It is not likely that anyone has disputed the Prius' excellent fuel efficiency, as far as getting people from one place to the other with minimal environmental impact, the Prius has always done it pretty well. But with increasing competition from a number of automakers rolling out hybrids, Toyota knew they had to make the Prius more than just about gas mileage. So the 2010 model does that. Its cabin is better, its design is better, and its performance is better. Under the hood, the Prius now includes the latest iteration of HybridSynergy Drive, which operates more efficiently than ever. The basic architecture has not changed and includes an electronically variable transmission that acts as the power split device and a pair of electricmotor/generators to provide drive torque and kinetic energy recovery.

The internal combustion engine remains a four-cylinder running on the Atkinson cycle to optimize its thermodynamic efficiency. However, the displacement has grown from the previous 1.5 liters to 1.8 liters,which has dual benefits. When the driver actually needs extra power in order to merge onto a freeway or complete a passing maneuver, the propulsive force is now readily available.For the first time, U.S. Prius buyers now have an EV button available that sometimes allows the driver to force the car into electric drive mode.

To the right of the EV button is the ECO button. Like the similarly labeled switch in the new Insight, this one moderates the driver's commands before sending them to the various powertrain elements. The ECO mode essentially applies a slow filter to everything, smoothing responses to avoid the sort of sudden transient reactions that cause increased fuel consumption.For those times when you need just a bit more get up and go such as merging onto a crowded freeway, to the right of the ECO switch sits the Power button. This one does the opposite of the ECO switch and speeds up throttle responses.

As for the suspension, it actually has some roll control now, and the whole car feels tighter than ever. The interior of the Prius now has a much more modern appearance than before with the high center console sweeping down from the dash between the front seats. The new Prius is headed in the right direction as far as appealing to the mass of consumers who want a regular, modern car, with the bonus of super efficiency.