The Generation II Toyota Prius Hybrid is a "Corolla sized" four-door sedan with almost exactly the same outside dimensions as the same design year Toyota Corolla. Given the outside dimensions of the Generation II Toyota Prius Hybrid it has a surprisingly roomy interior comfortably seating 5 people and still leaving enough room for 390 litres of boot space.
The other thing people are often surprised about the Toyota Prius is the performance. Although the Toyota Prius Hybrid only has a 1500cc petrol engine, when combined with the power of the Prius' electric motor, it feels more like a 2 litre car than a 1500 to drive. People often assume there will be a compromise in performance in order for the Prius Hybrid to achieve its huge fuel savings, when the reality is the performance is superior to an equivalent non hybrid car. In fact people who drive the Toyota Prius Hybrid agree, not only is there no compromise on performance but the Toyota Prius Hybrid is actually smoother and quieter and an all-round nicer car to drive than your average 2 litre car.
The average fuel consumption of the Generation II Toyota Prius is around 20km/litre (56 miles/gallon), which means on one tank of petrol you can drive from Auckland to Wellington and still have enough fuel in the tank to do some shopping when you get there. The Toyota Prius Hybrid achieves this by using electric-motors/generators, a Ni-Mh battery pack and a highly efficient 1500cc petrol engine. These are coupled to a revolutionary transmission system that is simple (only 21 moving parts), reliable and allows the motors to work together in the most efficient combination. The result is a four door family sedan with the best fuel economy and lowest emissions available on the market today.
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