The 3rd Generation 2010 Toyota Prius is here!

By: King Toyota

King Toyota presents the third generation Toyota Prius i.e. the much awaited 2010 model with upgraded amenities and features. King Toyota was established in 1968 and over forty years later, King Toyota is still known as one of the leaders in the automotive industry.

King Toyota’s mission is to focus their entire organization in delivering outstanding customer service that exceeds the customer’s expectations. Hence King Toyota believes in getting the latest models of their customers’ favorite cars to them at the earliest.

Celebrated as the benchmark for cars of the future, the midsize third-generation 2010 Toyota Prius hybrid car will offer

• Better mileage ratings,

• Enhanced performance, and

• Innovative design features.

It will be quieter, roomier, and equipped with advanced standard and available features such as a moon roof with solar panels, four driving modes, Intelligent Parking Assist (IPA) and steering wheel touch controls that display on the instrument panel.

The Prius extends its record of continuous improvement in fuel economy. Using a combination of technologies, fuel efficiency was increased to an estimated 50 miles per gallon for the new Prius. A larger and more powerful 1.8-liter Atkinson-cycle, four-cylinder engine will power the new Prius. Being a hybrid, the Prius can run on engine alone, battery alone, or a combination of both.

The redesigned exterior of the new Prius has front and rear corners that are sharp, sporty and aerodynamic. Strong side character lines, rising from front to rear, define the glazed geometric shape. The solar powered ventilation system uses an electrically powered air circulation fan that does not require engine assist. This prevents the interior air temperature from rising while the vehicle is parked, making the cool-down time shorter when the driver returns to the vehicle, thus reducing the use of air conditioning.

When the driver touches the audio or info switch located on the steering wheel, a duplicate image is displayed on the instrument panel, directly in front of the driver. This system, called Touch Tracer, is the first system in the world to allow steering wheel controls to read out on the instrument panel. The ECO indicator on the Multi-Informational Display (MID) provides driver feedback and guides the driver to optimize their skills for lower fuel consumption.

Dynamic Radar Cruise Control system, using advanced millimeter wave radar, is an available option. The system also enables Lane Keep Assist, which helps the driver stay safely within the lane. Next-generation Intelligent Parking Assist features simplified settings to help guide the car into parking spaces. Bluetooth Technology and Navigation System are some of the many other options that add to the comfort and convenience features in the Prius.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/auto_and_trucks/article_2865.shtml

Hybrid Cars: List Of Real Drawbacks To Owning A Hybrid Vehicle

By: Alex Baumm

As oil prices continue to increase amid depleting supplies and rapid growth in demand, all economies globally are feeling the setbacks of the need to curtail excessive consumption of fuel.

For quite some time, research and development has been actively finding ways on how problems regarding very high demand could finally be eliminated. With the advent of the hybrid car, car owners and users all over the world are now finding relief that indeed there is hope.

A hybrid car is a specially designed and manufactured vehicle that combines the power of the conventional gasoline engine and electricity. In the past, many have referred to hybrid vehicles as electric vehicles.

Technically, a hybrid car could not be classified as purely electric because only about 40% of the energy consumption of the vehicle is from electric sources, in the form of stored electricity in batteries.

Though the wide use of hybrid cars provide hope that in the future, when oil supplies finally and completely runs out, the transportation industry would not feel the drawback. Yes, for now, driving a hybrid auto could equate to a lot of savings on the part of the car owner.

At least, the overall consumption of oil could be significantly lowered. Research is still ongoing so that in the near future, further better versions of the modern hybrid auto could be developed and launched into the market.

However, just like many other predecessor technologies, there are actual setbacks to owning and using a hybrid car. Many people hope that in the coming months or years, people could finally realize a better and more effective hybrid car. Here are the most practical and obvious of those drawbacks.

1. Because the hybrid car technology is still a relatively new car technology, it is just logical that the vehicle is expensive. On the average, a hybrid car these days costs more than the regular and usual cars by around $2,000 to $5,000. That is just right and is expected with the high demand for the car as more consumers get excited about it and manufacturers continue to produce the vehicle models on a limited ability.

2. Any hybrid car needs to allot a significant amount of space for battery. Because the hybrid car needs batteries to keep it going and for the use of some if its functions, the overall weight of the car gets more and more.

3. There are several states in the United States and some other global governments globally that are charging more additional fees and other charges for acquisition and registration.

4. If the hybrid car gets into possible crashes and collisions in the future, there is a risk that the incident would be more tragic. A hybrid car typically and normally has high voltage wires within it.

5. A regular and even simple hybrid car is made of a very complicated car system. Thus, ordinary mechanics would not have the needed and required skills and knowledge to attend to any technical need for maintenance of any hybrid car.

6. Because hybrid cars are still not too rampant and ordinary, buying spare parts may be very hard, if not impossible. Further, costs of spare parts can be very expensive.

7. It is a common knowledge that hybrid cars run slower than regular car models.

Article Source:
http://www.articlecity.com/articles/auto_and_trucks/article_2392.shtml