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The Toyota Prius is a mid-size hatchback that has been produced by Toyota. Toyota debuted the third generation Prius (2010 US model year) at the January 2009 North American International Auto Show, and sales began in Japan on May 18, 2009. Replacing the XW20 series, the XW30 represents the third generation of the Toyota Prius. Its new body design is more aerodynamic, with a . An underbody rear fin helps stabilize the vehicle at higher speeds. Since its launch in 2009, the third-generation model has sold about 1,688,000 units worldwide. ==Development== Toyota states that it filed 1000 patents during the development of the XW30 Prius. The concept of the powertrain largely carried over from the previous XW20 model, although the engine displacement was increased to 1.8 litres and the transaxle was changed to the THS III. Disc brakes replaced the North American model's rear drum brakes. For the Prius, Toyota used a new range of plant-derived ecological bioplastics made from the cellulose in wood or grass instead of petroleum. The two principal crops are kenaf (a member of the hibiscus family and related to cotton and okra) and ramie, commonly known as China grass and one of the strongest natural fibres, similar to flax in absorbency and density. Toyota says this is a particularly timely breakthrough for plant-based eco-plastics because 2009 is the United Nations’ International Year of Natural Fibres, which covers kenaf and ramie. Many motoring reviewers praised the 3rd generation for its improved handling in corners and more supple ride over the previous generation. In August 2010, Toyota began sales of an onboard device designed to automatically emit a synthesized sound of an electric motor when the Prius is operating as an electric vehicle at speeds up to approximately . The device will be available in Japan for retrofitting on the third-generation Prius at a price of (~) including the consumption tax. The alert rises and falls in pitch according to the vehicle's speed, thus helping indicate the vehicle's proximity and movement to nearby pedestrians. The device meets the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism issued in January 2010 for hybrid and other near-silent vehicles.〔 ''(Click this link for a video showing a demo of the warning sound at different speeds )''.〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Toyota Prius (XW30)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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