After a seven-year wait since the last redesign, the 2023 Toyota Prius arrives in a marketplace that's gone a bit sour on hybrids. Environmentally conscious drivers, especially, are often more interested in electric vehicles (EVs) these days. But for drivers who can't take advantage of an EV's benefits, the Prius remains an excellent choice as the most fuel-efficient hybrid available in the United States for the 2023 model year.
I recently drove the 2023 Prius on a media program in Southern California. I found plenty of support for Toyota's claim that you can indeed have fun in a vehicle that can also, under some circumstances, get 57 miles per gallon.
Toyota offers the 2023 Prius in three trim levels: LE, XLE, and Limited. Each is available with either front-wheel (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). The starting manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) for the base model with FWD is $28,545, including the $1,095 destination fee.
Starting at $31,990, the XLE trim adds powered, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and Qi-compatible wireless smartphone charging. The XLE also upgrades the fabric seats to heated, SofTex-trimmed front seats, which feel pleasant to the touch, but aren't as comfortable as the driver's seat in the previous-generation Prius.
The Limited trim offers heated and ventilated front seats, a digital key system that turns your phone into a car key, and the 12.3-inch touchscreen as standard.
All-wheel drive is a $1,400 upgrade across all trims. The 2023 Toyota Prius will go on sale in January 2023.
I evaluated a 2023 Prius XLE FWD in and around Del Mar, California. Equipped with a fixed glass roof ($1,000), a 12.3-inch multimedia display screen ($735), and extra-cost paint ($495), the test vehicle's price was $34,220, including the $1,095 destination charge.
Photo: Sebastian Blanco
Toyota completely redesigned the 2023 Prius with a dramatic new look that's sharper yet more elegant than previous versions. In person, it's clear that Toyota designed the car for aerodynamic slipperiness without sacrificing character. The new "triangle silhouette" design results in a lower overall height than the previous model. Since the new Prius also has more ground clearance, the cabin features less headroom and cargo space than before.
Even with the reduced ability to carry stuff, the Prius will only feel cramped to people who feel snug in the current model. Aside from the headroom reduction, passenger space in the new Prius is nearly unchanged.
The clean design lines on the exterior continue inside, shaping the dashboard into something that feels wider than it might otherwise. Forward visibility is excellent, other than if you're trying to look at the busy driver information screen. Toyota placed it high up on the dash behind the steering wheel, the view somewhat obstructed by hands on the wheel. This was incredibly annoying, given the many icons the Prius displays on the angular screen.
Rear cargo space decreases by up to 7 cubic feet from the fourth-generation Prius due to the lower rear roofline, but there is plenty of room up front to store daily items. There are two cupholders in the center console, just in front of a vertical slot that can hold a cell phone as it charges wirelessly. You'll find six USB-C ports in the new Prius but not a single older standard USB-A.
Photo: Sebastian Blanco
The new Prius has the latest version of the Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system. Available with either an 8- or 12.3-inch screen, the software provides the expected infotainment and navigation controls, including the decent "Hey, Toyota" voice assistant. It can control other features than what you can do with the standard wireless Apple CarPlay or Android Auto voice assistants. It had little trouble understanding my commands once I got used to the kinds of pauses and clear speech needed for the system to work correctly. As the Prius is capable of over-the-air updates, owners can expect these features to improve over time.
However, some things won't change. For example, even though the 2023 Prius isn't the widest car in the world, there's absolutely no reason for the volume control knob to sit on the far side of the infotainment screen.
The 2023 Prius has standard Toyota Safety Sense 3.0—the automaker's suite of advanced driver assistance systems. I've tested it in other Toyota models and was not surprised that the various driver-assistance features worked as well here as they did in those other vehicles. I made sure to test the automatic braking features while paying extra attention to what was going on. However, once the system proved itself a few times, I felt no worries as I let the car take over some basic responsibilities, including keeping me a safe distance from the vehicle in front and coming to a complete stop.
The Prius can also help keep you centered in your lane, but Toyota Safety Sense is not a self-driving technology. It is incredibly helpful, though, and far less of a nanny than similar systems from other automakers. My only challenge with the technology was deciphering which safety systems were on and which were off. The driver display screen does inform you of this, but only after you've figured out which faded color indicates active operation.
Photo: Sebastian Blanco
As promised, the 2023 Prius is much zippier than the outgoing model. A new 2.0-liter engine replaces the 1.8-liter engine, bringing a horsepower increase of over 60 percent. Toyota didn't provide acceleration times, but based on my experience, the new Prius is quicker than the old model.
The gas-electric powertrain in the new Prius produces around 195 hp. Compare this with the 121 hp found in the 2022 Prius, and there's noticeably more acceleration punch coming from the 2023 model. It's not so quick that you'll wear out the tires in a week, but there is far more fun to be had in the 2023 Prius than you might expect.
And that was Toyota's goal: to design and build a Prius that drivers could appreciate. After all, it's fun to experience even light driving thrills in a 50+ mpg car (combined fuel economy estimates for the various trims range from 49 to 57 mpg). That said, when you rapidly accelerate, the engine whine is inescapable. At least the electric motor is quieter than it was before.
Toyota focused on more than just improving the gas engine to increase performance. The suspension is also tighter, resulting in far less body lean when tackling curves in the road. It's also easier to make those maneuvers thanks to a more direct steering feel. Overall, the new Prius is much more of a driver's car than before.
Some things stay the same with the redesign. The new 2023 Prius still possesses all the same basic qualities that make it, well, a Prius, like the excellent fuel economy and some of the whiny foibles exhibited by previous models. But some things do change for the new Prius, and somewhat dramatically. Take one look at the new Prius design and you can quickly see that Toyota is after something fresh here. Something sportier, something sleeker.
It can be challenging to change public perception of what a vehicle "is," especially one as well-defined as the Prius, but Toyota is trying to do just that. I've driven every generation of the Prius, and every Prius C, Prius V, and Prius Prime variant. It's safe to say that the new version offers the most fun. At least until the new plug-in hybrid Prius Prime arrives in the spring.
Sebastian Blanco has covered the auto industry for over 15 years. His reviews and articles have appeared in Car and Driver, The New York Times, Automotive News, Reuters, Autoblog, InsideEVs, Trucks.com, Car Talk, and other outlets.
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