Do not adjust your set. The Toyota Prius really is here and on sale in a country many of us thought would never warm to the idea of a small(ish) car known for one thing only: waving the flag for the environment.
Now in its fourth generation, the Prius has been Toyota’s eco-hero model since its 1997 debut, although it didn’t really get into its sales stride until the second model came along in 2003 and suddenly became the darling of California’s do-gooders. Ten Hollywood stars turned up at the Academy Awards in the first model, and the world took note, setting the cash registers alight once the new one came on-stream later in the year. And here I am, in Dubai, driving the newest one, with a certain degree of smug self-satisfaction.
The fact that it’s here is terrific news, because Toyota wouldn’t be showcasing it in the region unless it knew there was a case to be made for sales success. The time, it would seem, is right for motorists to take some collective responsibility for their actions and the effect we all have on the planet. Right?
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Maybe. It was back in 2010 when The National reported on then Al Futtaim Motors boss Simon Frith's plans to bring the Prius to the UAE. So it may similarly take time for the model to become a regular sight at the nation's shopping malls. To help things along, Toyota is making sure that the lion's share of the first year's supply will end up in the hands of "influencers" and "opinion formers", no doubt hoping for the "DiCaprio Effect".
Thankfully, the new Prius is good enough to stand up to scrutiny without such marketing tactics. When I mention my smugness while driving it on roads packed to bursting with gas guzzling behemoths, that’s down to the fact that I do so as often as possible without the use of the car’s engine.
Unlike many hybrid vehicles, the Prius isn’t a “plug-in” that needs a recharge before venturing onto the streets. The four-cylinder engine and the battery pack work together seamlessly, with the default mode being all-electric until the car is aware it needs more oomph, and the engine comes on song. At snail-pace commuting speeds, which is what I’m reduced to much of the time, I move along without the need to burn fossil fuel, and it feels rather satisfying. When the engine does kick in, I feel almost disappointed.
The net result of such driving is that, after four days behind its wheel, the Prius’s range from its fuel supply still reads at more than 900 kilometres. So if you’re fed up with queuing your life away at petrol stations, this could be the answer to your prayers. But what about its attributes as a car, rather than as a planet saver?
Externally, it’s questionable, there’s no denying it. A colleague asked cruelly if it had already been involved in a frontal collision, offended by the folded origami creases that make up its nose section. My car runs on steel wheels with plastic trims, which do the overall aesthetic no good whatsoever, and the swooping design details that lead to its equally controversial rear are similarly polarising. But it’s distinctive, and that’s what Toyota wants it to be — a car that wears its heart and its green credentials on its sleeve, no matter how challenging the view. Still, having seen and driven a lime-green Prius in Japan last year, I can tell you that it’s a car that looks better in lurid colours, with alloy wheels fitted.
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Inside, it’s a happier compromise, and there’s an air of elegant simplicity that pervades the cabin. In front of (or is it behind?) the steering wheel is nothing, with the speedo and other digital gauges grouped within a central display on top of the dashboard. It’s here you see where the car is getting its power from, with displays showing the power train in action, and giving people like me added impetus to go easy with their right foot.
The materials don’t look or feel cheap (for the most part), and visibility is excellent all round, with the exception of the small rear window, which is bisected by an integral spoiler of sorts. The drive selector takes a bit of getting used to, but that doesn’t take long, and once the controls are familiar, the Prius becomes just like a normal car in operation.
I mentioned earlier my sense of disappointment when the engine comes to life, but there’s more to it than the knowledge that carbon is being emitted from the exhaust. There’s also the sound of said engine, which is about as interesting as next door’s vacuum cleaner, and the fact that the continuously variable transmission (CVT) gearbox does its usual job of making the four-pot sound like it’s being thrashed within an inch of its life whenever there’s an open throttle. But these aren’t enough to become black marks against this Toyota’s name — they’re just part and parcel of city commuter cars these days.
There is no socket for charging the Prius battery pack — it’s topped up by an integrated generator while the car is driving, meaning the range in “EV mode” is naturally limited. When you start the car, its default is to battery power, and it uses up that stored energy until either it runs out, the car needs a helping hand under acceleration or when going up hill. As you decelerate or brake, the wheels drive the electric motor, recovering energy and sending it to charge the battery. It’s all extremely clever stuff, and while it’s true to say that this isn’t exactly new technology, when you live with it on a daily basis in a fairly small car, it makes you marvel at its outright efficiency.
In full electric mode, the car does feel and sound (and look, when it’s dark outside) like the future. Whooshes, hums and really quite brisk acceleration, combined with a nice low centre of gravity to make it feel more connected with the road, are enough to make the Prius fun in its own distinct way. And as statement cars go, they don’t get much louder than this — to drive a Prius here, as it is in California and other parts of the world, is to dare to be different, and say that you do, as a matter of fact, think about the footprints you leave on this precious planet.
motoring@thenational.ae
The Toyota Prius is on sale now, with prices starting from Dh89,900.