The 2023 Toyota Prius.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
Over the last 22 years, plenty of words have been used to describe the looks of the Toyota Prius. Until now, sexy has probably never been one of them.
Yet that was the word that kept being uttered, in awe, as folks flocked to see the Prius every time I was parked in San Diego last week.
“Man, that’s sexy – I never thought I’d see a rock star Prius,” said a man who admitted to following me for a couple of blocks until I stopped.
Despite a nearly $5,000 price hike for the base model, Toyota’s hoping that the car’s sleeker new looks – it admits that previous Priuses looked “weird” – and a boost in performance will attract buyers. Toyota is predicting a 60-per-cent boost in sales for the Prius lineup over the next two years.
Another new-to-Prius word that Toyota hopes will stick? Sporty.
With a two-litre engine replacing the previous version’s 1.8-litre and two electric motors, front and rear, the all-wheel-drive Prius has 196 horsepower, up from 121 in the previous version – and Toyota says it can dash to 100 kilometres an hour in 7.2 seconds.
The boost doesn’t make the Prius any thirstier – fuel economy is the same 4.8 litres per 100 kilometres combined city and highway as before.
While there’s a plug-in electric vehicle (PHEV) version coming later next year, this Prius is a conventional hybrid (HEV) – it can’t be plugged in and, except for short stretches of a few dozen metres at low speeds, it doesn’t run on battery power alone.
With consumer thirst for PHEVs and battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) growing, why launch a conventional hybrid at all? That’s a question U.S. environmental organizations, including the Sierra Club, have been asking.
For 2023, Toyota has gone with one window in the rear. The previous version had two.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
Toyota’s answer? Because hybrids produce at least 20 to 30 per cent fewer emissions than gas-powered vehicles, it makes sense to get more on the road now to appeal to buyers of bigger vehicles who would otherwise choose gas-powered versions.
“It’s very good technology and it’s the best way to drive down carbon emissions [now],” said Stephen Beatty, Toyota Canada vice president. “They require a relativity small battery in a world where, as an industry, we still have limited battery production ability.”
Beatty said Toyota can produce 80 HEV Priuses using the battery cells from one of its fully electric bZ4Xs.
“Every car we sell today will be on road for a long time,” Beatty said.”If you can drive down emissions from those vehicles, that will lead to long-term benefits.”
By next year, Toyota will offer 11 hybrid models – as well as two PHEVs, the bZ4X BEV and the hydrogen fuel cell Mirai – and is aiming to offer hybrid versions of all its gas models by mid-decade, Beatty said.
While the previous Prius was popular with taxi and rideshare drivers, Toyota expects the cheaper Corolla hybrid to take some of that market. So then, with plenty of other hybrids in Toyota’s lineup, and a growing number of electric SUVs from rivals, who’s this sexier, sportier and pricier new Prius for?
The target is well-educated, established professionals in their mid-30s to early 50s looking for an upscale all-wheel-drive car over an SUV.
Despite a shape that reminded several San Diego passersby of Tesla’s Model 3, Toyota is not trying to woo Tesla buyers, Beatty said.
“I’m not looking to suggest to people that it’s an alternative to an EV or a gasoline-powered car,” he said, adding that Toyota has sold more than 100,000 Priuses in Canada since its launch in 2000. “It has established its [own spot] in the marketplace.”
Toyota said it will start selling the Prius early in 2023, although an exact launch date hasn’t been set. There will be two trims, XLE and Limited and both are all-wheel drive – the U.S. is getting a front-wheel drive version, but we won’t. Unlike most mainstream cars, to have all-wheel drive the Prius uses an independent second electric motor to spin the rear wheels. Removing the driveshaft and an extra differential reduces the weight and improves efficiency.
The well-equipped XLE will be $36,490 and the Limited will be $42,990.
Tech specs
2023 Toyota Prius
- Base price/as tested: $36,490 / $42,990, plus $1820 freight and pre-delivery inspection
- Engine: two-litre inline Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with two AC motors
- Transmission/Drive: continuously variable transmission / all-wheel drive
- Fuel consumption: (litres per 100 kilometres): 4.8 City, 4.7 Highway, 4.8 Combined
- Alternatives: Honda Accord Hybrid, Hyundai Elantra Hybrid, Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, Toyota Corolla Hybrid
Looks
The rear door handles on the 2023 Toyota Prius are built into the window.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
The original Prius first turned heads because it didn’t look like anything else on the road – it was an advertisement that you were driving a hybrid. This one grabs attention because it is a subtly-stylish, sharp-looking sedan. Its roofline is two inches lower than the previous Prius, so it no longer looks like a toaster. It comes standard with 19-inch wheels. The rear door handle is built into the rear window and is easier to use than it looks. The rear’s looks hint at the previous Prius, but the lines are sleeker and the double rear window has been replaced by a single window.
Performance
While the Prius is definitely sportier than before, it’s still not a sports car. There’s still a brief lag when you hit the gas, although that’s less noticeable than before – and the engine sometimes revs loudly as you drive. It has enough pep for passing, handles confidently and braking is good: it’s fun to drive. As with the previous Prius, you can move the shifter to B to get more regenerative braking. It slows the car as you lift off the gas, but it’s not one-pedal driving. There are four modes – normal, eco, sport and a custom mode. I drove mostly in sport and used an average of 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres.
Interior
The new Toyota Prius has a big centre touch screen – eight-inch touch screen in the XLE and 12.3-inch in the Limited.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
Inside, the Prius looks modern and upscale – unlike the previous Prius interior. There’s a big centre touch screen – eight-inch touch screen in the XLE and 12.3-inch in the Limited – clean lines and simple controls. The seats are comfortable and there’s enough legroom. There’s a bit less front headroom than before but, at 5-foot-9, I found it fine. There’s a volume knob and the Limited has a panoramic moonroof. With the double rear window gone, visibility isn’t excellent, but it’s fine. The Limited’s rear-view mirror has a video mode for better visibility, but I found I didn’t need to use it.
Technology
Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0, including adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assistance and traffic sign recognition, is standard. Inside there are six USB ports, wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto. The Limited version adds a 360-degree overhead view and a three-year subscription to cloud navigation and a voice-activated assistant. The assistant, which activates with ‘Hey Toyota’ understood most of what I asked, which is better than some rival’s versions. The Limited also gets wireless phone charging. It’s an upright slot you drop the phone into so it doesn’t slide around – and so you can’t look at your phone.
Cargo
The trunk on the 2023 Toyota Prius has 575 litres of cargo space. The previous version had 697 litres.Jason Tchir/The Globe and Mail
Cargo space with the rear seats up has dropped to 575 litres from 697.
The verdict
It’s not quite as sporty as it looks, but the, yes, sexy new Prius offers distinctive style, plenty of technology and solid fuel economy.
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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