The Prius has been the butt of many jokes about its owners hogging the left lane or being smug about their environmental leanings. The car Toyota just showed off looks to be a significant departure for the fuel-sipping four-door. The 2023 Prius and Prius Prime feature dramatic new styling, better safety tech, and sportier driving dynamics. Toyota designed the new Prius under the banner “hybrid reborn” and says it is the most efficient yet.
Toyota offers a hybrid Prius and the Prius Prime, which brings a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain. Toyota improved off-the-line acceleration for both cars for 2023, and the hybrid is available with electric motor-driven all-wheel drive (AWD). The Prius Hybrid is available in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—while the Prime comes in SE, XSE, and XSE Premium trims.
The new Prius represents a radical departure from the car’s traditional styling cues. Previous models featured a sharp, almost angular exterior style, but the new model is sleek and aerodynamic. Toyota built the car on its second-generation TNGA-C platform and says it is an inch wider with a 2-inch lower roofline than before. The base Prius LE trim gets 17-inch wheels, while the XLE and Limited get 19-inch rollers. Prius Prime trims follow the same structure, with the base SE getting 17-inch wheels and the top two offering 19-inch units.
The plug-in Prius Prime comes with solar roof panels that help recharge the battery when it’s parked. They also power auxiliary accessories like climate controls and audio functions.
Both new Prius models come standard with SofTex synthetic leather upholstery. Higher trim levels bring additional cupholders, power seat adjustments, and extra interior lighting. Toyota offers a fixed-glass roof in midrange trims, while top versions get the desirable feature as standard. The interiors are cleaner and more upscale looking than the current Prius, and the move to a landscape orientation for the infotainment screen in some trims helps clean up the crowded center stack.
Toyota appears to recognize the Prius’ place in the market as an efficiency-over-all car for its buyers. Still, the 2023 model brings performance improvements that should make a noticeable difference in how the car drives. The Prime has a larger 2.0-liter engine and a new battery under the back seat. According to Toyota, the combination delivers 50-percent better range and almost 100 more horsepower than the previous system and now develops 220 hp. Toyota says the improvements help cut zero-to-60-mph acceleration time to 6.6 seconds.
The standard Prius also gets a 2.0-liter engine and a battery under the rear seat. It’s available with AWD, which uses an electric motor to drive the rear wheels. Toyota says its new battery pack offers better power output, allowing it to reduce the size and weight of the unit. Output is up to 194 hp, and the automaker says acceleration to 60 mph takes just 7.2 seconds—more than 2.5 seconds quicker than its predecessor. All-wheel-drive Prius hybrids make the run even quicker, at just 7 seconds to 60 mph.
Every 2023 Toyota Prius comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense (TSS). The automaker also equips blind-spot warning with rear cross-traffic warning and offers front and rear park assist with automatic braking. The top trim of both models is available with an advanced parking system that offers autonomous functions, a rearview camera mirror, and a surround-view camera.
Toyota improved its latest TSS system with a few new features, including a proactive driving-assist system that can help apply brakes and steering to help maintain distance between other vehicles and road obstacles. Toyota notes that the system operates under different conditions than automatic emergency braking and forward-collision warning and is not a substitute for either.
An 8-inch touchscreen comes standard for the bottom two trims of the Prius and Prius Prime, while the top trim for each model comes with a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Both units get Toyota’s much-improved new interface, which brings better voice and touch controls and a far less confusing menu system. An app service is available that brings cloud navigation and other connected services, and Toyota says the system can support up to two smartphone connections simultaneously. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard, and the car is available with a Wi-Fi hotspot. Passengers can also log into their Apple Music or Amazon Music accounts to stream music directly from the car.
The hybrid and PHEV sales landscape has changed drastically since the Prius debuted. It’s no longer the only show in town and faces stiff competition, some of which comes from within Toyota itself. Buyers may consider the aging Hyundai Ioniq, though it’s fading in favor of a new EV lineup led by the excellent Hyundai Ioniq 5. There’s also the Honda Insight, Toyota Corolla Hybrid, and the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid and RAV4 Prime. The Hyundai Elantra Hybrid is likely one of the closest and most often cross-shopped competitors, as it offers similar range and pricing.
Toyota is the source of information in this article. It was accurate as of November 16, 2022, but it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker’s website or your local dealership.
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