{"id":3128,"date":"2025-09-15T03:31:24","date_gmt":"2025-09-15T03:31:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/?p=3128"},"modified":"2025-09-15T03:31:25","modified_gmt":"2025-09-15T03:31:25","slug":"c1509006-no-one-dropped-a-vibe-like-this-before_part2","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/?p=3128","title":{"rendered":"C1509006 No One Dropped a Vibe Like This Before_part2"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-video\"><video height=\"720\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 720 \/ 720;\" width=\"720\" controls src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/C1509006-No-One-Dropped-a-Vibe-Like-This-Before_part2.mp4\"><\/video><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The &#8216;pious&#8217; pioneer: how the Toyota Prius changed motoring<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Toyota Prius braved the storm of early derision to become the petrol-electric engineering benchmark<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"795\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cdn.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/gallery_slide\/public\/images\/car-reviews\/first-drives\/legacy\/new_and_old_toyota_prius.jpg?itok=1eJIwjiw\" alt=\"New and old Toyota Prius\"><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images.cdn.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/square_43x43\/public\/jamesdisdale_1.jpg?itok=b1HRb8ya\" alt=\"James Disdale\" title=\"James Disdale\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">News<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/users\/james-disdale\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">James Disdale<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">7 mins read<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">14 September 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\nhttps:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets\/follow_button.2f70fb173b9000da126c79afe2098f02.en.html#dnt=false&#038;id=twitter-widget-0&#038;lang=en&#038;screen_name=JamesDisdale&#038;show_count=false&#038;show_screen_name=false&#038;size=m&#038;time=1757907019876\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Share<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer\/sharer.php?app_id=236580861022118&amp;sdk=joey&amp;u=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/pious-pioneer-how-toyota-prius-changed-motoring&amp;display=popup&amp;ref=plugin&amp;src=share_button\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/pious-pioneer-how-toyota-prius-changed-motoring&amp;count=horizontal&amp;via=autocar&amp;text=The%20%27pious%27%20pioneer:%20how%20the%20Toyota%20Prius%20changed%20motoring&amp;counturl=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/pious-pioneer-how-toyota-prius-changed-motoring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=The%20%27pious%27%20pioneer:%20how%20the%20Toyota%20Prius%20changed%20motoring&amp;body=https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/features\/pious-pioneer-how-toyota-prius-changed-motoring\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Taxi! It\u2019s the reductive cry of many when a Prius hums into view,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/toyota\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toyota<\/a>\u2019s pioneering&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-news\/best-cars\/best-hybrid-cars\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">hybrid<\/a>&nbsp;hatchback having become the ubiquitous Uber for a generation of ride-hailing devotees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet as the petrol-electric model celebrates its quarter century on sale in the UK, does the incredibly efficient and relentlessly reliable Prius deserve to be seen \u2013 and appreciated \u2013 as more than just a default choice for hard-nosed mini-cabbers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The obvious answer is yes, of course it does. In fact, the Prius is perhaps one of the most misunderstood and occasionally divisive cars to have hit the roads in the past 25 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When it landed on these shores in 2000, diehard petrolheads quickly named it the \u2018Pious\u2019 \u2013 a swipe at early adopting owners who were evangelical about its tech and fuel-savings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-278.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3133\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yet it was also an unlikely Hollywood pin-up, with eco-friendly A-listers such as Leonardo DiCaprio choosing the Prius to scoot between studios.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Either way, over five generations, it has become as familiar a sight on our roads as white lines and temporary traffic lights: more than six million have been sold to date, making it the world\u2019s most popular hybrid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those sheer numbers mean Toyota\u2019s engineering brilliance is often overlooked, so it seems an ideal time to get one of the first examples together with the latest version and perhaps reappraise this dual-fuel pioneer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As is the case today, environmental concerns were very much in the headlines when the Prius first appeared in its native Japan back in 1997, with the result that manufacturers were keen to develop cars that minimised their impact on the world\u2019s resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Latest Reviews<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-278.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3131\" title=\"Nissan Micra review 2025 001\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nissan Micra<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/nissan\/micra\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Nissan Micra<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-280.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3134\" title=\"Poer 300 front\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GWM Poer 300<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/gwm\/poer-300\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">GWM Poer 300<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-279.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3132\" title=\"Renault Captur E Tech Hydrid 2025 jb20250905 1202 1600x1067 12192479 2a83 4e96 9d35 032580dcfddb\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renault Captur<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/renault\/captur\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Renault Captur<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-280.