2010 Toyota Prius Set To Be Greenest Car In Australia

Just when you thought the Toyota Prius was the greenest five-seater petrol-engined car available in Australia, along comes the new generation Prius to overtake it.

The new Prius, arriving July, has shaved 17 grams off its CO2 emissions. This makes it the only other petrol-engined car in Europe - next to sister car, the iQ - to slip under the 100g/km mark.

The current Prius was overtaken in the Federal Government’s Green Vehicle Guide as highest-ranked car by a two-seater one litre competitor (that would be the Smart) by a measly one gram. So, Toyota has sharpened its claws and also sharpened the new car's performance, achieving a new target of just 89 grams of CO2 emissions per kilometre.

Toyota Australia spokesman, David Buttner, believes the new Prius offers further appeal to drivers. “New Prius will send a clear message to car buyers about saving money at the pump while being kinder to the environment,” he said.

Toyota’s Prius will see its 1.5 litre motor upgraded to a 1.8 litre, producing an extra 20 percent power gain for its Hybrid Synergy Drive system, now topping the ton at 100kw.

Fuel economy is also improved in the new model with the new Prius using only 3.9/litres per 100km (claimed factory figure) compared to the current generation Prius at 4.4/litres per 100km.

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