The latest iteration of Toyota’s Prius gets new looks, new powerplants and even higher efficiency as the automaker launches a bid to help restore the venerable hybrid to its once lofty market position.
Once the nation’s top-selling hybrid, the Prius lost that title to another Toyota, the RAV4 hybrid, in 2019. Despite a sales bump in 2021, it hasn’t reclaimed the title. In addition to waning interest in passenger cars in general, the Prius faces stiff competition from a plethora of new hybrids, plug-ins and entry-level EVs entering the market.
Saving the Sedan
Passenger car sales now account for less than 25% of the new vehicle market in the U.S. Toyota, though, is determined to keep sedans and coupes alive. It will market eight distinct car models in 2023, most with hybrid versions and including a new hybrid-only flagship, the 2023 Crown sedan, which is replacing the aged Avalon.
For its Prius line, the standard hybrid hatchback will launch first, followed later in 2023 by the redesigned Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. The redesign of the fifth-generation Prius is an effort to boost its appeal among younger, trendier customers who value design and technology as much as efficiency.
More Miles
But efficiency is the Prius’ primary selling point, and it wasn’t ignored in the re-do.
Official EPA estimates aren’t out yet, but Toyota said the 2023 Prius offers as much as 57 mpg in combined city and highway driving, a record for the marque. The automaker hasn’t released fuel economy numbers for the rest of the lineup.
The Prime’s new all-electric range, though, was revealed—as “more than 50%” more than the 2022 model’s 25 miles. That would put it at 38 miles or more, in the top tier of all PHEVs.
More Modern
While still using the aerodynamic wedge shape that has helped make Prius models both efficient and somewhat unusual looking, the 2023 Prius now boasts a sporty fastback design. Although a hatchback, it could pass as a futuristic sedan. It even shares some features, including a nipped-in waist, steeply sloped rear window and a gulping guppy lower grille, as seen with the new Crown.
Both Prius versions also get the first application of Toyota’s new “bZ” badge—a stylized glimmering orb emblem—symbolizing the company’s intent to move “beyond Zero” emissions. The bZ initials, but not the badge, first appeared on the Toyota bZ4X electric crossover.
The new Prius is 2 inches lower and 1 inch wider than its predecessor for a low, dynamic look. The top trims come with 19-inch wheels that give it an aggressive stance. Clean sheet metal sans brightwork, nearly invisible rear doors with handles concealed in the “C” pillar, a glass roof and thin and horizontally aligned LED lighting arrays front and rear add to its modern look.
The automaker hasn’t disclosed other exterior or interior measurements. But in today’s market, where roomy crossovers and SUVs are outselling passenger cars nearly three-to-one, it’s unlikely Toyota would shrink the new Prius’ interior.
More Power
All versions of the 2023 Prius have new powertrains with higher output than the 121-horsepower system shared by both versions of the current generation.
The front-drive conventional hybrid uses a 2-liter inline four coupled with a beefier two-motor electric drive system and electronic CVT for a 194-horsepower system. Toyota says it will run a zero-to-60 mph sprint in a respectable 7.2 seconds, 26% faster than the previous model’s 9.8 seconds.
All-wheel drive versions of the conventional hybrid get a third motor, on the rear axle. It is electronically connected to the front system to provide on-demand AWD when additional traction is needed. The AWD Prius provides a scant boost in output, to 196 horsepower, but Toyota said it can shave the zero-to-60 times to a flat 7 seconds.
The Prius Prime plug-in hybrid model, available only with front-wheel drive, gets a much bigger boost, with the new 2-liter gas engine, a more powerful electric drive and a larger, more powerful lithium-ion battery. Toyota says the system now produces 220 horsepower at peak and hustles from zero to 60 mph in 6.6 seconds.
More Tech
Like all new Toyotas, the 2023 Prius will come standard with an impressive array of high-tech safety, driver assist and infotainment features, although some sought-after features such as navigation, Wi-Fi hotspot, streaming music, digital key, autonomous parking assistance and advanced voice recognition are offered only as extra cost options to help keep starting prices low.
The designers ditched the 2022 models’ Tesla-like vertical infotainment touchscreen for a horizontal screen centered atop the dash—an 8-inch screen in the two lower trims, a 12.3-incher in the top trim.
How Much is the 2023 Toyota Prius and When Will it be Available?
Toyota hasn’t released pricing information or on-sale timing for either of the 2023 Prius versions. For 2022, the Prius started at $26,170 and $29,865 for the Prime.
Specifics will be available by the end of 2022 for the standard hybrid, the company said, and in the first half of 2023 for the Prius Prime, which hits the market much later in the model year.