The new Prius V is three inches taller and six inches longer than the standard sedan.
Staff photo by Mark KennedyFAST FACTSModel: 2012 Toyota Prius V.Exterior color: Clear Sky Metallic.Interior color: Black and gray.Engine: 1.8-liter 4-cylinder with electric motor.Horsepower: 134.Transmission: Continuously variable.Fuel economy: 44 mpg city, 40 highway.Dealer: Toyota of Cleveland.Price (as tested): $26,550
Cross a Toyota Prius sedan with a small SUV and what do you have?
Why, the new Prius V (pronounced “vee,” not “five”), a hybrid vehicle with enough cargo room to carry 98 paper bags filled with groceries, according to Toyota.
Of course, if you regularly buy 98 bags of groceries, the price of fuel might not be your No. 1 problem.
When the new Prius V was introduced as a 2012 model, the first buyers were existing Prius owners, according to Pete Green, sales consultant at Toyota of Cleveland. “The first three or four we sold were like that,” Green said.