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Featured 2nd Generation Toyota Aqua Released July 2021 in Japan

Discussion in 'Prius, Hybrid, EV and Alt-Fuel News' started by Tideland Prius, Jun 6, 2021.

  1. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    [​IMG]

    • Original Aqua/Prius c was designed for familiarity back 2012 (turn key ignition, gated shifter instead of push button start and electronic shifter). This appealed to middle and older aged owners to who wanted familiarity
    • Since then, the Corolla and Yaris hybrids have taken over the role of the "familiar vehicle but just happens to be a hybrid" so that allows the Aqua to take a different direction
    • Next generation aiming to differentiate itself from the Yaris - aim for a higher grade (or more premium environment)
    • It'll use the newly developed "bipolar nickel metal hydride" battery. A "business" grade will use Li-Ion (I take it "business" to mean a "commercial" version)
    • EV mode max speed expanded to 40km/h (Ed note: still slower than the Gen 2 Liftback though lol)
    • Targeting 35.8km/L in WLTC testing mode
    • E-Four will be available
    • New deceleration control with strong regen
    • TSS standard but adaptive cruise will now be "all-speed" adaptive cruise control
    • Toyota Teammate Advanced Park (fully automatic parking support function) will be an option (Ed note: This is basically catching up to the other manufacturer's parking assist feature like BMW or Hyundai)
    • Toyota says not many Aqua owners switch to a Yaris hybrid so the development of the new generation Aqua is important to appeal to current Aqua owners

    https://bestcarweb.jp/news/scoop/287242?prd=2
     
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  2. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    I like the look of Yaris so much more than Aqua... But rather than Toyota simply firing everyone on Prius design team for destroying market share with ugly vehicle design, they instead have these complex explanations about customer brand loyalty preferences. And in general, unless you live in a densely populated city where parking spaces tend to be small, you won't like how tiny the Aqua is compared to a regular Prius.
     
  3. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Remember they’re talking about the Japanese market. Parking spaces are tiny.
     
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  4. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    From the pic above, front end seems to be heading back towards “normal”; hopefully bodes good for next gen Prius, if it ever arrives.
     
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  5. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    Yes... exactly! Most people don't realize that 2/3rds of humans on planet earth live in a relatively small area of the planet in Asia and SE Asia and your vehicle have to be small in a densely populated landscape like that.
     
  6. meeder

    meeder Active Member

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    How large is the Aqua?
    The current Yaris made a huge leap in build quality. It feels a lot more upmarket than the old Yaris. The new hybrid drivetrain with the new 1.5 dynamic force engine is very good as well.
     
  7. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    They're about the same size but the Yaris is superior in almost every way... If I lived in a big city and had to have a car I'd for sure be wanting a plugin hybrid Yaris.
     
  8. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    About the same size outside. A touch bigger inside. No idea how the new ones will compare.
     
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  9. Trollbait

    Trollbait It's a D&D thing

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    Sounds like this will be like the Rav4 and Venza, or the different grades of hybrid minivan available in Japan. The differences will mostly be cosmetic.
     
  10. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    To put 35.8 into "English" - GOOGLE tells me that it's "2.8 litres per 100km". Very good - and much better than PRIUS c of old - which here, was effectively replaced by YARIS hybrid.

    Old PRIUS c 3.9
    Prius 4 3.4
    YARIS Hybrid 3.3

    I sort-of doubt if TOYOTA will bring it here - though it will undoubtedly be a big improvement on the underwhelming "c" of old.
     
  11. Rmay635703

    Rmay635703 Senior Member

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    Too bad that isn’t the MPG you can actually expect to achieve and is nowhere close to what the EPA would list.

    Using my handy JP01 to EPA converter we end up around 58mpg (US) give or take 10%

    If true even that is still very good

    One could Hope Toyota would go against their own instincts and bring back the Prius Family

    1. 58mpg Prius C Hybrid
    2. Prius Prime (PHEV Liftback)
    3. Prius V (BEV)

    This could compete with other Asian Triplets (Ioniq, Honda) and put you into a package based on drivetrain

    Merry Christmas and will never happen
     
  12. John321

    John321 Senior Member

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    Perfect college car for our area.
     
  13. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Well I see that the WLTC testing is not far from the WLTP that Australia uses. Not sure if those figures are possible but it seems you are getting better fuel economy than we are in Australia with the Gen 4.
     
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  14. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    It's all theory. Interestingly, with very little effort, I could match (over the lifetime) the Diesel FORD Fiesta and almost match the Diesel FOCUS l/100km. Both were fun to drive, handled beautifully and had some nice diesel grunt for some fun at times. If I knew about hypermiling techniques back then, I'm sure I'd have beaten the "target".

    No way with the PRIUS - averaging 4.2 - driving similarly - with a bit of hypermiling when the occasion suits. If I work at it, I can average the odd tank at 3.9 - but it takes some effort - and no fun.
     
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  15. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Ohh? Ok never mind. I thought you were in the 3.x regularly. Those numbers are closer to mine (and we have the model with the 17" rims).

    My Prime obviously betters those numbers in HV mode - 2.8-3.2L/100km without much effort.
     
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  16. alanclarkeau

    alanclarkeau Senior Member

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    On a trip or if trying - I'll get in the 3s - but have too much fun driving. Thinking of putting on sports tyres - for even more fun. Nothing more fun than being tailgated by a TwinCab or big 4WD Nissan Patrol/Cruiser - and go through a roundabout exiting 100 feet in front of them.
     
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