2020 Toyota Prius Prime Gets Fifth Seat, Apple CarPlay, And Black Interior Trim
Rejoice, Toyota Prius Prime fans who are constantly asking the Japanese automaker to equip the hybrid plug-in vehicle with a fifth seat, your wish has been granted. Finally, the 2020 Toyota Prius Prime is being updated with a fifth seat, as well as standard Apple CarPlay, two USB ports at the rear, SiriusXM radio, and black interior accents.
Prius Primes before the 2020 version have only two seats at the back. In place of what is typically a third middle seat are two cupholders. While a person can cram in there for very short trips, it’s mighty uncomfortable and there is no seatbelt to keep him/her safe.
Supposedly, the reason for the elimination of the fifth seat was efficiency. Back in 2016, Toyota executive Nathan Kokes said that with five seats, the car would need more reinforcing material and its 3.3-kWh charger would have to be moved.
This is ironic because the main objective of the Prius Prime is, aside from fuel efficiency, to negate the need for more cars on the road. Not adding a fifth seat prevented Prius Prime owners from maximizing said efficiency.
Back to the present, the Prius Prime didn’t get any styling updates or engine upgrades this year, much unlike what the regular Prius had last year. This doesn’t do Toyota any good since the Prius Prime only depends on its 25-mile range while other plug-in hybrids have bigger battery packs and much longer range at only slightly a higher price range.
The Prius Prime’s 25-mile range is possible when it’s running solely on electric power from a battery that has been aptly charged. When the battery’s charge drops below a certain level, the Prius Prime reverts to a gas-electric hybrid state.
When operating as a hybrid, Toyota has one of the best EPA ratings. The Japanese automaker said its Prius Prime has an EPA-estimated rating of 56 mpg combined in a hybrid state. That’s a far better rating compared to its competitors once battery power has run out.
