What’s New for the 2015 Toyota Prius v?
The 2015 Toyota Prius v’s redesigned front end
Before 2015, the Toyota Prius v was only offered in three trim levels: Two, Three, and Five. Sensing that this was messing with its OCD customers, Toyota introduced a Four model for 2015, which slots unsurprisingly between the Three and Five models, giving customers even more choice when it comes to buying a new hybrid wagon.
Additionally, the front and rear exterior have both received a design refresh. Inside, the 2015 Prius v has new upholstery fabric and a new full-color multi-informational display.
2015 Toyota Prius v Exterior
2015 Toyota Prius v exterior
From the front, you’ll immediately notice the 2015 Prius v’s wider, trapezoidal grille, as well as newly redesigned headlights and taillights designed to bring the wagon’s stance more in-line with modern designs. The Prius v’s front end now more closely resembles that of the redesigned Yaris, Camry, and Prius c.
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Standard exterior features include 16-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, and keyless entry. The top-of-the-line Five model offers larger, 17-inch alloy wheels, foglights, automatic LED headlights, LED taillights, and a panoramic sunroof, but it comes at a cost; the Five model’s starting MSRP is $30,935, compared to the base Two model’s starting MSRP of $26, 675.
2015 Toyota Prius v Performance
The 2015 Prius v isn’t overly fast, but that’s not why you’d buy one
The 2015 Prius v comes fitted with a 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine, two electric motors, and a battery pack. This is the same as the engine found under the hood of the Prius hatchback. The wagon is powered by a continuously variable transmission, which sends power to the car’s front wheels.
The Prius v’s bulky size does make it a bit lacking in the power department. The engine has a combined output of 134 ponies, which allows the wagon to go from 0 to 60 in just over 10 seconds. You won’t be taking this car out on the track, but you’ll certainly enjoy some good fuel efficiency numbers to make up for it.
2015 Toyota Prius v Efficiency
The 2015 Toyota Prius v gets 42 mpg combined
The Prius v is one inch wider, six inches longer, and three inches taller than the Prius hatchback. This means that, while the two vehicles share the same engine, the Prius v weighs 300 pounds more than its smaller counterpart. This, understandably, has an effect on the wagon’s fuel efficiency. While the Prius hatchback offers 50 mpg combined, the Prius v gets 42 mpg combined. Although the Prius v isn’t quite as efficient as its smaller sibling, it remains one of the most fuel-efficient family cars on today’s market.
Official numbers from the EPA are 44 mpg city, 40 mpg highway, and 42 mpg combined.
2015 Toyota Prius v Interior
Spaciousness is abundant in the Prius v
There’s one word that will come to mind when you first set eyes on the 2015 Prius v’s interior: spacious. In fact, the Prius v offers 60% more cargo space (34 cubic feet behind the rear seats) than the Prius hatchback. With those seats folded down, you’re looking at cargo space that’s comparable to many compact crossovers at 67.3 cubic feet.
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The cabin oozes functionality—not the most exciting feature in the world, but one that families are sure to appreciate. Two stacked glove compartments sit in front of the passenger seat, as well as a large center console between the two front seats. Entune Audio is available as a standard feature in all models, offering Bluetooth connectivity and an integrated backup camera. Navigation is also standard on the Three, Four, and Five models.
Backseat passengers have the luxury of being able to choose how much legroom gives them optimum comfort. The rear seat reclines and slides both fore and aft, allowing taller passengers the option of increased rear legroom.
2015 Toyota Prius v Safety
The Prius v’s roof strength helped it earn a Top Safety Pick+ designation
The 2015 Toyota Prius v was named a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is a first for the hybrid wagon. The Prius v was one of seven Toyota models named either Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick+, and was mentioned in particular for its improvement in the difficult small overlap crash test.
Some of the safety features that allowed the Prius v to wow testers include driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags, a driver knee airbag, front and rear side curtain airbags, and driver and front passenger whiplash-injury-lessening seats. The wagon also scored well in the side-impact, roof-strength, and head restraints and seat tests. Additionally, the Prius v earned a five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Optional safety extras include a pre-collision system, lane departure alert, and auto high-beam—all of which are available as part of an options package on the highest Five trim level.
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