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3135\" title=\"BMW 1 Series review 2025 01 front cornering\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMW 1 Series<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>7<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/bmw\/1-series\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">BMW 1 Series<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-278.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3138\" title=\"Polestar 5 250911 2067\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h5 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Polestar 5 prototype review<\/a><\/h5>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/polestar\/5\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Polestar 5 prototype review<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">View all car reviews<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Read our review<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Car review<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-281.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3136\" title=\"Toyota Prius RT 2025 Review front corner 30\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/toyota\/prius\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/toyota\/prius\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Toyota Prius<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Prius we were told we couldn&#8217;t have goes on UK sale after all \u2013 and it&#8217;s good<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/car-review\/toyota\/prius\" class=\"\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Read our review<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"3\" height=\"2\" src=\"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/image-280.gif\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-3137\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The European approach was to remain faithful to internal combustion engines, installing them in lightweight, low-drag&nbsp;bodies, and the Audi A2 is perhaps the most obvious example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In Japan, however, petrol-electric hybrids were the order of the day. At roughly the same time the covers were pulled off the Prius, Honda launched its innovative Insight coup\u00e9.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Like the A2, it featured a low-calorie construction and wind-cheating bodywork, while under its snub snout was a clever powertrain that was the progenitor of today\u2019s mild hybrids. It was styled like a concept car and built with the same obsessive attention to detail as the firm\u2019s first-generation NSX supercar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But whatever the Honda\u2019s virtues, it was a sales flop \u2013 just like the Audi. Toyota\u2019s approach was slightly different, but in many ways it was in fact more daring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/both_generations_of_prius.jpg?itok=sFbCQQxQ\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A traditional four-door saloon template made the Prius look like a far more mundane machine, but that sober suit hid a much more sophisticated drivetrain that remains largely the same today as it was all those years ago.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Essentially, it has two electric motors: the MG1 is a starter-generator similar to those in today\u2019s mild hybrids, while the MG2 is the traction motor, which also acts as a generator.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Both of these then have to work harmoniously with the car\u2019s petrol engine, which can be connected to the road wheels at higher speeds or when maximum performance is required, but normally it feeds electricity into the battery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Making all of these mechanical machinations possible is the \u2018power splitter\u2019. Often referred to as a continuously variable transmission (CVT), it actually uses a planetary gearset rather than the usual belts and pulleys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/mk1_prius_engine.jpg?itok=Yrq2f2A4\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Packed together with the two motors and bolted onto the engine, it uses computers to decide where best to send power depending on the prevailing conditions, allowing it to operate as either a series or a parallel hybrid. Clever, eh?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Approach the Mk1 today and you would never guess at the&nbsp;complexity lurking within. Even in-period, it was a fairly nondescript presence: its tried-and-tested three-box template was at odds with family-friendly contemporaries such as the audaciously angular \u2018New Edge\u2019 exterior of the&nbsp;first-generation Ford Focus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Only when you climb aboard does the Prius start to reveal its status as a cutting-edge practitioner of the petrol-electric art. The squidgy seats trimmed in kitsch crushed velour are pure Tokyo taxi, plus there\u2019s the expected expanse of hard grey plastic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But set high in the centre of the dashboard is a full LCD digital instrument cluster, while the centre console houses an actual touchscreen. In many respects the OG hybrid car feels bang up to date to drive, which is largely due to the fact that any current hybrid Toyota is running essentially the same powertrain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/toyota_prius_side_by_side.jpg?itok=8XBj5peD\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pull the chunky, dashboard-mounted gear selector into drive and squeeze the throttle, and the Toyota pulls away in silent EV mode.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Push the accelerator a little harder and the engine fires into life, while pinning it into the carpet for maximum forward motion results in revs being held somewhere around peak torque as the power splitter feeds the generator\u2019s demand for maximum electricity (it\u2019s this behaviour that hoodwinked many to assume the Prius had a conventional CVT transmission).