Prius is re-engineered on Toyota New Global Architecture

With 3.5 million Prius hybrids sold worldwide since its launch, Toyota is understandably keen to maintain the iconic hybridelectric's momentum. To that end, the company has relied on upgrades familiar to automotive orthodoxy rather than the upstart electric-drive crowd.

In the case of the 2016 Prius, that means bodywork that is longer, lower, and wider. There's also special attention to the gasoline portion of the car's gas-electric drivetrain. Toyota claims 40% thermodynamic efficiency for the Atkinson cycle 2ZR-FXE 1.8-L I4 naturally aspirated gasoline engine under the Prius's hood, a number that rivals turbodiesels.