Volkswagen joined the race of manufacturing eco-friendly cars or green cars as a response to the growing environmental concerns. Just recently, VW introduced to the public its magnificent 1 litre car which will hit the market this 2010. The car’s production went 2 years ahead of schedule due to the dramatic decrease in the price of carbonfibre monocoque which is the main material used for its body. Its chilton repair manual talks about the unique features such as the cigar-shaped outer body which has excellent aerodynamics, gull wing door, and its stunning fuel efficiency of 100km per litre and 282mpg. These features will surely catch the attention of the driving public as soon as it goes for full production anytime this year. However, it is inevitable to compare it with Toyota’s Prius since that this car has been the authority for quite some time in the field of green automobile industry. Toyota recently introduced the 2010 version of its top-selling Prius which boasts of more advanced features compared to its older version. The VW 1 litre car and Toyota Prius 2010 model will surely capture the eco-car industry this year so let us make some comparisons of these two to help interested buyers to decide which one to choose.As featured in CAR magazine, VW 1 litre car is actually a 2 seater car wherein the other passenger sits behind the driver to maintain the frontal area as much as possible. It looks like an aircraft that promises a totally different riding experience. To decrease its drag coefficient, cameras were attached to the car instead of the conventional side mirror. In addition, the VW 1 litre car is not really that weak in torque and horsepower unlike what many people might assume since that it is a green car. It has a two-cylinder engine which will run through turbo-diesel making it breathe more cleanly as an FSI model. The car also includes a driver’s airbag for protection in case of accident as well as ABS/ESP safety kit. It will operate in a motorbike-style sequential transmission. LED lights will also be used to provide visibility on both the front and rear portions of the car. VW engineers are also planning to install their mid-hybrid kit on the model to allow for a zero-emission and full-electric operation. It is also user friendly because the automotive repair manuals provides very easy and simple instructions that ordinary people will understand. Lastly, the weight of the VW 1 Litre car is really jaw-dropping at only 300 kilos; the lightest in its class. However, we still have to deal with the 1 million dollar question: How much will it cost? The final price of the car is still not fixed but it will surely be expensive at around20,000-€30,000 or around $27,000 maximum price.Meanwhile, the 2010 Toyota Prius is also bragging about some of its interesting enhancements. Toyota Company made the new Prius is more powerful in terms of torque and more fuel efficient as well. It is easy to distinguish the 2010 Prius from its predecessors because of its horizontal rear crease that allows it to lip stretch out a little bit. The roofline has been also slightly adjusted to provide more headroom for the passengers. Some interior changes include a Bluetooth phone system, upgraded JBL audio system, and a back-up camera. The solar-roof option had been also modified. In terms of driving experience, the new model is similar with the previous ones because it still starts out using electric power and run very silently at minimal speeds having low acceleration. It felt that the car almost doesn’t want to move. Toyota found compensation for the unsatisfactory initial acceleration by providing 3 push buttons representing different throttle programs which include the EV mode, ECO mode, and power mode. EV mode is ideal in riding busy city streets but it will not function if you will run at more than 20mph or if the battery is too low. The ECO mode on the other hand saves more energy but it worsens the car’s acceleration. The power mode is considerable because it increases the torque of the car. The new Prius has 135 horsepower than can run for a maximum speed of 70mph on the freeway. Its usual navigation system has been enhanced by adding voice command to it. The price of the new Prius is around $27, 000.
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