Prior to the CATS car-nival on 26-27 Nov 11, Borneo Motors has been advertising heavily on the all new Prius C hatchback. The Prius C is the second spin-off of the Prius family, and combines the features of a Yaris-sized car with a hybrid powertrain. I was looking forward to viewing the actual car at car-nival but was disappointed to see only a pair of live-sized cardboard showing information about the car. I understand from the sales lady that the car is not launched yet but interested buyers can put down a $2000 cash deposit, which is refundable if he decides not to make the purchase ultimately. Some research on the internet reveals that the production version of the baby Prius will be unveiled in the November 2011 Tokyo Motor Show.

The Prius C measures 3995 mm(L) x 1695 mm(B) x 1445 mm (H). In terms of dimension, it is slightly larger than the VW Polo. According to the sales lady, the launch price of the new hybrid model is expected to be around $110K, according to the current COE level. The damage to the wallet is quite similar to the Polo as well. Power is provided by the combination of a 1.5L VVT-I engine and a high-output motor to generate a total of 100 bhp. This propels the Prius C from 0 to 100km/h in 10.7 sec and returns a claimed fuel efficiency of 27km/L. The century sprint timing is somewhere between the Polo 1.4L and the 1.2TSI Sport.

Although the achievability of the claimed fuel efficiency is unknown, what is certain in that the Prius C is a very safe car. It comes fitted with Traction Control, Anti-Lock Braking System and is awarded a 5 star NCAP rating. The baby Prius is stuffed with 7 SRS airbags