are there any plans to produce a plug-in hybrid version of the 7-seater Prius+?
There are no immediate plans for a plug-in hybrid version of the Prius+ at the moment. The five-seat Prius Plug-in is launching soon.
Q8: Is the Prius+ the same as the Prius v that’s sold in the US?
It’s almost the same, but the Prius v has only five seats and uses a Ni-MH battery mounted under the boot floor.
In Japan, the Prius+ is known as the Prius α (Prius alpha). It is available as a seven-seater with a Li-ion battery, or a five-seater with a Ni-MH battery.
Otherwise, the specification of all three cars is the same. The Ni-MH battery provides the same performance as Li-ion.
Q9: What was the main development challenge?
The main challenge was to develop a seven-seat vehicle with a Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain without making any compromise on space, size and aerodynamic performance.
Q10: How many engineers were involved in the development of the Prius+?
About 1,500. The Prius+ development process started in 2006.
Read our interview with Makoto Okabe, chief engineer of the Prius+
Hi Jon,
Thank you for taking the time to post on our blog.
There are many variables that determine the cost of a vehicle. The Prius+ has the latest hybrid technology, developed over more than 40 years, with a clear focus on eco driving. For example, we’ve found that many internal electric accessories have an overall affect on the MPG of the vehicle but that’s not to say there aren’t a number of options available. The owner’s manual is produced on a global basis and therefore some specifications may vary between regions.
We’re glad you enjoy driving the car and hope you also enjoy the hybrid experience!
Many thanks.
I am planning to buy a prius+ soon, Will the Prius+ in the UK come with the technology pack option, so that I can get the Intelligent Parking Assist and active cruise control?
Please reply
Hi Wijay,
Thank you for getting in touch with us. The Prius+ does not have the technology pack option and so the Intelligent Park Assist and active cruise control are not currently available on this model. We do continually review our vehicles in line with customer feedback and have passed on your comments to our product development team.
Many thanks.
Thank you for the quick response, but in main land europe these options are available to add or as standard on hi-spec models so why not available in UK?
Is it possible to order the right hand drive Prius+ in europe and use in UK ?
Please reply
Hi Phil
Thank you for the information, Can you please tell me roughly how much duty has to pay before import into UK?
Thanks
Hi Amy
Thank you for the response.
Please provide contact details of Toyota dealer/ distributor in Europe – Germany/ France and Holland, where we can order a right hand drive Prius+.
Thanks
Hi Wijay,
Intelligent Park Assist and active cruise control are just a couple of features included within the technology pack. Unfortunately, we were not able to offer these features individually to customers, but instead needed to market the complete suite of specification within the pack. Inevitably, this would have resulted in significant price implications. Feedback suggested the market for the complete pack was marginal.
You are able to order this car from other countries in Europe with your preferred specification but you would need to contact Toyota within the chosen country directly to do so. We are happy to provide contact details of any Toyota dealer or distributor in Europe, but unfortunately Toyota GB or our dealers, are not able to help you order a car from another market.
Many thanks.
Hi Wijay.
I just received my Toyota Lounge from France yesterday. One thing to note is that if you get the IPA, you get the “Touch and Go Pro” and not the “Touch and Go Plus”. If you look through the internet, there are a lot of complaints about the Touch and Go Pro. While Toyota claims that it has “even more features” than the Touch and Go Plus, the reverse is actually true. The Touch and Go Plus has many more features than the Pro (including speed cameras, warnings when you exceed the speed limit, enhanced time-dependent navigation, apps including weather and petrol prices) as well as 3 years of updates. The Pro has none of these features – in fact, it’s not that different from the Prius navigation system from 5+ years ago. I would hope that Toyota update the Pro software at some point so that it does provide what Toyota claim that it does. Otherwise Toyota should update their descriptions to make it clear that the pro is significantly inferior to the plus, so that other customers are not disappointed, as many (including me) have been.
Of course, if you’re not interested in any of the additional features that the plus offers, then it doesn’t matter. But I just wanted to make you aware, given the false information that Toyota provides on this.
I ordered mine in France. It doesn’t come with the leather seats but it comes with the technology pack. It’s also cheaper than the UK price. I don’t understand Toyota UK’s policy on this – I certainly would not have bought it if it didn’t come with the technology pack – the lines on the reversing camera are a must for me (and this is pretty much standard on cars in this price range).
However, I think you may be charged duty if you try to import it into the UK and get it registered.
Sorry – No idea. I’m currently living in France, so I’m not going to be importing back to the UK in the near future. But there’s probably information available on the internet that may help.
Hi Wijay,
You can contact Toyota in the countries you have highlighted, as follows:
• Toyota France – please find contact details through this link: http://www.toyota.fr/forms/contact.tmex
• Toyota Germany – please find contact details as follows:
Tel: 02234-102-2690
Fax: 02234-102-7210
E-Mail: kundenbetreuung@toyota.de
• Toyota Holland – please find contact details through this link: http://www.toyota.nl/contact/index.tmex
They should then be able to help advise how you should proceed.
Many thanks.
Amy
I want to ask you one more question, toyota warrenty still valid even that car import from the main land Europe?
Hi Wijay,
The standard 3 years/60,000 miles manufacturer’s Toyota warranty is valid across Europe. However, the extension to make the 5 years/100,000 miles warranty is UK specific. You would therefore need to check directly with Toyota in your chosen market to understand what their warranty offering is locally.
Many thanks.