Q&A
23AUTP03_15
03/01/2023
- Content
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For his first job as a chief engineer, Satoki Oya got a big one: managing the development of Toyota's 2023 Prius. The new fifth-generation version's heavy revision is most apparent in its brazenly sleek sheetmetal. But letting go of the Prius' hallmark stylistic oddness was just one part of Oya's mission: to shockingly upgrade the hybrid's dynamics while sacrificing virtually none of its signature fuel-efficiency.
The Prius' new design has earned near-unanimous praise. Its upgraded power and performance take it to a driving-dynamics place difficult to believe could be achieved in concert with a 57-mpg city/highway combined fuel-economy rating. SAE Media editorial director Bill Visnic interviewed Oya, assisted by a translator, at a media-drive program in December 2022.
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- Citation
- "Q&A," Mobility Engineering, March 1, 2023.