2023 Toyota Prius debuts with refined styling, 220-hp hybrid engine

The next-generation 2023 Toyota Prius has officially shed its covers in Japan. This comes after the previous fourth-gen version was released all the way back in 2015. Looking back further, the Prius itself was the first-ever mainstream hybrid that initially saw the light of day in 1997.

The all-new 2023 Toyota Prius

Sure, it’s an old nameplate, but it seems that this old dog still has plenty of tricks up its sleeve. The release of the all-new Prius also follows Toyota’s current direction in continuing to develop hybrid cars, while expanding its electric car lineup.

That said, this new Toyota hybrid comes with vast improvements. It rides on a new platform, and it gets an updated interior, as well as a new powertrain. Let’s check it out in detail.

Exterior

The all-new Toyota Prius’ design looks to mirror some aspects of the previous version. But it is definitely a more refined evolution of the signature Prius look.

The front end in particular, is tapered off into a sharp end, terminating with a neat, slim grille. The grille is then flanked by a pair of thin C-shaped LED daytime running lamps which are linked seamlessly to the vehicle's main headlamp cluster. Down below is a trapezoidal lower grille that’s decorated with silver and black trim pieces.

The next-gen Prius from the side

Further above the LED DRLs is a shapely hood with two distinct character lines, which then leads directly up to a sloped roof. This thus gives the new hybrid a sportier-looking outline. In a more practical sense, this is related to the fact that it has a low drag coefficient, which is crucial for making it more fuel-efficient.

The sleekness then continues towards the rear of the car, and yes, it is still a hatchback. Smoother lines are present on this section of the vehicle, providing a slender, and elegant look. A hatch spoiler is also present.

2023 Toyota Prius from the rear

The design of the rear is further elevated by the presence of a single LED strip spanning the width of the car. This functions as its taillights. This feature is then surrounded by a black colored trim to add further depth to its design.

Size-wise, it remains to be a compact car but compared to the older version, its wheelbase is 50mm longer, and it is also 22mm wider, and 50mm lower. It is, however, 22mm shorter in length.

Toyota also bumped up the new Prius’ wheel sizes up to 19-inches to go with the new fancier exterior design.

From the front, it looks like a totally different model

Interior

Just like the eye-catching new exterior, the interior of the next-gen 2023 Toyota Prius also received plenty of things to like. Chief among these is a well-appointed interior that’s made out of high-quality materials. Toyota also appears to have splurged on soft-touch surfaces.

For the seats, they are clad in a perforated material that appears similar to leather. The same goes for some bits of the dash and the interior door cards.

Check out the next-gen Prius' interior

A stubby but stylish gear shift lever is then found on the silver-trimmed center console. An elbow rest and a pair of cupholders are present on this part of the car as well.

Also present inside this Toyota hybrid are physical buttons for its automatic climate control system. The steering wheel likewise gets a whole host of buttons.

Tech & Safety

Dominating the sleek dashboard of the next-gen Prius is a 12.3-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The driver is likewise provided with a digital gauge cluster positioned slightly above the top most line of the steering wheel.

Toyota also revealed that the new Prius will also come with a whole host of driver assistance features. This means the latest version of the Toyota Safety Sense which includes a pre-collision system, dynamic radar cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, lane departure alert, lane trace assist, among others.

But beyond on-road safety, the new Prius also gets the Toyota Teammate. This is an advanced automatic parking system that allows the user to control the car from the outside via a smartphone app.

The all-new 2023 Toyota Prius gets the latest version of the Toyota Safety Sense

For even more safety, also equipped on this new model is a whole host of sensors and cameras. There’s a monocular camera up front, and a rear facing camera. These take active recordings of a drive. In short, it functions like a dashcam, though the data recorded is directly stored on the car’s ECU to avoid data corruption.

Last but not the least is the Prius’ 1,500 W accessory power outlet. Located on the rear of the center console and on the trunk, this can be used to power the car using an external power supply.

Engine & Performance

The all-new 2023 Toyota Prius as we’ve mentioned, now rides on a new platform. Specifically, it uses the second-generation Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA).

With the latest version of TNGA, Toyota promises that the new Prius can provide a stable ride as well as responsive driving characteristics. This is mainly thanks to the said platform’s low center of gravity. It is also much more rigid compared to the previous-gen model.

The batteries of the new Prius were also relocated under the rear seats. This provides more cargo capacity, and a lower center of gravity. The said batteries then provide the 2023 Toyota Prius an electric-only range of 94.15 km.

Its powertrain and batteries

The new Prius’s electric motors are then paired with a new 2.0-liter inline-4 gasoline mill that can then generate up to 220 horsepower. That’s 99 horsepower more than the old 1.8-liter hybrid powertrain on the older model. But like the previous version, this all-new Prius has kept a front-engine, front-wheel-drive layout. It also uses the Toyota e-continuously variable transmission.

Do note also that the new Prius’ top-spec Prime variant is a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Charging times are yet to be provided, but it was also stated that the plug-in variant may also get a solar roof panel depending on the market.

Are you the one looking forward to the next-gen Toyota Prius? Are you hoping for a Philippine debut as well?

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