A better body means more comfortable surroundings for the 2010 Prius' five passengers. There is less front knee room, side to side, thanks to the new center console, but the driver's seat is now height-adjustable. Backseaters get the knee room left behind by slimmer front seatbacks and better headroom from the rejiggered roofline. The cargo area expands even more, with a redesigned battery housing and 2.2 inches of extra room creating a few more cubic feet of storage. In general, the Prius' plastics are upgraded and greened up, too—Toyota says they're all carbon-neutral now—and they do look and feel better than in the second-generation car. Fit and finish on pre-production cars is good.
The 2010 Toyota Prius likely will improve on the high safety rating of the most recent version. Seven airbags are standard, including a driver knee bag. So are anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and tire pressure monitors. Safety options include radar cruise control, a lane-departure warning system, a rearview camera, a "Safety Connect" system that alerts emergency crews after a crash, and the stunt technology of the day—Intelligent Parking Assist, which helps you parallel-park the Prius via the car's cameras, albeit with your foot on the brake to control speed.
The 2010 Toyota Prius likely will improve on the high safety rating of the most recent version. Seven airbags are standard, including a driver knee bag. So are anti-lock brakes, traction and stability control, and tire pressure monitors. Safety options include radar cruise control, a lane-departure warning system, a rearview camera, a "Safety Connect" system that alerts emergency crews after a crash, and the stunt technology of the day—Intelligent Parking Assist, which helps you parallel-park the Prius via the car's cameras, albeit with your foot on the brake to control speed.
