Dilettante

"The best hybrid in its class. Includes a nifty dashboard screen with animations showing you how much gas you are saving, while completely ignoring the thousand pounds of toxic batteries on board. Go green!"

- Southernsanandreassuperautos.com description.

The Karin Dilettante is a hybrid electric four-door liftback featured in Grand Theft Auto IV and its episodes and Grand Theft Auto V and its multiplayer.

Design
"Bad plus good equals better for everyone."

- Slogan for the Dilettante

The Dilettante is a compact four-door liftback that is largely based on the second generation Toyota Prius sold between 1997-2001 in Japan and 2000-2003 in European and American markets. However, it has headlights from a Citroën C4, and a body shape that is more similar to the Honda Insight, with its lower roofline over the rear seat area. The taillights are very similar to that of the Buick Rendezvous. The vehicle itself has a large windscreen which is at a similar angle as the hood. The styling is very uniform, with many straight lines flowing throughout the body of the car, uninterrupted. However, the flared wheel arches are very exaggerated which give the car depth. According to advertisements in the game, a new Dilettante starts at $39,999.

The Dilettante is said to have an interior dashboard screen, similar to the real Toyota Prius. However, there is no actual dashboard screen in-game.

Performance
The Dilettante is powered by an electric motor and an internal combustion engine at the same time in with a 5 speed automatic in GTA IV, and an electric motor at very low speeds, and an internal combustion engine for most of the time with a CVT in GTA V. Despite having two sources of power, the Dilettante accelerates very slowly, and transmission choice doesn't make a difference. It has a top speed which is among the lowest in the game. The Dilettante, due to the dreadful turning radius, understeers at moderate-to-high speeds. The suspension is fairly soft, thus allowing the car to bounce around on rough roads. The engine in GTA V is noticeably quieter than that found in GTA IV. However, the car is more managable than the Bollokan Prairie, especially when turning at low to moderate speeds.

It has considerably weak bodywork, as even low speed crashes can result in major body deformation. It is also severely affected by bullets. It is noticeably more rigid in GTA V than its GTA IV counterpart.

Variants
In GTA V, Merryweather Security personnel drive Dilettantes with unique white paint jobs and the word "Patrol" painted on the sides. This Security Car variant cannot be modified at a Los Santos Customs shop, for the only option available is to repair the vehicle.

GTA IV

 * A uniquely brown Dilettante is requested in Stevie's car requests, located across the road from Big Willis Mall in Willis, Dukes.
 * It mostly spawns in Easton and Star Junction, but can spawn anywhere in Liberty City (especially if seen), but is most commonly seen in Algonquin and around Leftwood and Westdyke.
 * Commonly spawns at Auto Eroticar in Alderney.
 * Can spawn while driving a Patriot around Alderney.
 * Lots of them may spawn in Northwood while driving a Super GT at late hours.

GTA V

 * Can be bought for $25,000 from Southernsanandreassuperautos.com.
 * The Merryweather Security version can be found patrolling various areas, such as Davis Quartz, Elysian Island and Vinewood Hills, sometimes near 3671 Whispymound Drive, any time of the day.
 * Rarely can be seen driving around Marlowe Vineyards
 * Very common when driving an Asterope.
 * Rarely spawns around Rockford Hills, Vinewood and Alta.
 * Sometimes found around Grand Senora Desert and Harmony.

Trivia

 * The word dilettante means a dabbler in fine arts, or a connoisseur. It can also mean amateurish or superficial, the latter meaning playing into the stereotype of hybrid owners as caring more about being perceived as eco-friendly than actually trying to help the environment (as is suggested in the advertisement for the car).
 * The statement about toxic batteries for the Dilettante refers to the Toyota Prius having their batteries causing damage to the enviroment during mining and processing of the battery cells.
 * Unlike other vehicles advertised on the radio, the Dilettante is the first advertised vehicle to be made available to the player.
 * The two default radio stations in the Dilettante are:
 * GTA IV: IF99 - International Funk or K109 The Studio.
 * Episodes from Liberty City: K109 The Studio or Vice City FM.
 * GTA V: Lowdown FM or Space 103.2.
 * At the end of the Dilettante advertisement on the Rockstar website the car is caved in at the front despite it being "new".
 * A green Dilettante identical to the billboard one can occasionally spawn in front of the Leftwood police station in the mission To Live and Die in Alderney.
 * On the CNT TV station the Dilettante is advertised in a commercial after I'm Rich.
 * The Dilettante in GTA V, is an electric car, until you accelerate faster, and its gasoline engine will rev up.
 * In GTA V, there is a Merryweather variant of the Dilettante that can appear around Los Santos. In multiplayer, it cannot be insured, or stored in the player's garage. It can only be repaired, and the only modifications for it are explosives, making it a worthless vehicle to modify. It can be sold to Los Santos Customs for up to $2,500.
 * In GTA V, the Dilettante can go quite fast when in reverse.
 * At night, the Merryweather variant can be found in Vinewood Hills.
 * It is the first hybrid in the series.
 * According to a sponsor on Fame or Shame, the Dilettante has a range of 10 miles. This fact is ignored in-game, however, as the vehicle may be driven indefinitely.
 * It is the largest car in the Compacts class.
 * Due to it being owned by Merryweather, the Merryweather variant shares its paintjob with the Cargo Plane, white body with blue stripes.

Notable Owners

 * Lazlow Jones owns a red Dilettante seen in the mission Fame or Shame. Although its engine was supposedly overheated and running out of battery, if Michael gets into the car, you switch into another protagonist and switch back, the Dilettante will suddenly be back to normal and drivable.
 * Big Boy, the DJ of Radio Los Santos, owns a modified Dilettante that has Hydraulics.
 * Merryweather owns white and blue Dilettantes with a "patrol" decal as their security cars.

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