The Prius plug-in hybrid (PHV), to be released next year, and a low-cost compact hybrid based on the Prius C design study (earlier post), to be introduced sometime afterward, will constitute the Prius family’s third and fourth vehicles, respectively.

Toyota’s sales target for the Prius v (for “versatility”) is about “ten to fifteen percent” of conventional Prius sales in North America, or about 15,000 to 25,000 vehicle per year, depending on which year is used for comparison, according to Toyota Division Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter.

Although Toyota had set a Japanese sales target of 3,000 Prius Alphas per month, the company has already registered about 25,000 preorders in Japan since the reservation process was opened.

Powertrain

The Prius v carries over the P410 powertrain with a 1.8 liter 2ZR-FXE engine, a 60kW traction motor, and a 201V Ni-MH battery pack, which was introduced in the 2010 Prius and subsequently used with minor variations in the Lexus CT200h, Lexus HS250h, and the Europe-only Toyota Auris hybrid.

Powertrain refinements unique to the Prius v include a redesigned engine coolant heating structure surrounding the vehicle’s catalytic converter and a new “pitch and bounce” motor control refinement that is automatically employed on undulating roads.

Comparison of the current Prius EHR system (left) and the Prius v EHR system (right). Click to enlarge.

First introduced on the Generation III Prius, the exhaust heat recirculation system—which uses a heat exchanger to transfer waste heat to the engine’s coolant system—has been refined to reduce engine warm-up time and improve occupant heater response time in cold weather. Coolant recirculation through the exhaust heat recirculation system is now electronically controlled by a switch valve.

Pitch and Bounce Control is designed to improve ride comfort and control; because the Prius v is a larger vehicle with greater load capacity, suspension components were redesigned to improve handling and ride quality. Pitch and Bounce Control works with the vehicle’s suspension to cancel porpoising when the vehicle is driven over uneven surfaces such as expansion plates.

Schematic of Pitch and Bounce motor control operation. Click to enlarge.

The torque of the vehicle’s traction motor is adjusted, based on wheel speed sensor inputs, to neutralize repetitive oscillations in the range of 1 to 2 Hz, according to Toyota chief engineer Hiroshi Kayukawa, which helps to suppress “bounce and toss” motion. New coolant passages for the traction motor have been added to the transaxle, as well; the conventional P410 transaxle uses dedicated coolant passages for the generator alone.

Additional efficiency-related improvements include a new lightweight synthetic leather material called SofTex, which is produced with low CO₂ manufacturing processes, and a high-efficiency JBL GreenEdge stereo, which can generate audio output equal to a conventional audio system, while using about one-half the power. The system is also about one-third lighter that a comparable conventional car audio system.

The Prius v has an estimated EPA fuel economy rating of 44 mpg US city / 40 mpg US highway / 42 mpg US combined (5.35 L/100km / 5.88 L/100km / 5.6 L/100km).