Photo: Toyota
Not long ago, the Toyota Prius was available to eco-oriented customers as the only worth-while hybrid. That soon changed as the arrival of an increasing number of cars with alternative means of propulsion have nearly halved the model’s sales numbers in the U.S. compared to 2012-2014.
But the Prius is still around, despite not so many people being enchanted by it. Now offered as both regular and plug-in hybrid (Prius and Prius Prime), the nameplate came into focus this week as one of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) first Top Safety Picks for 2019.
Tested according to the organization’s standards, both models with standard equipment earned good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.
An acceptable rating was handed to the Prius duo in the passenger-side small overlap crash test, as well as for headlights.
The IIHS says the two cars come with superior-rated front crash prevention systems as standard, which helped them avoid collisions at 12 mph and 25 mph. These systems are compliant with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) criteria.
The headlights fitted on the cars – one of the elements looked at by IIHS – were rated as acceptable thanks to the high-beam assist feature that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.
With these two models, Toyota now has seven cars rated as Top Safety Picks by the IIHS for the 2019 model year. The other five are the Corolla, Highlander, Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES – the last three also got the extra + at the end of their ratings.
In the U.S., the still best selling hybrid of all time was introduced as a mid-cycle facelift in November last year. It sells for $27,300 for the latest addition to the range, the AWD-e.
Tested according to the organization’s standards, both models with standard equipment earned good ratings in the driver-side small overlap front, moderate overlap front, side, roof strength and head restraint tests.
An acceptable rating was handed to the Prius duo in the passenger-side small overlap crash test, as well as for headlights.
The IIHS says the two cars come with superior-rated front crash prevention systems as standard, which helped them avoid collisions at 12 mph and 25 mph. These systems are compliant with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) criteria.
The headlights fitted on the cars – one of the elements looked at by IIHS – were rated as acceptable thanks to the high-beam assist feature that automatically switches between high beams and low beams, depending on the presence of other vehicles.
With these two models, Toyota now has seven cars rated as Top Safety Picks by the IIHS for the 2019 model year. The other five are the Corolla, Highlander, Camry, Avalon and Lexus ES – the last three also got the extra + at the end of their ratings.
In the U.S., the still best selling hybrid of all time was introduced as a mid-cycle facelift in November last year. It sells for $27,300 for the latest addition to the range, the AWD-e.
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