All-Wheel Drive Toyota Prius arrives in the United States

Most markets have never seen it, but the four-wheel drive Japanese Prius is heading to the US market to add some all-weather convenience to the eco-friendly box.

The steady decline in Prius sales in the United States has pushed Toyota to take drastic action. The four-wheel drive Prius, formerly reserved for certain markets, particularly Japan, is en route to North America.

Prius sales took a few kicks as buyers soften their hybrid ambitions in the face of lower fuel prices. Toyota's research also suggests that in areas of the United States where winters are colder, locals believe that the front-wheel drive Prius is simply not practical. We and winter tires would not want to differ, but it does not matter.

As such, Toyota is launching the four-wheel-drive Prius AWD-e version in the hope of not only stopping the sales decline, but also reversing it. In the end, the company thinks it could account for 25% of all Prius sales in the country, although it outstrips its conventional 8 mpg (US) brother at 50 mpg. It is 60 mpg in British imperial measures.

It is based on a separate motor-driven rear axle with separate engine; essentially an autonomous module that can be inserted into the production line. It can propel the rear axle of the self-loading hybrid at speeds up to 43mph – which is fast enough to solve any traction problems in wet, cold or even snowy weather (although tires winter are indicated above).

A small nickel-metal hydride battery is located under the rear seats. It was chosen specifically for its best performance in cold weather compared to lithium-ion. As with the car at the front, the gas engine and the regenerative energy regeneration recharge – in this case two – batteries – so that there is always electric juice at tap.

Self-loading hybrids are starting to go out of fashion. Market trends suggest switching to rechargeable cars with purely longer driving ranges. Having already reached over 70 km / h with the current Prius, however, on a rising road of the Spanish plains to a point halfway up a mountain, I do not always agree. The four-wheel drive Prius will be on sale at US dealerships early next year.