2013 Toyota Prius c revealed at Detroit Auto Show

Toyota introduced a new member in its Prius line of hybrid cars – Prius c – at the North American International Auto Show. According to the carmaker, the 'c' stands for 'City' clearly indicating the four-door hatchback's positioning as an urban car aimed at younger shoppers. The Prius c will command a starting price of $19,000 (Rs.9.80 lakh) when it hits U.S. showrooms in March 2012, making it the most affordable Prius. It will also be the most frugal, delivering an estimated 53 mpg (22.53 kmpl) in city and 46 mpg (19.55 kmpl) on highway.

Though, quite naturally, smaller than the regular Prius, the c's specs are good to give even the regular model a run for its money. It is 19.1 inches shorter, 246 kg lighter and packs a smaller 74 PS, 1.5-litre petrol engine under the hood instead of a 1.8-litre mill. The smaller Prius has 87.4 cubic feet of passenger space as against the 94 cubic feet of its larger cousin. At 17.1 cubic feet, boot space is also only marginally less compared to the regular Prius' 21.6 cubic feet.

Toyota says the increased interior volume has been achieved by placing the hybrid battery and fuel tank together below the rear seat. In employing Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive to the smaller Prius c platform, each of the system's major components was redesigned to reduce weight, scale and improve efficiency.

It will be offered in four trims and have several premium features such as automatic climate control, 3,5-inch display, AM/FM/CD stereo with Bluetooth hands-free and audio connectivity, remote keyless entry, USB port, steering-mounted audio controls, nine airbags, remote keyless entry and 15-inch steel wheels, as standard.

Three distinct drive modes will be on offer: Normal, Eco, and EV mode. Eco mode improves efficiency by governing climate control and throttle. Under certain conditions, the EV mode allows the Prius c to be driven solely on electric power for distances under 1 mile) while remaining below 40 kmph.