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Sunday, February 28, 2010

My Friend's Toyota Prius

What's all the hullabaloo about Toyota Prius? My friend has one and we had fun fooling around with it when she came to my house to deliver her son's wedding invitation (see post: Zetuan's wedding).

I was very impressed with the dashboard!

She parked it and ran after the dog which wanted to do what comes naturally...pee on the tyres!!
While she was shooing the dog, I took close-up shots. At that time, the only person I know who drives a Prius is Cameron Diaz.
"HYBRID SYNERGY DRIVE"  wah....I am not sure what that means, but it sounds awesome!!!

Getting a feel of the steering wheel


very funny command: KEY NOT DETECTED..what next? foot not on pedal? driver not in seat? ha ha ha!! this is what I call "idiot commands"


"Among the Prius's options are Toyota's implementation of a Smart Key System (the feature can be user-deactivated), DVD navigation on the MFD, Vehicle Stability Control and Bluetooth for hands-free calling. A new Intelligent Parking Assist system was available in Japan and Europe since its launch."


Cantik, kan?


Like aeroplane controls....so many controls, she gave me a crash course, but I forget. Lack of practice!

Overall view of the Prius
Rear view.....I hope hers did not get recalled. I wanna test drive it!


About Toyota Prius:
The Toyota Prius (pronounced /ˈpriːəs/) is a full hybrid electric mid-size car developed and manufactured by the Toyota Motor Corporation. The Prius is the most fuel efficient gasoline car currently sold in the U.S. according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. The EPA and California Air Resources Board (CARB) also rate the Prius as among the cleanest vehicles sold in the United States based on smog forming and toxic emissions.

It first went on sale in Japan in 1997, making it the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle

It is classified as a SULEV (Super Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) and is certified by California Air Resources Board as an "Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle".


2010: Recall of Toyota Prius:
Toyota woes mount as gov't examines Prius brakes
WASHINGTON – Toyota faced mounting pressure Thursday as the government opened a probe of brake problems with the Prius, a crown jewel of its lineup. The beleaguered automaker said it was "too soon" to decide whether to add the hybrid to the millions of cars it has recalled

Some owners of the 2010 Prius have reported their brakes do not always engage immediately when they press the brake pedal, or that the brakes have an inconsistent feel. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said it would assess the scope of the problem and the safety risk to about 37,000 cars that could be affected.





Toyota mulls Prius recall



TOKYO, JAPAN Feb 05 2010 07:03 Toyota is preparing to recall its iconic Prius hybrid car to address more than 100 complaints about delayed braking, spreading the top carmaker's quality woes to one of its most important models.

Customers have reported a split-second loss in braking power on both brands' hybrid cars when driving over bumpy or slippery roads, when a delay occurs in the switch from the hybrid's regenerative braking system to the traditional brakes.
 
 Source: http://www.mg.co.za/article/2010-02-05-toyota-mulls-prius-recall
 

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