Remember the Toyota Prius c? If you don’t, we don’t blame you. Positioned as an entry-level hybrid, it appealed more to buyers seeking sensibility rather than the outright weirdness of its bigger brother, the Prius. It’s also known as the Aqua in Japan, and here’s the all-new 2022 version.

Chances are you’ve seen them in your favorite movies and TV series. No, we’re not talking about A-List celebrities (though many stars drive themselves around in one). We’re talking about hybrid cars, especially the ones from Toyota. Starting with the Prius, Toyota’s hybrid cars have established themselves as reliable choices for amazing fuel economy. It’s no wonder why you see hybrids almost everywhere in most other countries!

Pardon me if I sit here, stunned. Apparently, the Toyota Prius c (aka Aqua) is still pretty much a thing in Japan that the carmaker just gave it the trendy Gazoo Racing treatment.

Toyota Motor Philippines started its Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV) campus tour series by forging a partnership with MAPUA University’s Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering (MME) Department. The first leg of the educational caravan, held at the MAPUA school grounds in Intramuros, Manila, offered both students and faculty a firsthand look on the benefits of HEV technology through a symposium and an all-day test drive activity.

What do you get when you mix an unconventional car like the Prius and a conventional hatchback like the Yaris? You get the Toyota Prius c. Based off a modified Yaris platform, the Prius c is making waves in its home country of Japan (it’s known as the Aqua over there) because of its no frills approach to hybridization. Instead of going all space-age and techy, the Prius c is simple: push the starter, select D, and go—no need to re-learn the displays, gearbox, and what. Though it doesn’t change the fact that it’s an utter bore to drive, at least it presents its case as a perfect urban crawler with its compact proportions and sky-high fuel mileage.

Toyota Motor Philippines is giving its subcompact hybrid, the Prius C a minor makeover for 2015 to keep it fresh. It gets both cosmetic and safety-related change which make Toyota’s entry-level hybrid much more value-oriented.

If a car were a just a bunch of numbers, the Toyota Prius family won’t make much economic sense: priced at P 2,250,000 for the Prius (the White Pearl in these photographs adds another P 15,000) and P 1,475,000 for the Prius c (the Full Option model lent is at P 1,525,000) these cars aren’t cheap. In fact, on price alone, you can get any one of these other Toyota cars: the luxurious Camry, the practical Fortuner, and even the sexy 86, and still have enough money left over for some accessories. However, after spending a week back-to-back with the Prius and Prius c, it shows that these cars are more than just the sum of their parts. They start to offer more than just their price tag: they imbue a sense of environmental responsibility that you can’t get anywhere else. And that may be its greatest achievement.

Toyota Motor Philippines Corporation (TMP) surprised everyone when they unveiled the 2012 Prius C at their annual Media Thanksgiving Party last Friday evening. Aimed with individuals without children (or at most, young children), the Prius C combines a Yaris-sized sub-compact with Toyota's legendary Synergy gasoline-electric hybrid engine.

Retailing for P 1,475,000 for the Standard model and P 1,525,000 for the Full Option model (an additional P 15,000 for the exclusive White Pearl color), the Prius C is powered by a 1.5-liter 1NZ-FXE 4-cylinder engine that is Euro V compliant and uses the highly-efficient Atkinson cycle. The 73 horsepower, 111 Nm powerplant is supplement by a 60 horsepower, 169 Nm permanent magnet synchronous motor giving the Prius C combined figures of 133 horsepower and 280 Nm of torque. The sole transmission is an electronically controlled CVT with Eco and EV mode settings. Toyota claims a combined city/highway figure of 21.27 km/L for the Prius C.

Inside, the Prius C comes standard with the same digital vacuum display on the larger Prius model, a multi-information display situated in the middle of the dashboard as well as the touch-sensitive Touch Tracer controls for audio and air conditioning controls. All Prius C models come loaded with a 6-speaker sound system with Stereo/CD/MP3/USB playback capability, Bluetooth hands-free, automatic climate control and a split-folding rear seat. The Full model adds a leather steering wheel, leather seats and power retracting side view mirrors.

Read the full Press Release and view more photos after the break.