This car is a second home for a gadget.Treasures of the new Toyota Prius
- SPIDER'S WEB
- Tech
- Motoryzacja
Here we go on gas and current, here the battery itself gives advice.The shots on the display go here once, once here.The "power" indicator shows whether we charge the battery or deprive it of energy.Maybe if I remove my leg slightly from the gas, I can only switch to "electrics"?Maybe in the town I will only switch to EV mode and I will not force the gasoline engine to work anyway?
Of course, this is probably mainly a freshness factor.Over time, a person gets used to such a drive and automates some behaviors, just like without thinking, we change gears in manual boxes.However, if you can diversify your ride, why not do it?
Text on the glass
The more things we do while driving, except for the lead, the worse is no doubt.Staring at clocks or displays, we distract attention from the road, creating a threat difficult to justify.
In Prius, however, there was no greater threat - what is important, also for the use of hybrid drive, went straight in front of my eyes with HUD.In very good quality, with very high brightness, with the possibility of adjustment (which was useful when changing drivers) and, in color, in color.
I didn't miss the clocks behind the wheel for a moment.For two 4.2-inch, colorful screens at the top of the dashboard I also looked from time to time.What was actually important (M.in.Speed, adaptive cruise control, lane maintenance system or current use of hybrid drive) was always in sight, without taking it away from the road.
I see signs
Among the transparent information displayed on the display, there could be one more element - the current speed limit, read from vertical signs captured by the camera.
Sure, this is not a solution to be careful or thinking - the speed limit sign several times was covered by a parked truck or other obstacles.Usually, however, the system did a great job, and I - taken over all the time driving a completely new car, and in addition the first hybrid driving - I could at least relax a little.Instead of e.g..Turning my passenger into a pilot that would read every sign for me and remind you of the limitation when I asked "how much can you here?".
I see lines
In addition to vertical signs, the new Prius is also able to react to some horizontal signs, especially the most important ones, i.e. lines separating lanes.What for?That when without an earlier intention (i.e. proper signaling), the car begins to cross the lanes, warn us and possibly gently convert to the right track.
Again, we should not treat this system - even if it is able to slightly correct our direction - as a fullness.However, how many times by inattention or fatigue has been managed to at least invade the belts?
It is undoubtedly better to have something like that than not.
And I can go almost alone
Active cruise control is just something that I liked the most in the new Prius.Maybe because I am often just lazy, or maybe because many hours, long rides (usually highways) will bare.
Without waiting, so I entered the Spanish highway for too long, clicked and turned on the cruise control, set the maximum speed and distance from the car preceding my Prius, I took off my leg from the gas (although I kept it all the time in the ambulance) and ... I just went.
My role at the wheel was limited only to filming and maintaining vigilance, in case something unexpected happened on the road.A computer and driving in front of me, with a slightly lower than maximum permissible speed, van did me from the rest of my duties.
However, this tiring foot holding has disappeared all the time in the same position, with only minimal changes at driveways and exits.I also did not have to - as with the usual cruise control - to be afraid that I will stare and sleeping with a monotonous driving.Even if it stops completely, Prius will do the same.
Again, it does not slow down from being careful while driving, but he does in many issues, and with us with any mistake it can save the skin.
What was interesting, however, also for me, a system - consisting of radar, cameras and appropriate software - I trusted without major problems.There was no stress, no doubt, and at the later stages of the route, the whole only confirmed its effectiveness.
And one more important thing - the adaptive cruise control works in the full speed range.There are no PT options for some manufacturers."Cruise control up to 140 km/h" and a more expensive option to higher speeds.Whatever is on the speed indicator, we can turn on our "pilot".
Which does not change the fact that on the less tedious, beautiful mountain roads around Valencia, the adaptive cruise control went away.
If you get stuck - I will help
Since we have radar, cameras and the option of self -braking with adaptive cruise control, there could be other options from the active safety category.
Using the same fourth generation Prius devices is able to warn us in advance from the likely collision.Whether we are approaching the vehicle in front of us too quickly, whether we drive too close to the car standing at the traffic lights, or will not notice a pedestrian entering the road - the system is constantly monitoring the danger, and in a critical situation it is able to react.
Initially, only a sound and graphic warning is involved, but if we do not take any action, the car will start the appropriate procedure.First, when there is still time to react on our part, it will properly prepare the braking system.When we finally realize that something is wrong on the road, we will not have to press the brake pedal into the floor - the system will support us with the right dose of "power" when braking.
However, if we miss the "our" moment, and the collision - according to the calculations of the on -board computer - will be inevitable in the absence of a reaction - the car will brake for us.
As someone who (going to the airport on the way to the Prius conference ...) almost entered the back of the car, which for unknown reasons did not join the movement when he should, I was more than the advice of the presence of this gadget.It's always a bit of stress less.
Look in the mirrors, even when there is nothing in them
The mirrors are great, it is definitely worth looking at them (good advice for some drivers), and those in Prius are additionally quite large.However, this does not change the fact that not in every situation everything in these mirrors can be seen - almost regardless of their setting and size, there is always so -called."Dead zone".
Fortunately, there was another gadget here, which largely eliminates this problem.It may not be too effective, because it is simply a small pictogram illuminated at the right time, but it came in handy on Spanish roads several times.
The principle of operation of the dead field monitoring system is of course well known and simple.If a vehicle is in our dead zone, it is detected by the sensors placed at the back of the car (on the corners), and the information about it - in the form of an appropriate icon on the mirror - is transmitted to the driver.Simple and effective - a glance in the mirror in which there is no vehicle in theory, but there is an illuminated icon - we already know that we should be particularly careful.
