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is to develop production lines that are "simple and slim," equipping them with equipment that is compact so as to lend itself to locations that the typical massive equipment can't be accommodated by.) One of the things that the lower center of gravity and the increase in body rigidity results in: improved ride and handling. And the frst Toyota vehicle to be based on TNGA is the fourth-generation Prius. The frst thing to know is that the 2016 Prius is at the upper end of the torsional rigidity goal: 60%. One part of this comes from the increased use of high-tensile strength steel. The last-generation vehicle (internal code: CG) has 3% of that material; the fourth-generation (internal code: NG) has 19%, including hot-stamped steel, >1400 MPa. Also is the use of laser screw welding to supplement spot welding (this is a robotic laser scanning process that provides the ability to produce welds where there is clearance or no clearance between sheets as well as on diferent types of materials (i.e., ferrous and non-fer- rous). And they've also used structural adhesives in strategic areas to supplement the welds. Not only does this stronger base facilitate better ride and handling, but also structural safety. And while on the subject of the body structure, another area that the previous Prius came into some criticism was on cabin noise. So while a more well-assembled structure certainly provides benefts as regards noise, vibration and harshness (NVH), the engineering team went at the NG with an array of noise countermeasures, ranging from a new two-point engine mount and torque rod system to the use of silencers around the front seats, dash, and cowl panels. To improve the ride and handling, the suspension of the fourth-generation car is diferent than the previous. The front suspension is a revised version of the MacPherson struts used on generation three. However, in the rear there is a newly designed trailing arm-type double wishbone setup in place of the torsion beam suspension that had been used. The torsion beam is lighter than the double wishbone setup (which explains, in part, why the new car is approximately the same weight as the previous model, weight reduction eforts notwithstanding), but it doesn't handle uneven road surfaces as well. Not surprisingly, there is electric power steering. Of course, the most signifcant aspect of this or any hybrid system is the powertrain. There is a 1.8-liter, DOHC, 16-valve Atkinson Cycle four cylinder engine that produces 95 hp @ 5,200 rpm and 105 lb-ft of torque. One of the key areas of focus was to improve the thermal efciency of the engine. The thermal efciency of the third-generation Prius engine is 30%. The thermal efciency of this fourth generation is 40%, which Toyota claims makes it the most thermally efcient, mass produced engine in the world. Then there are the electromechanical portions of the system. There are two main motor generators (MGs), with MG2 being the one that drives the front wheels. There is a hybrid transaxle (i.e., an electronically controlled variable transmission). The system is redesigned so that the MG2 is mounted on a parallel shaft in relation to the engine crank- shaft; previously it was a coaxial setup. One of the benefts of this approach is a more compact design. There are also improvements in terms of fction loss, which is on the order Here's the fourth-gen Prius in a wind tunnel. Although the design is said to harken to that of the two previous generations, yes, it is still a hatch, but. . . . The theme for the stylists was "Yu-bi-shin," or "Ingenious Beauty." 20 2016 PRIUS