Having gotten the attention of the average buyer with the hybrid Prius in 2000, Toyota now has a new goal: to move hybrid technology into the mainstream.  The Japanese manufacturer says it’s time to “convince customers that the Prius is a real car [instead of a] science project,” and backs this up with the 2004 Prius.

That’s not to say that the Prius isn’t a nerdy engineer’s dream ride, of course, because it still is.  If it wasn’t, Toyota wouldn’t be able to call the hyper-efficient gasoline engine/electric motor combination the Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), at least not with a straight face. There’s a massive list of new technology in the 2004 Prius:  shift-by-wire transmission, electric braking, vehicle skid control and traction control, electric-inverter air conditioning, pushbutton start, smart-entry keys, Bluetooth hands-free communication, and even more.  There are also some preconceptions to be overcome, so listen closely:  No, this hybrid-electric car doesn’t have to be plugged in.  Ever.  And yes, there are significant improvements in fuel economy and emissions over a regular gasoline engine.

The body is completely new.  The wheelbase is six inches longer, and the car is five inches longer overall.  It’s wider, too, broadening the interior to mid-size volumes.  Toyota calls the body a “triangular monoform,” which seems to be a technical way of saying that it looks like a lump of Play-Doh that someone whacked a couple of times with a trowel.  The front bumper-to-roof slope is nearly a straight line.  The deep windshield and body color grille give the Prius a seamless face.  There are little scallops in the roof–they’re there for aerodynamic purposes.  Extra glass abounds; there are small windows in the A-pillar ahead of the mirror, and there’s a second glass panel in the tailgate, a la Honda Insight, for improved visibility to the rear.  The taillights are LEDs with clear lenses, and the one-box shape masks the Prius’ size.  It’s also a hatchback.  According to the engineers, technically, it’s a liftback–did you know there was a difference?  For the record, the angle of the rear door determines whether it’s a “hatch” or a “lift.”

The dash is less centralized in response to customer comments, but the cool power flow gauge is still there, to tell you what the HSD is up to.  The LCD information screen is slightly bigger, with brighter colors.  It also contains audio and air conditioning controls.  It’s not always intuitive to use, however.  There’s a translucent plastic cubby front and center on the dash, and a double glovebox.  The digital instrument panel is far ahead of the driver, at the base of the windshield.  The Prius’ interior is very neat and multi-surfaced, with pleasantly contrasting textures but not a lot of complexity.  The ergonomics folks would call it “clean.”  Some people complained about the velvety mouse-fur upholstery on the center console, but we liked it.

Thanks to a relocated battery pack, the rear seats can fold down, and the passenger seat folds flat for extended cargo carrying.  Under the skin, cool things are happening, too.  The air conditioner is driven by an electric motor, instead of an accessory belt.  This system includes an electric water pump that circulates warm coolant for the heater, allowing the Prius to blow warm air when the gas engine isn’t running.  The available Bluetooth hands-free system allows a wide variety of cool functions with compatible cell phones.  There isn’t space to go into all of the possibilities, but imagine walking up to your car while making a cell phone call, having the doors unlock and the call transfer automatically to the car’s hands-free system as you get in.  That’s just one of the things Bluetooth can do.

The key fob is inserted directly into the dash, and then the Prius is started with a jolly red “Start” button.  The engine doesn’t always come to life, but a “Ready” light glows on the dash to let you know the car’s ready to go.  The Prius’ HSD does its thing without any input from the driver–it knows what it needs.  Like in the previous car, the 50-kilowatt electric motor is partnered with a 1.5 liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine in a high-tech tag-team match, and they switch off constantly for maximum efficiency.  The gasoline engine shuts on and off smoothly, and without watching the power-flow gauge, we frequently couldn’t tell whether the gas motor was running or not.  Once we learned, it was a fun challenge to see how far we could go without burning any gas at all.  The air conditioning and heater are now electronic, allowing the gas engine to stay dormant even more frequently.  Unlike Honda’s hybrids, the Prius can run on full-electric power for extended periods, which is the reason that its city mileage is better than its freeway economy.  Better yet, the new battery pack is more powerful, lighter, and cheaper to produce.  It’s one of the factors that let Toyota hold the line on the Prius’ price.

The outgoing Prius racked up a lot of complaints about the strange feel of its electrically-assisted brakes.  A new, faster processor improves brake feel considerably, and now the Prius behaves like a proper car when you step on the brake pedal.  Anti-lock brakes are standard, too.  On the road, the short overhangs make for a car that’s easy to pilot around town.  The overwhelming normalness of the Prius is even more pronounced with the new car.  Without the power-transfer gauge, it would be hard to convince passengers that this wasn’t just a funny looking Camry, and that’s a very good thing.

After a short drive, we weren’t surprised to hear that about 10,000 of the 2004 Prius’ planned 35,000-car model run has been presold.  The base price of $19,995 hasn’t changed since the Prius’ introduction, and stays the same for the all-new car as well.  It’s bigger car that’s faster and uses less gas than its predecessor, but costs the same.  How often does that happen?

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2004 Toyota Prius, which we tested.
Length:         175.0 in.
Width:            67.9 in.
Height:            58.1 in.
Wheelbase:        106.3 in.
Curb weight:        2890 lb.
Cargo space:        16.1 cu.ft.
Base price:        $19,995
Engine:     1.5 liter four-cylinder gasoline engine and 50 kW
permanent-magnet electric motor
Drivetrain:         continuously variable transmission, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:         76 (gas)
Torque:         82 @ 4200 (gas); 295 @ 0-1200 (electric)
Fuel capacity:        11.9 gal.
Est. mileage:         59/51

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