However, if we want to make a maneuver to change the belt (signaled by the inclusion of the direction indicator), and the dead field will be a vehicle, the icon will start to flash intensively.I provide my own experience - it's hard to miss such information.And good.
Parking?Leave it to the machine
Additional radar sensors on the corners of the car allowed to improve yet another aspect - automatic parking system and movement at low speeds, e.g..just in the parking lot.
In the first case, Prius IV can easily - perpendicularly or in parallel - to park for us in space more than 1/5 smaller than before.
The second element, however, I had the opportunity - a bit by surprise - to test it on my own skin.At low speeds, M is activated.in.Just sensors, monitoring the space around the car - not only exactly at the back and front.As a result, the chances that we will hook, for example.When reversing with a low post or a high stone (the sensor "sees" even objects high at just about 30 cm) are kept to a minimum.If the car decides that we plan to enter these obstacles, it will simply stop in place.
The system can save us in the same way from a bump when leaving the parking space with the rear, e.g..directly on the road.Again, radar sensors on the edges of the vehicle enter the action, which monitor, or the street we are going to, does not rush another car.
Light, camera!
Long, something goes, short, long again.This is more or less the evening and night driving in my "everyday" car.A bit tiring and irritating in longer mileage - especially on those roads, where it is actually worth using long lights.
In Prius, however, all this fun with levers would not be necessary.The same camera, which monitors, or by accident we do not leave our lane, "is looking" for cars coming from the opposite direction.
If it does not detect, it allows us to fully use the possibilities and range of long lights.If, however, the car falls in her field of view - she automatically switches to the ordinary passing lights for a while, and then at the right time she returns to previous settings.I would like something like that.
Wait, it's not over yet?
Definitely not.The list of toys in Prius IV, which I had the opportunity to look at, is even longer.Wireless phone charging?It is, although unfortunately my iPhone would need an additional, special housing here.Although better than the cables falling everywhere, and all phones in line with QI do not need any add -ons - just put them in the right place.
Even air conditioning is not entirely ordinary.Yes, it cools and warms when it is necessary and from the user's perspective is no different from the usual.But there is a lot more of the driver and passengers' sight.
First, the S-FLOW system monitors how many people are in the vehicle and which places occupy.He also checks if and which doors are open, as well as the level of sunlight and the difference between external temperature and the temperature set on the air conditioning panel.
All this in order to provide passengers with a comfortable temperature, without having to "carry" the whole vehicle - including this part, where there is nobody.And they follow it - small, but always - savings.
Ok, how much do you have to pay extra for it?
We are accustomed to the fact that you have to pay extra for everything, and the car in the base - even in the "Premium" brands - it is naked that the eyes go to its sight.So we try to properly configure all accessories, but it quickly turns out that the attractive output price is growing rapidly not a few or a dozen percent, but by several dozen.And more, if we have fantasy and we mark all the necessary grilles.
In the case of Prius it is a little different.Yes, it is not cheap at the start, although you have to take into account the fact that we are talking about hybrid and this show hybrid, with solutions that there are no other hybrid cars.
Either way, you have to put out a lot of cash on the start at the start, even for a car from the D -segment area.Active version, or basic, costs 119 thousand., Premium version PLN 127,900, while the Prestige version - PLN 141,900.
But is Active Typical Golas?Not at all.The entire Toyota Safety Sense package is on board, with an early reacting system to collision and pedestrian detection, road signs recognition, lane maintenance assistant, Bluetooth, automatic two-zone air conditioning, automatic long lights, adaptive cruise control, detection of driver fatigue, 7-inch touch screen, two 4.2-inch additional displays, cunning the driver's door and a number of other add-ons, such as.A set of LED lights.
A lot for "naked".The toys that I mentioned previously only lack the HUD (from the premium version), monitoring dead field in mirrors (premium), automatic parking (prestige) and warnings when leaving the background from the parking space (the same sensors - Prestige version).Of course, there are also add -ons in the style of navigation, leather upholstery or a better audio set, but these are the details, not very "gadget" in these times.
And looking at the competition offer, it's ... quite an attractive price.Finding a car with similar parameters (about 90 kW, automatic transmission) and equipment, it is not so easy, even if it may seem that 120,000.This is a lot of money.The more so because in most cases such gadgets as adaptive cruise control complete with reading characters, two-zone air conditioning, full LEDs and maintenance in the lane are gadgets available with an additional fee only in higher versions of equipment.And for an extra charge of several thousand zlotys.
After all, we will unleash to drive!
This, contrary to appearances, a fairly common opinion and on the one hand it is hardly surprising.The computer is in a set with cameras and sensors today so much that the driver in many cases is not so much unnecessary, but simply trust the machine to a large extent.
You just have to approach everything with your head.Do not count on the fact that the lane maintenance assistant means that we can release the steering wheel.After turning on the active cruise control, do not pull out the newspaper.When commuting to cars under the lights, do not inhibit the "assistant", only the brake pedal.Search in car mirrors, not just blindly stare at the flashing icon.And so on and so forth.
It is nice to know that even if we get lost for a moment - and it happens to everyone, even the best - we have another, "digital" protective layer.That we will not distract the bumper in a new car for hundreds of thousands of zlotys just because we did not notice the post in the parking lot.That we are not hung in a traffic jam on the back, because we lost a fraction of a second to a passerby.Such a digital equivalent of a vigilant passenger, shouting at a critical moment "watch".
