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is 0.24. Contributing to this are such things as automatic grille shutters, underbody panels with stabilizing fns, and front spats and covers on the sides of the fuel tank. Although the structure of the car, as mentioned, is designed to assure safety, the Prius is nothing if not a high-technology car, so the vehicle is available with an array of technologies meant to enhance safety. The package is called "Toyota Safety Sense (P)" and it includes pre-collision with pedestrian detection, lane departure alert with steering assist, automatic high beams and dynamic radar cruise control. In addition to which, there are sonar-based "Intelligent Parking Assist" and blind spot monitoring with rear cross trafc alert. There are dual 4.2-in. full-color thin-flm transistor (TFT) displays in the car that provide a variety of infor- mation about the vehicle and its operation on one (e.g., vehicle speed, fuel, driving mode, odometer), and driving support (e.g., status of the radar cruise control, climate control, audio, navigation) on the other. In addition to which there is a 6.1-in. color touch screen in the center console for infotainment purposes. There is also an available color head-up display that shows the speed, navigation information, and indication of the hybrid system status. The Prius has come—and gone—a long way since that frst-generation model. Early on, the argument against it was that no one wanted a car with such a complex powertrain, although for regular drivers it was pretty much transparent, they just put gas in the car just like they did for their non-hybrid. The remarkable fuel economy of the Prius trumped that argument. Now, when gas prices are far lower than has been the case for quite some time, the knock on the Prius is that no one will buy a car that has such phenomenal fuel efciency. And arguably, the response to that is the ride and handling that the TNGA provides the car. This is the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), the company's new vehicle platform to reduce development costs while improving vehicle characteristics. The fourth- generation Prius is the frst vehicle to be based on TNGA. 22 2016 PRIUS ALT. ROUTE: The RAV4 has undergone a midcycle refresh for model year 2016, which pretty much means an array of new trims, ranging from the LE 2WD model to the LTD AWD model. But what's more notable is the inclusion of something other than a crossover powered by a 176-hp, 2.5-liter four mated to a six-speed automatic. There is a hybrid model. It is available in two grades, XLE and Limited. Both hybrid models come equipped with what Toyota calls its "Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive System with intelligence." This is based on a second, independent electric motor that drives the rear wheels when needed in addition to the hybrid setup that drives the front wheels. The RAV4 Hybrid uses a 112-hp 2.5-liter, four cylinder engine that works along with a 105-kW permanent magnet AC synchro- nous motor. The total system net horsepower for the system is 194. The vehicle uses a 244.8-Volt nickel-metal hydride battery pack. The hybrid setup in the RAV4 is akin to that used in the larger Highlander. (Notably, with the RAV4, the number of hybrids that Toyota offers is eight.) The RAV4 Hybrid is quite similar to its non-hybrid versions. They, too, are powered by a 2.5-liter four, but that one produces 176 hp. Those vehicles have a six-speed automatic, not an elec- tronically controlled continuously variable transmission. But take the powertrain out of the equation, and the suspension setups are the same (independent MacPherson struts with a stabilizer bar in the front; double wishbone with coil spring in the rear) and the interior volume is fairly close (EPA interior volume for the Hybrid: 136.3-ft 3 , for the gas models: 140-ft 3 without moonroof; 139.1-ft 3 with moonroof). A big difference is in the curb weight, with the heaviest standard model coming in at 3,630 lb. and the lightest Hybrid at 3,925 lb. However, mass notwithstanding, the anticipated EPA fuel economy ratings for the Hybrid are 34 mpg city/31 mpg highway/33 mpg combined, as compared with 24/31/26 mpg for the non-hybrid model. The RAV4 Hybrid