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With a combined 98bhp on tap, progress is leisurely. The ICE has to be worked hard, but the uninterrupted, EV-style delivery and the option of enhanced regenerative braking with the B mode gives this Prius surprisingly contemporary vibes. It\u2019s refined, too, with the 1.5-litre motor\u2019s efforts being suppressed enough not to grate even when pressing on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/new_toyota_prius.jpg?itok=06xQzwxw\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">According to the trip computer it\u2019s also returning an easy 50mpg-plus, despite being driven fairly briskly. Although, like many&nbsp;hybrids, the inconsistent transition from regenerative to friction braking makes it almost impossible to slow smoothly in a hurry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, it\u2019s the chassis that really dates the car. Its slow-witted steering, skinny-tyred deficit of grip and loose body control prove to be a reminder of a time when, sports cars aside, Toyotas were faithful and functional but rarely fun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Still, the upshot is a nicely absorbent \u2013 if floaty \u2013 ride that seems pretty well suited to today\u2019s scarred road surfaces. Yet it\u2019s easy to see why the Prius succeeded. Despite its astonishingly complicated powertrain, it\u2019s easy to drive, comfortable, spacious and, crucially, extremely reliable and cost-effective to run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So it was no surprise when second- and third-generation models arrived over the coming years. The looks became more arresting and there was the addition of more power-dense lithium-ion batteries&nbsp;and even a plug-in option, but the basic recipe remained the same.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/new_prius_rear.jpg?itok=ucmb2UXK\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When the Mk4 Prius arrived in 2016 it was built on the brand\u2019s TNGA architecture, which also meant a decent dose of driver engagement. Even so, when that car\u2019s production run came to an end in 2022, Toyota UK decided against bringing its replacement to our shores.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">With its C-HR crossover and collection of Corollas, the manufacturer reckoned it had all its hybrid bases covered, that there was no room on the price lists for a Prius. Then late last year Toyota relented, reinstating the plug-in version in showrooms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Compared with its dumpy ancestor, the sleek new car is a real feast for the eyes. Snapper Jack Harrison suggests that our test car\u2019s sunny hue and teardrop profile give it the look of a lemon, but to this tester it\u2019s a visual treat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Stick some flush wheel covers on and it could have passed as a futuristic automotive background model in Blade Runner 2049. This attention to detail extends to its engineering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/new_prius_engine.jpg?itok=sc78VJFD\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The latest hybrid system works in much the same way as ever, but it has been honed and refined for enhanced power and efficiency. Moreover, despite greater safety, a stiffer shell and a larger lithium ion battery that gives a claimed EV range of 53 miles, the Toyota tips the&nbsp;scales at as little as 1545kg, making it a flyweight in a world full of two-tonne-plus EVs and SUVs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">And this is all before you consider the way it drives. With 220bhp available, it accelerates with the eagerness of a hot hatch, and the relationship between throttle, motor, engine and power delivery is now carefully honed to deliver a more natural feel with almost none of the elastic-feeling CVT lag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">There\u2019s also a rare fluidity to the chassis, which allows the car to scythe quickly and accurately through corners yet ride the lumps and bumps with impressive deftness, even on our example\u2019s larger 19in rims.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.autocar.co.uk\/sites\/autocar.co.uk\/files\/styles\/body-image\/public\/new_toyota_prius_inteiror.jpg?itok=MMcI0FFQ\" alt=\"\"\/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Better still, the brakes are now brilliant, offering a firm pedal and a progressive action. This is a genuinely satisfying car to steer, one that might just tempt you to abandon the well-worn groove of your commute and seek a more interesting alternative back home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you love cars for their innovative design and engineering as much as you do for the way they go down the road, then you\u2019ll have plenty of time for the Prius. And as with the older models, once you\u2019ve tuned into the hybrid\u2019s way of doing things there\u2019s a peculiar satisfaction in getting the best out of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Moreover, in the clarity of its thinking and unwillingness to follow the herd, it captures the spirit of Citro\u00ebn at the height of its hydropneumatic pomp, or Saab at its single-minded best. After 25 years and millions of sales, the Prius doesn\u2019t need to justify its existence: like it or loathe it, the Toyota is a bonafide success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Back to top<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Who knows what the next quarter century holds for the Prius? But whatever happens we should pay it our dues and recognise this hybrid trailblazer as one of the most influential cars yet produced. What we do know, though, is that if you\u2019re a minicab driver, you\u2019ve never had it so good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The &#8216;pious&#8217; pioneer: how the Toyota Prius changed motoring The Toyota Prius braved the storm of early derision to become the petrol-electric engineering benchmark News by&nbsp;James Disdale 7 mins read 14 September 2025 Share Taxi! It\u2019s the reductive cry of many when a Prius hums into view,&nbsp;Toyota\u2019s pioneering&nbsp;hybrid&nbsp;hatchback having become the ubiquitous Uber for a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":3130,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=3128"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3139,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3128\/revisions\/3139"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/3130"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=3128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=3128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gottanlent.vansonnguyen.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=3128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}