Toyota Launches 83 MPG Prius C In Japan, Takes 60,000 Pre-Orders

Banking on the success of the Prius brand, Toyota has expanded its hybrid offerings three-fold with the Prius Plug-In, Prius V, and upcoming Prius C. While both the Plug-In and V models of the Prius offer substantial steps up in technology and space (respectively), it is the diminutive Prius C that seems to have captured the attention of customers.Having just put the Prius C on sale, Toyota has already received over 60,000 pre-orders for the compact hybrid, far exceeding their stated monthly sales goal of 12,000 units. Priced at about $21,000, the Prius C (called the Toyota Aqua in Japan) will offer customers exceptional fuel economy in an affordable package. On the Japanese testing cycle, the Prius C gets an 83 MPG rating. It’s important to note though that the standard Prius is rated at 76.6 MPG in Japan, so obviously the different methods of fuel economy standards do not translate.

Still, the Prius C appears to be about 10% more fuel efficient than the standard Prius, and if that’s the case, then the compact hybrid should be able to attain an EPA rating of about 55 mpg. Toyota will sell the Prius C all around the world, and it utilizes the same Synergy hybrid drivetrain as its larger cousin.

And you know what? I like it. GASP! I know! Chris DeMorro, hater of hybrids, likes a Prius?! Perhaps its the better looks, the more affordable price, or the potential for an eventual sporty coupe model…but to my tastes, the Prius C is world’s away a better looking car, despite sharing many, many styling cues with the standard Prius. I think it’s the rear end that makes the biggest different; unlike the Prius, the Aqua/C looks a lot more like a conventional compact car.

The Prius C should go on sale in America later this year. If they can shed two doors and give me a little more powah, well hell, I might be a Toyota owner sooner rather than later.

Source: Toyota

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Tags: America, Aqua, EPA, for sale, Fuel economy, japan, Japanese, mpg, pre-order, prius, prius c, prius plug-in, Prius V, testing, Toyota

About the Author

Christopher DeMorro A writer and gearhead who loves all things automotive, from hybrids to HEMIs, Chris can be found wrenching or writing- or esle, he's running, because he's one of those crazy people who gets enjoyment from running insane distances.

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Tim Cleland

Nice job, Toyota. Like the 2004+ Prius, this one will be a game changer. It’s basically a much more practical
version of the original Honda Insight (which I liked as well).
Ethan Lipman

I’m curious about the MPG rating in Japan being so far above what we predict here in the states. Are we having some metric to english conversion trouble? Or maybe they have a lower speed limit or better driving habbits resulting in higher mpg? whether in the USA or Japan, I assume it’s still just a benchmark to compare vehicle efficiency from one make / model to the next, so as long as they all rate similarly inaccurately – then the mpg ratings still work as a comparative benchmark.
- http://www.sublimeburnout.com Christopher DeMorro
  
  @ Ethan Lipman
  
  It’s a different method of testing. The Japanese test cycle takes into account more city driving than highway driving, given the congested nature of their cities. The EPA testing method is more evenly split up between highway and city driving. It’s more in-depth than that, but that’s the gist of it.
  - Ethan Lipman
    
    @Chris Thanks for the gist.. Glad to hear there is a good reason for the benchmark difference. A perfectly logical Rational reason even. How rare is THAT in this world
    - danwat1234
      
      Yea but 83MPG is highly unlikely to be achieved even if the test cycle is 100% city and all regen braking… Let me put it this way, the Nissan Leaf electric car only gets 93MPGhwy equivalent according to US EPA and I’m sure some can achieve efficiency above 100MPG real world. It’s unlikely anybody driving a 2012 Prius C will get 83MPG real world. The Atkinson cycle engine isn’t that amazing. It’s a good boost from OTTO cycle but not that far.
  - danwat1234
    
    There is no way that the average Japanian could get 83MPG in their Prius-C. It’s the same atkinson cycle hybrid drivetrain as the regular Prius. Homogeneous stratified charge will bring more MPG improvements when the engines come out.
    
    76.6MPG in the regular Prius?
    Either the Japan test cycle is very flawed, or a Japanese gallon is much larger than a U.S. gallon of fluid.
  - danwat1234
    
    Well, I suppose 83MPG is possible if it’s like 100% city where aredynamic drag is almost zero and just about all the braking is done with regen instead of brake pads.
http://neilblanchard.blogspot.com/ NeilBlanchard

If they made the Prius a plugin model with a similar capacity lithium pack to the Prius Plugin, *then* it truly be a giant killer. It would also help the interior space and the weight if they made mesh seats like the concept car.

Neil
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Matilda

It’s the test cycle that is flawed, hopelessly, the same way that the US CAFE-standard one is a mess. The EPA fuel ratings in the US are pretty good now, but evidently Japan uses fantasy numbers like the US used to do (and still does for CAFE standards).
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Sean

Why does the aqua get much better mpg than the prius c when they are the same car?
- danwat1234
  
  The Toyota Aqua is tested with the japanese MPG testing which is much more lenient than EPA testing so the numbers are way different but the car is very similar I assume.
Guest

The Aqua is tested with the japanese MPG testing which is much more lenient than EPA testing so the numbers are way different but the car is very similar I assume.