First a bit of history to set things up.
Toyota brought out the first Prius Plug-in, based on the third-gen-
eration Prius, in 2012. The third-gen Prius came out in 2009 as a 2010
model year vehicle. In 2015, the fourth generation Prius—a whole
new design, a whole new platform—was introduced as a model year
2016 car. At that point there was no plug-in version, just the main
model that is called the "Prius Liftback."
But now, there's the 2017 Prius Prime, a plug-in, that's based on the
same TNGA architecture of the fourth-gen Prius. And although there
are modifications to the Prime compared to the non-plug in model—
as in being 4.2 inches longer—it also has a hatch configuration (but,
as we'll see, a significantly different one), but it is not called a "lift-
back," as that is the nomenclature for the Prius Liftback. (I will admit
to having been a little confused.)
Like the Liftback, the Prime has the same 1.8-liter, all-alumi-
num, DOHC, four-cylinder, Atkinson-cycle engine. It has the same
suspension system, MacPherson struts in the front and a trailing
arm-type double wishbone setup in the rear; however, the spring
rates are optimized for the Prime, as it and the Liftback not only have
COVER STORY
PRIME NUMBER:
OK. 25 is not a prime number.* But it is the
electric range, in miles, of the 2017 Prius
Prime plug-in hybrid. (We couldn't resist.)
BY GARY S. VASILASH / Editor-In-Chief
25
20