The all-new Prius C arrives fresh off Toyota's drawing board for 2012 boasting the best city fuel economy of any car without a plug and a sub-$19,000 starting tag. Although it is very inexpensive, the C doesn't stand for "cheap"—all rumors to date point to an extensive features list including a really fancy steering wheel.

No, this entry-level subcompact 5-door hatch with up to 1 mile of pure electric driving under 25 mph and 53 mpg city/46 highway is not named after its tag. Rather, the Prius C is a spry little hybrid built for lovers of technologically enhanced "city" life. Every dimension of the C is smaller than the regular Prius for improved economy and agility on those tight city roads, shaving nearly 20 inches from end to end and shedding just over 500 pounds in the process of delivering a balanced cornering posture and reducing the load on its smaller engine.

Instead of the 1.8-liter four-banger for the base mechanicals, this junior Prius gets a 1.5-liter good for 25 fewer horses at 73 hp, and an electric motor putting out 20 fewer horses at 60 hp. In total output that makes the Prius C a 99-hp machine versus the 134 hp produced by its big brother's powertrain. Surely this will affect acceleration, and while there is no official word from Toyota, early estimates put the C just a fraction of a second behind the larger powertrain for a 10.7-second run from 0 to 60.

Toyota also promises a very long standard equipment list, including automatic climate control, remote keyless entry with illuminated entry and a really fancy tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel with audio, climate, Bluetooth hands-free and Multi-Information Display controls. Three different audio systems offer access to your music no matter the format in even the base systems, from a CD player with MP3/WMA capabilities to the usual auxiliary audio jack and USB/iPod connectivity to upscale features like Bluetooth streaming. Options include satellite radio, HD radio with iTunes compatibility and a 3.5-inch display with real-time traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports scores and stocks.

Aside from that, the Prius C is pretty much what you would expect out of a Prius. Four trims will be offered, and if big brother is to be any indication, you can expect One, Two, Three and Four editions. Front-wheel drive and a special continuously variable transmission are safe expectations across the board, and its 3 driving modes—Normal, climate- and power-controlled Eco and electric-only EV—should be familiar to hybrid fans.

By the same token, that means the Prius C will feature most of the same common downsides of the Prius—namely, hard-touch plastics and other hastily made materials decisions. More bad news, the Prius C lacks the Prius's highway-handy Power driving mode, severely limiting its acceleration capabilities in times of need. 

However, with its smaller dimensions the Prius C should be considerably more nimble, but big brother's problems with driving dynamics stem from its vague electric steering and spongy suspension. The official word from Toyota indicates major changes in the suspension arena and an improved steering ratio for drivers that opt up to the 16-inch alloy wheels and associated sport tuning package, but so far there's nothing solid on whether the electric steering was universally improved.

That said, the 83-mpg Japanese edition is touted as a complete divergence from hybrids of yore, with such a spirited and fun driving experience it's hard to believe you're in a hybrid, but as of this writing, nobody's gotten their hands on a Prius C in the USA just yet.