2012 Toyota Prius C Photos, engines & full specs

Toyota introduced the Prius C at the 2012 New York International Auto Show, a car created for the urban environment, which rewarded customers with excellent in-city fuel efficiency.

With the world financial crisis gone and more customers stepping inside Toyota’s showrooms, the Japanese automaker tried to expand its hybrid vehicles lineup. While at first sight, the Prius C was mostly a regular Prius with a different back, it was actually a reworked vehicle. It didn’t share its engine and batteries with the regular, liftback-styled Prius. Furthermore, it wasn’t designed for highway cruises but mainly for the urban commute. Another significant plus point for the car, compared with its non-C sibling, was the price, which was lower. Toyota said that it adjusted the suspension and the drivetrain of the Prius C to help it achieve lower fuel consumption within cities, hence the C letter in the car’s nameplate.

With a front fascia that didn’t share any panel with its well-known brother, the regular Prius, the C version featured triangular headlights with a step-like curvature on their lower sides. The bumper housed the carmaker’s badge, placed just above the slim and trapezoidal-shaped upper grille. Lower, on the apron, Toyota installed an additional cooling area flanked by stacked turn-signal lamps and round fog lights.

Sporting a five-door hatchback styling, the Prius C was more suitable to fit in tight parking spots. It was 460 mm (1.5 feet) shorter than its liftback sibling. Its short nose and steep windshield made room for a tall greenhouse that featured a curved roof line. At the back, the almost vertical tailgate was adorned by a roof spoiler at its upper side, flanked by clear taillights with a chromed background. Even though it didn’t get the same drag coefficient as its regular sibling, it was lighter than that, and that made the Prius C better in cities. Toyota targeted young customers, and that’s why it even offered it with a sporty-looking package that included 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in low-profile tires as an alternative to the standard 15-inch wheels.

Inside, the dashboard didn’t look as elegant as on the non-C Prius, but it had the same design ideas. It featured an instrument panel placed atop the dashboard and close to the windshield, with the speedometer oriented towards the driver. The center stack housed the infotainment system fitted with a touchscreen and several buttons that controlled media. On the center console, Toyota placed the gear selector, which featured a PRND styling, unlike the small joystick-like shifter from the regular Prius. The Japanese automaker installed the battery pack under the rear seats, leading to a taller-mounted bench in the back, which affected headroom. Thanks to the split-folding (60/40) system, customers could expand the 17.1 cu-ft (484-liter) trunk, a helpful feature, especially for those who had to move in and out of the college.

Toyota installed a 1.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine under the car’s hood and paired it with an electric motor. The total output of the Hybrid Synergy Drive system was 99 hp (100 PS), which was enough for a car that weighed 2,500 lbs (1,134 kg). It couldn’t win too many hearts at a drag strip, but it could be the champ in the environmental segment since it boasted a 53 mpg (4.4 l/100 km).