Toyota Prius is one of the best-known hybrid electric automobiles in the world. Think you know everything about it? Here are some cool Toyota Prius 2011 facts may surprise you.
Toyota Prius 2011 Facts That May Surprise You
Went on sale in Japan in December of 1997, the iconic Toyota Prius has been around for more than 20 years. Toyota Prius 2011 is the third generation of this popular car model that be sold in over 70 markets. These are some “I never knew that” facts about this car you need to know.
The name and the dominance of the car
Toyota did hit the nail on the right head when choosing the name for this model. “Prius” is a Latin word meaning “first”, “original”, “superior” or “to go before”. It is the first world mass-produced hybrid vehicle and was subsequently introduced worldwide in 2000. The Prius also has a great market – over 90 countries, with Japan and the United States being its largest markets. The Prius family totaled global cumulative sales of 6.1 million units in January 2017, representing 61% of the 10 million hybrids sold worldwide by Toyota since 1997.
Great fuel efficiency
Toyota Prius is the most fuel-efficient gasoline car currently sold in the U.S. The third-generation Hybrid Synergy Drive unit was 35 per cent more powerful yet 23 per cent more fuel efficient and 25 per cent cleaner in terms of CO2 emissions than the first. An impressive improved EPA-rated 51 mpg City and 48 mpg on the Highway makes Toyota Prius 2011 remains the highest-mileage hybrid on the market.
Comfortable interior
The 2011 Toyota Prius has a satisfying interior. The sleek roofline brings the aerodynamic advantage, it reduces the coefficient of drag to 0.25 from 0.26. However, sleeker roofline doesn’t mean cramped room inside. There’s enough space for four adults, or even five if you stagger shoulders in back. The new center console gets in the way of front knee room, and front seats are still skimpy on padding, though the driver’s seat is now height-adjustable.
Moreover, the cargo area also expands easily, with 40 cubic feet of capacity when the back seats are dropped flat, you have a spacious room to stow small electronics or personal items out of sight.
Strong safety
When mentioning Toyota Prius 2011 facts, strong safety is one of the most noticeable things. Toyota provides a full set of safety features and a strong body structure, while keeping watch on the weight of the car.
Seven airbags are standard on the Prius, including dual-stage front airbags, side airbags in front, airbag curtains, and driver’s knee airbag. Other safety equipments standard that are available on all models are active headrests; tire pressure monitor with warning light; anti-lock brakes with Brake Assist and Brake Force Distribution; and a sophisticated stability control system working with traction control.
Safety options also include a pre-collision system. Same as the radar cruise control, this system uses radar antenna. If a collision is imminent, it applies the brakes harder than the driver does to minimize the collapse. And even if the driver doesn’t push the brake pedal, this system can reduce the collision impact by 0.7g.
Intelligent Parking Assist with Intelligent Clearance Sonar
Intelligent Parking Assist is a part of the Advanced Technology Package available for Prius 2011, that help your car squeeze itself into a parking spot. Like many high-tech innovations, it does it because it can. You can set the distance you desire to the curb. Pull up, line up, press the button, it tells you when to go; then release the brake pedal and take your hands off the steering wheel and let it do its thing. The system also enables the car to exit a parallel parking space via an automatic steering system. Additional intelligent clearance sonar provides visual and audible warnings when the car gets too close to an obstacle.