But being small is part of the point. Its diminutive size makes the Prius C ideal to drive in urban environments. It is superbly easy to park, and to maneuver in heavy stop-and-go traffic or the tight confines of a parking lot. Its city gas mileage is slightly better than its bigger brother (53 miles per gallon versus the Prius liftback’s 51), but suffers a bit on the highway (46 versus 48 mpg). That’s the same average fuel economy as the standard Prius, which is as good as it gets without going all-electric—undoubtably the nameplate’s most famous attribute and greatest draw. In all, the C makes efficient work of in-town commutes, and feels right at home at the slower speeds of city traffic.
The cars that exist in the present are getting closer and closer to the cars that we’d expected to have, generally speaking, “in the future” just a few years ago. Toyota’s new Prius C is very much a case in point here. A small, lightweight, versatile, hugely efficient machine that blows away what was considered “great” fuel economy a decade ago.
The 2012 Toyota Prius C made its North American Debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show today. We were on hand for the arrival of the newest member of the Prius family.
Toyota has taken the wraps off of the smallest member of the Prius family, the Prius c. Set to make its official debut at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the c is expected to net 50 miles per gallon in city driving.
Today, besides introducing the newest member of the Prius family, The 2012 Prius V, Toyota showed the smaller Prius C Concept.