What’s an abandoned first-gen Toyota Prius doing at Pusat Sains Negara?

The Toyota Prius is one of the most important and recognisable hybrid cars in the world. It was only officially sold in Malaysia for one generation, the third-gen XW30 that was launched in 2009.

Still, UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) did bring in its predecessors which were mainly put up for display at motor shows or for internal evaluation, but they were never intended to be sold to the public.

That included this first-gen Toyota Prius which was spotted at the back of the National Science Centre (Pusat Sains Negara, PSN) looking absolutely neglected with dust covering its body and flat tyres all around. Even the Toyota badges have been nicked and its passenger side mirror is missing.

This Prius wasn’t intended for the road though as it was donated by UMWT to PSN to educate Malaysians about hybrid technology back in 2003. Aside from being displayed in the science centre, it was also shown at various events around Malaysia to promote greener living.

Also read: Toyota doesn’t sell hybrids in Cambodia, so why is Phnom Penh SEA’s Prius capital?

Toyota was the first manufacturer to mass-produce hybrid vehicles and the first Prius was revolutionary and an important piece of automotive history. Its Toyota Hybrid System combined a 4-cylinder 1.5-litre NZ-series engine running an Atkinson combustion cycle that was paired to an electric drive motor and a separate generator.

The Prius was initially sold only in Japan with a less powerful hybrid unit that was prone to reduced performance in hotter climates. This was probably the more powerful NHW11 that was introduced globally which saw the engine producing 70 PS/110 Nm and the electric motor making 44 PS/350 Nm.

The series-parallel hybrid system was paired to a single-speed planetary gear that drove the front wheels. The first-gen Prius was successful with more than 123,000 units sold globally after 6 years, exceeding Toyota’s annual sales target of 12,000 units.

Also read: Malaysians responding well to Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid, contributes over 40% of sales

The first-generation Prius wasn’t just a revolution in technology but its MC platform would eventually be used on many Toyota models in the new millennium including the Corolla, RAV4, Wish, and Celica.

Despite the abandoned Prius looking dirty outside, the interior is clean. The door was unlocked so we managed to take a quick look inside and compared to the subsequent Prius, the first-gen feels conventional much like its exterior.

The subsequent generations of the Prius had its design to be more aerodynamic and radical. Yet, the technology that Toyota helped to pave the way has become influential and mainstream and it’s all thanks to the first-gen Prius. Though, this historic model might be beyond rescue.

Also read: Used hybrids are really cheap, so should you buy a used Toyota Prius, Camry Hybrid or Honda Insight?