2010 Features and Impressions

I thought I'd list the small little details that made it to the 2010 Prius that might not be obvious at first so I'll be leaving stuff out like the LED headlights and solar panels cause those are the big ticket items

• Power window switches are illuminated at all positions
• Express up/down function with jam-protection for all 4 windows
• Auto-Open power moonroof with two stage opening
• Ambient lighting (LED shone from above)
• Felt pads at the base of all 4 door handles/grips
• Bluetooth Audio available
• Rear seat headrests flip forward (either for folding the rear seat or for increase rearward visibility)
• No sound deadening material in rear wheel well
• Front footwell lighting (amber/orange colour)
• All 3 blanks on the driver's side solved - manual headlight adjustment (Europe only), solar panel A/C and headlight washer
• Navigation is still DVD-based (HS250h and Euro versions get HDD)
• Outside mirror still folds fairly flush with the body and still folds both ways
• Rear SKS lock button is next to the rear hatch release button
• Windshield washer nozzles hidden beneath hood
• Lower glovebox no longer felt-lined and loses a shelf
• Upper glovebox loses shelf
• Taillight now LED
• Underfloor and side underfloor bins still remain but are now fully connected
• Shifter movement is shortened
• Navigation system includes traffic
• Plasmacluster ionizer filter standard
• Europe still gets a button dimmer switch rather than rotary
• Front door pockets only the size of a bottle
• Misty Grey is the only two-tone interior option
• No mention of Safety Connect even though the cars were equipped with an SOS button
• Cupholders still not adjustable
• VSC not VDIM
• Rear windows completely drop into the door panel
• Rear hatch has both left and right pull-down cavities
• Spare tyre is still painted yellow
• Tool kit now in the spare tyre compartment rather than in the underfloor bin/box
• Hood still held up by prop rod, not struts
• 15" rim has a wheel cover and it's a full cover not a ring
• Wing mirrors appear to have greater surface area

Only the tail light is LED. The turn, license plate, and reverse lights are still incandescent.

Safety Connect won't be available until Fall 2009.

Some of mine (may be previously covered):

• Doors auto-unlock when shifting into park, and presumably lock when in motion.
• Removing the key from the car (out of SKS range) while on pops up a message on the upper MDF noting that the key is out of range.
• Oil filter is now in a different location, possibly the right rear corner (based on cut-away view)
• The front/rear emblem does not glow - it was just the lighting from above.
• Hazard light switch is momentary vs. depressed/unpressed (cycled).
• DRL's are similar to other current Toyota models now - amber and dedicated in the front facia.
• Entering the options menu for the upper MFD involves a series of pressing and holding or quick pressing the wheel mounted DISP button.
• Light touch on the wheel buttons light up in front of the MDF, but a full depress is still required to activate the function.
• Same warning beep used to warn that the key is missing when the door is closed, but the car is in an "on" state.
• For cars equipped w/ entry lighting, the front doors have the glowing PRIUS logo, but the rear doors do not.
• Rear cargo area is slightly wider at the wheel wells thanks to the redesigned battery vent.
• Although the engine is belt-less, the crankshaft pulley is retained.
• Although the MAP DVD is up in the dash, the NAV ECU still lives under the driver's (left) seat. There is an open plug w/ a yet to be determined function.
• Both the NAV ECU and amplifier seemed to have clipped down covers, no more easier access to the NAV ECU.
• I couldn't find the rear seat floor heat vents.
• Under the passenger seat, there's a pop-up panel to reveal the frame VIN number.
• The dash texture has been revised, as spotted in several photos.
• The same sweeping/articulating wiper design has been retained.
• Both the MAP DVD and 4 disc changer are accessible under the NAV screen
• The same finger dance is used to access the service menus on the NAV MFD, however some of the options have changed within the menu itself. Holding display will reset the MFD back to "normal". The radio is still silenced during the service menu display.
• The clock is displayed within the MFD, though still apparently set by hand. A time zone and DST offset can be chosen, which may suggest that GPS may be used to set if avaialble. Was hard to say as I had to set the clock in the one car I was testing and we were indoors which blocked the GPS signal.
• Power door lock mechanisms "sound" newer.
• Parking brake pedal surface appears smaller than previous.
• Despite the size, map lights are not activated by pressing the lens, rather separate switches.
• Fuel filler requires screwing in again, but the clicking is single click vs. racheting. Fuel door release location is unchanged and cable operated.

I'm sure others could note more fine details.

I was told by the product development guy the blue logos were standard and that they were an "after thought" from the other two cars - a "last minute change".

They appeared more like decals, not paint, as there was half-tone screening to get the fade effect.

Retract from my previous, digging through pictures (the Picasa album has been updated), I did find the rear floor heater vents below the nav ecu and amp. Not sure being under is that great for fear of overheating those components in some situations...

I hope the reverse beep is defeatable!

Interesting comment on the quailty of the image. I thought the MFD screen buttons didn't look any better than the current hi-res monitor. Do you think the camera has been improved or the MFD screen (or both)?

At least it's not red like the JDM Honda Type-R emblems.

Hmm, I've noticed that there are two types of overhead console - one for those with Safety Connect (you get the nice shiny black disc) and one without (you get a standard plastic switch for the dome light only)