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Like a confused teenager, the Toyota Prius C seems to be searching for its identity. Last year, Toyota’s littlest hybrid received a minor update that included the addition of a racy lower body kit; this year, the Prius C adopts a more SUV-like look.
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Marked by a new front end that includes redesigned headlights and a reshaped hood, the 2018 Prius C’s mug adds crossover-like design features such as silver accents on the front and rear fascias that mimic skid plates and black wheel arches that appear to convey a more off-road-ready attitude. Additionally, there’s a lightly revised interior includes a refreshed center stack and an updated steering wheel.
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In spite of the 2018 Prius C’s new look, the model’s gasoline-electric powertrain is left unchanged. All Prius C models once again utilize a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two AC motor/generators that produce a combined 99 horsepower. The larger motor/generator is geared directly to the final-drive differential to provide propulsion and to generate electricity during deceleration. The smaller AC unit collaborates with the combustion engine through a planetary gearset to power the wheels with electronically controlled drive ratios, often called an electronic CVT. In our testing, this powertrain dragged a 2015 Prius C from zero to 60 mph in a lengthy 10.9 seconds.
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Although the top-of-the-line Prius C Four’s cost of entry holds steady at $ 25,850, the rest of the Prius C lineup sees a modest $ 480 price bump for the 2018 model year. The base Prius C One now starts at $ 21,515, while the mid-level Prius C Two and Three trims sticker at $ 22,315 and $ 23,740, respectively. Like last year, every Prius C comes standard with active-safety items such as forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. A backup camera is newly standard.
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While the EPA has yet to release fuel-economy figures for the 2018 Prius C, Toyota expects they will be the same as the 2017 model’s 48 mpg city and 43 mpg highway.
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- Tested: Toyota Prius Two Eco
- Here’s How the Hyundai Ioniq Beat the Prius in MPG Ratings
- Toyota Prius C Research: Reviews, Specs, Photos, and More
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No matter how it styles itself, though, Toyota Prius C’s subpar driving experience means we’d happily take a mileage hit to spend our time behind the wheel of more engaging and less expensive subcompact hatches such as the Ford Fiesta or the Honda Fit.
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