Cargo capacity Prime 2020/2021 vs 2017

Trunk space is exactly the same - there's a 3rd seat in the second row where the fixed arm rest used to be. But the seat back is unchanged, meaning the trunk is unchanged.

 

Load capacity and liability?

I believe the rated load capacity does not realistically support 5 passengers, barely even 4. But that doesn't stop drunk partying teenagers from doing it anyway, even when no seatbelt is present, then surviving kin suing over lack of a seatbelt when the center rear passenger is launched through the windshield during a crash.

That is how one of my previous econocars was re-rated from a (realistic but cramped) 4 passenger car for the model year I bought it, to a (very unrealistic) 5 passenger car a couple model years later, even without getting any bigger. Either they block that center position so that no one wants to sit their (e.g. original Chevy Volt and Prius Prime), or put a seat belt there for legal CYA.

And what car maker or seller is going to label it a 4 passenger when it has 5 sets of seatbelts?

It looks to me that the engineers initially too the realistic route, blocking the center seat. But after customer feedback, the marketing department ordered that the block be removed.

The regular Liftback has a heavier load capacity rating than the Prime.

 

The reason given by Toyota was that they would have needed to re-engineer it to add a seat, but leaving it blank would have been considered a 'seat' by the safety experts who regulate things like seat belts and air bags.

 

On release, it was said a fifth seat would require additional support for the weight when asked. The battery does add some weight to a gen4 chassis.

 

No, they (hopefully) added the reinforcement.

 

When this first came up, I thought they had not increased the load capacity.

But rechecking, by golly they did: 2020 Prius Prime Owner's Manual specs in section 9:



vs the 2017 Prime rating: