Do you believe in reincarnation? We think Toyota does.
After several lifetimes of loyal, frugal but somewhat frump7-styled vehicles, we think the gods rewarded the Prius. “Little Prius, how’d you like to be sporty? Fast? Dare we say, Sexy?” “Yes, please!” And for those worrying about the functional frugal type buyer, we’d gladly point them to the Corolla Cross Hybrid we recently tested – a great package with loads of utility.
And here we have the ultimate version of the all-new Prius, the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. Great looks, nearly 100 horsepower more than the previous model, and over 40 miles of EV-only range. An entirely new kind of Prius. Time for a test drive!
Hey there, Handsome!
We had great fun showing off the new model to friends who drive current Priuses (Prii?). The reactions were priceless. Shock, awe, jealousy, pride. All of the above…this is unlike any Prius we’ve seen before!
The stats will tell you that the new model is 2 inches shorter, 1 inch wider and 1-inch longer, but that doesn’t begin to describe the difference.
Up front is what Toyota calls a hammerhead nose, and it is very sharky, with slim and squinty LED headlights that dip down over a lowered grille. A grille below that has a metallic finish, and yes it does look ready to bite!
The profile is extremely sporty, and you could easily be fooled into thinking this is a small swanky Tesla. There’s a deeply raked windshield, small greenhouse, and aggressive fastback roofline. Contoured body lines give some voluptuousness to the design, while our tester’s 19-inch alloys looked very sporty and aggressive. Our tester also had the optional solar panel on the roof – great fun to point out to your friends.
The rearview continues the low-and-wide look, with a slender LED light bar that travels the width of the rear, with a gloss black panel underneath that serves up a nice contrast. We also loved the blacked out trim and PRIUS spelled out in elegant block letters. Like the front, a lower fascia gives a nice contrast to the clean lines. The perfect finishing touch was our tester’s Guardian Gray paint – rich, dark, and expensive looking!
A New Outlook
Inside is as much of a departure as the outside. Open the door and the same wide and sleek design of the outside starts with a sweeping dash that sits low and sporty. Where you used to have a vertical tablet in the center of the dash – a la Tesla – Toyota has split up the duties.
There’s a new gauge display in front of the driver which we love. It does take some getting used to, though – like some European makes, the display is actually viewed above the steering wheel rim, kind of feeling like a heads-up display. That means the wheel sits lower than you’re used to, which we find very sporty, but wonder if larger drivers will find this uncomfortable.
We have no such complaint with our tester’s massive 12.3-inch info-tainment display (lesser models get an 8-inch screen) and the horizontal format works beautifully with the new design, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and all the apps like our beloved WAZE look beautiful, and the touchscreen is simple to use. Wireless charging is handled by a cool little holder on the side of the console.
Our tester also included an 8-speaker JBL premium audio system that sounded fantastic. Toyota does give us a volume knob (yay!), but it’s waayyyy over on the right side of the screen – a bit of a reach.
Below the screen there’s a simple row of buttons and toggles to handle the climate control system. Everything is clearly marked and there’s no learning curve needed. Futuristic yes, but friendly! Speaking of friendly, we also like the shift lever on the center console instead of the dash in previous models. It feels proper and sporty.
You’ll also feel sporty with the low seating position and steeply raked windshield. Luckily the flat-floor design means those in front still have good headroom. Being a Premium trim means we got heated and ventilated front seats, along with a heated steering wheel. The penalty for that sports coupe roofline means tight headroom for those in back – at least our tester had optional heated rear seats to keep them comfy. We think all those Uber driving Prius owners will need to look at something like the Corolla Cross Hybrid from now on.
Rear cargo space is good, considering the Prime has some extra batteries to carry around, and the rear seats easily fold down to give a good amount of cargo space for larger items. We liked the power rear hatch, too. A real luxury touch.
Prime Time Performance
If you think the looks and interior are special, you’re really going to love the driving experience!
Let’s start with the range, natch. The plug-in hybrid can give you up to 44 miles of pure EV range – a huge step up from the previous models 25. Our luxurious Premium model maxxes out at 39 estimated EV miles, but that’s still plenty for most commuters.
But as they say, that’s not all folks! Combined with a new 150-horsepower, 2.0-liter 4-cylinder and bigger 161-horsepower electric motor, the Prime boasts 220 total horsepower! When you run out of all electric range, you’ve still got that hybrid thriftiness serving up an impressive combined 52 mpg. It’s thrifty, but it’s also quick – the Prime can hit 60 mph in just 6.6-seconds – and with all that EV torque down low, the Prime rockets away from stoplights. Yes, we are giddy with performance….in a Prius!
With the battery pack sitting low in the chassis, and those nice 19-inch wheels and tires, we found our Prime also great fun to throw into corners, with responsive steering giving a quick turn in, little lean in turns, and lots of torque to zip away. Brake feel is excellent, too – regenerative braking that helps recharge the battery has come a long way since the early models.
OK, maybe you’re not planning to take your Prius to the next track day. In the regular commute it’s quiet and relaxed, nearly silent in full EV mode, which the Prius can even use at freeway speeds. When the gas motor kicks in, it’s nearly invisible, and the ride is comfortable and smooth. That sleek body means almost no wind noise too.
Add confidence to that comfort. The Prius serves up an advanced suite of driver assist on the Prime, including Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic alert, Front Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Departure Warning and Lane Keeping Assist, adaptive cruise control and Traffic Jam Assist. One interesting feature, with the gauges above the steering wheel, there’s now a little sensor that tracks your eye movements, and if it notices you’re looking away for more than just a few seconds, it issues a warning.
Prime-al Scream Price?
Nope! Let’s run the numbers. If you don’t need the plug-in hybrid, you can get a 2023 Prius starting at just $27,450. Considering the looks, up to 57 mpg, and all the neat tech it’s a bargain. Stepping up to the Prime is reasonable, with an entry price of $32,500. Considering that impressive EV-only range, great power and performance, it’s the one we’d choose.
Our XSE Premium model is the top of the line and started at $39,170. We had some notable features, including Digital Rearview mirror ($200), Solar Charging Roof ($610), Advanced Park and Panoramic View monitor ($1,085), Heated rear seats ($350), some miscellaneous accessories plus $1,095 for Destination to ring the bell at $43,703.
Competitors are few. If you’re looking for a car, you’ll be looking at much-more expensive European fare – a BMW 330e at $53,000 or a Volvo S60 recharge at $$63,690/ Probably the closest thing would be the Kia Niro, which is a bit larger, has 34 miles of range, and comes in around $41,000. The Niro is less sporty, but adds some utility, so we’d say it’s worth considering.
Gorgeous looks, superb efficiency and strong performance, the reincarnated 2023 Toyota Prius Prime completely re-imagines the Prius name – and we love it!
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.