First Look: 2016 Toyota Prius
The 2016 Toyota Prius features a host of improvements over the previous generation vehicle, including a new cutting edge external design. (Image: Toyota)
I recently attended a regional Toyota media event — in Denver, Colorado — for the 2016 Toyota Prius. The 2016 model receives a host of mechanical and design improvements, with the most visible being a striking new exterior design that features lots of sharp and angular exterior elements. All of Toyota’s work on the new (and more slippery) exterior pays dividends by reducing the drag coefficient from 0.25 (for the last generation Prius) to 0.24 for the latest one.
The polished exterior is aided by lots of changes under the hood, including Toyota’s new TNGA — for Toyota New Global Architecture — which will underpin an entire new generation of Toyota vehicles. (Motor Trend has a detailed write-up of what TNGA is all about if you want more information.)
The 2016 Prius will be available in six trim levels — from the baseline Prius Two to the loaded Prius Four. The 2016 Prius also gets a new lithium ion hybrid battery — which frees up interior space — although the budget Prius Two will stick with the previous generation nickel-metal hydride battery.  Other mechanical changes include a tweaked and tuned 2ZR-FXE 1.8-liter gasoline engine that boasts a whopping thermal efficiency of more than 40-percent.
We’ll have more information on the 2016 Toyota Prius in the weeks to come, but in the interim you can check out these vehicle design details I snapped at the press event.
