Who says Toyota, says hybrid cars. And we owe this association to the Toyota Prius, a model with aerodynamic lines which tried to be as efficient as possible at a time when CO2 emissions were still a very secondary issue. Hybrid Synergy Drive was the magic word, a technology where a naturally aspirated gasoline engine was supported by an electric auxiliary motor.
The Toyota Prius wasn’t the prettiest of cars and didn’t have a lot of fun to drive, but it led the way. And this for four generations, in 20 years. Since its European debut in 2000 (in Japan, the Toyota Prius appeared on the market as early as 1997), the automotive world has completely changed. In recent years especially, things have changed rapidly, with the accelerated transition to electric vehicles. How can the fifth generation of the iconic Toyota Prius stay relevant?