2016 Toyota Prius review: What's new with fourth-gen hybrid?

The new Prius was unveiled by Toyota in a world premiere event in Las Vegas on Sept. 8.Toyota Pressroom

The 2016 Prius hybrid was unveiled at an event in Las Vegas last Sept. 8, but the details about the model offered by Toyota left audiences unsatisfied.

However, as GreenCarReports reported, the company decided to share more details during an event last week held in Japan.

Some of the noted changes found in the revamped fourth-generation Prius include an overall reengineered specs inside the hood. The car still carries the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine as the current model, but since it had been improved, the hybrid can perform better, is more fuel efficient, more compact, and lighter than its predecessor.

ThisDayLive also noted that the new hybrid will have brand new batteries made of either lithium-ion or nickel metal hydride.

Toyota has not revealed the hybrid's fuel-economy ratings from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as of yet, but its engineers are expecting that the rating will be much higher compared to the earlier model.

When it comes to the overall appearance, the fourth-generation Prius will measure 175.1 inches long and 69.3 inches wide and will stand 57.8 inches, which only means that the new hybrid is a bit more compact, wider, and lowered compared to the existing model.

The much lowered design of the hybrid has several benefits, including improved visibility for drivers, enhanced center of gravity, and more headroom.

On the inside, consumers can enjoy the all-new Prius' 4.2-inch display screens that now feature high quality graphics in full color and display basic data including speed information and fuel level.

A color display is also located above the head and it also shows important details about the vehicle.

More importantly, the new 2016 Prius will be a safer vehicle, all thanks to the Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) bundle, which offers safety technologies, including alert systems that detect if pedestrians or other cars are nearby and if the car departs from its own lane.

The 2016 Prius is expected to hit dealerships by next year.