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Toyota Prius first model to receive maximum five star rating in 2012 German ADAC EcoTest

The Toyota Prius tops the new and more stringent EcoTest by ADAC, Germany’s largest automobile club, ahead of 55 other vehicles that have been tested under the same new conditions. The Toyota Prius was the first vehicle to be awarded a total of 90 points, claiming the maximum five star rating. The 4.58l/100km fuel consumption reached during the tests was awarded 40 points. The maximum 50 points were attributed for the hybrid’s low emissions.

In April of this year, ADAC presented the more stringent criteria for the EcoTest. A new feature is the inclusion of the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure (WLTP cycle), which corresponds to the projected future world cycle to measure fuel consumption. In addition, the car is submitted to the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC) and the ADAC highway cycle.

One of the main changes is that the air conditioning is on during the WLTP cycle and the ADAC highway cycle. In addition, the so-called well-to-wheel values are included in the calculations of the CO2 emissions, taking into account the emissions that result from the production of the vehicle or from fuel transportation.

The Toyota Prius, a combination of a conventional petrol engine with an electric motor, was introduced 15 years ago as the world’s first mass-produced full hybrid vehicle. Since then Toyota has enlarged its global hybrid portfolio to include 18 full hybrid Toyota and Lexus passenger vehicles, reaching the 4 million sales milestone for full hybrid vehicles at the end of April this year. In Europe, Toyota sells the Toyota Yaris Hybrid, Toyota Auris Hybrid and Toyota Prius, in addition to the Toyota Prius+ and Prius Plug-in Hybrid recently launched as part of the all-new Toyota Prius Family.