Oh, damn. Do I like the new Prius? I mean, really like the new Prius? Split-a-Slurpee-and-listen-to-Broken-Social-Scene-in-the-IHOP-parking-lot like the new Prius? We only have European stats, but those stats show a cleverly redesigned plug-in hybrid with a huge increase in power (almost 100 HP!) and usability with no sacrifice in range. It’s eating your cake and having it, too.
Again, the major caveat here is that the U.S. version of this car has not been revealed so we’re having to go off what’s been released globally and for Europe. Here are the global specs for the plug-in hybrid (called Prime in the United States), straight from Toyota’s global press release:
- A 2.0-liter plug-in hybrid with 220 horsepower!
- A 0-62 mph time of 6.7 seconds!
- A 50% increase in pure-EV mode to maybe 50 miles!
- Similar (though not released) total efficiency!
I know I’m Upton Sinclair-ing with the punctuation, but this is a big deal. The current Prius Prime in the United States gets 121 combined horsepower and only 25 miles of pure EV range. [UPDATE: Someone in the comments correctly checked my math here so it’s worth clarifying EV range. In the US, the Prius Prime has an EPA estimated 25 miles of range. In the UK it’s estimated as 39 miles miles of range. A 50% increase would mean about 58 miles on the UK standard and a little shy of 40 miles on the US standard. In reality, owners in the US tend to report EV ranges closer to the UK so I think 50 miles of EV range in practical experience is possible – MH] That’s fine, but it’s also slow, with a 0-60 mph time in the low 10s. If the version we get is anything like the European version (and it probably is) we’re talking a car that is a vast improvement in performance.
Toyota is playing up the sportier aspects of this car as well, stating:
The second-generation TNGA platform was developed as an ongoing improvement of the matured TNGA platform to achieve the exhilarating styling and driving performance of the new Prius, allowing for a lower center of gravity and large-diameter tires.
I feel like “exhilarating driving performance” is not something usually associated with the Prius, which seems to be getting MacPherson struts up front and a double wishbone setup at the rear.
Additional improvements include an optional solar roof and this trick little window attachment so you can use the built-in accessory ports to charge off of the battery (Toyota, as of now, has not revealed the battery size).
On the outside, the car’s got larger wheels and a stretched wheelbase (although it appears to be slightly shorter) to give it a more athletic stance while still retaining the overall Prius shape that’s built around the warped-canoe greenhouse. I like it.
On the inside the Prius picks up the brand’s new “island architecture” design language, with a large floating screen for the driver and passenger and a driver-focused screen for the relevant gauges and information. The best feature might be a mood strip that’s tied into the car’s safety systems and can adjust the lighting to alert the driving about incoming objects.
There’s also a new series hybrid version in the classic Prius flavor that also gets the 2.0-liter motor and has about 190 horsepower, which is still a rather large increase in power over the various versions offered globally. I’m assuming we’ll also get this version, but it’s possibly we only get the PHEV.
Damn. I am excited about this.
[Editor’s Note: I saw this car in person a few months ago at Toyota’s HQ in Plano, Texas, but was not permitted to take pictures or talk about it. Since it’s revealed, I suppose I can talk about it, and I have to say it is a dramatic improvement over the outgoing – and, really, all the others – Prius. In person, the proportions are great, it feels nice and wide in the hips, and the face is so much better than the riot of creases and folds and flaps that Toyota design was spiraling into. The new design language is hectares cleaner and sleeker. It’s so much better. – JT]
UPDATE: The US Version Is, Indeed, Quite Similar
Consistent with what’s written above, Toyota announced that the U.S. is getting both the plug-in version (still called the Prius Prime) and the non-plug-in version. The basic hybrid comes in FWD or AWD and gets 196 combined horsepower. In Prime trim, there is indeed a “nearly” 100 hp increase to 220 hp, and a 0-to-60 mph time of 6.6 seconds, From a Prius.
Like the Mustang Mach-E, Toyota needs to just slap the Prius label on an EV. It is a great halo to expand. I had to look up the bZ4x just to remember what they are even planning to call their pure EV. It is an awful name, and has no tie in to anything else they have done.
I actually like it. But I’m not sure if I’d buy a hybrid when the market is moving heavily toward full electric. Might be a nice “let’s see how things evolve” car, though. Be an easier purchase than a hybrid Wrangler!
What is the cord going through the window picture? Does the charging cable start inside the car and have to be fed through the window?
Also my wife might not have to complain about slow Prius drivers anymore. This things got nearly the same hp as her 2022 GLI
Yeah, this is driving me nuts. Why was this not discussed in the article? What the hell is that thing!?
It’s for camping, basically. You can plug into the interior and bring power into your tent.
It is: “Additional improvements include an optional solar roof and this trick little window attachment so you can use the built-in accessory ports to charge off of the battery (Toyota, as of now, has not revealed the battery size).”
edit: I see the cord through the window is for accessories. For some reason I missed that sentence in reading through the article twice!
I kinda not hated the 3rd gen that had decent proportions and was not overly over styled (in a very bad way) unlike the 4th.
this one is actually one of the best looking aero efficient hatchback! power boost is welcome, an AWD phev version with the RAV4 prime 300ho power train and sportier handling would actually be a pretty cool hot hatch!
with 300hp it could be in the low 5s to 60mph or even high 4s compared to RAV4 5.7s with 850lbs/20% less weight
Toyota has finally found a way to make me actually like a prius for being something else than practical oh god help.
Wow. I’m shocked (no pun intended). Great proportions. No weird extra lines and creases (OK, a few but at tolerable levels). It doesn’t look angry or like it wants to eat me. And that color is nice as well.
This is a car I would drive and be seen in. I was a bit embarrassed to be next to other Pruises at a traffic signal. Nicely done, Toyota
I kinda not hated the 3rd gen that had decent proportions and was not overly over styled (in a very bad way) unlike the 4th.
this one is actually one of the best looking aero efficient hatchback! power boost is welcome, an AWD phev version with the RAV4 prime 300ho power train and sportier handling would actually be a pretty cool hot hatch!
Very impressed. I have to try really hard to find things to hate.
A massive congratulations to you toyota!
Wait, that’s not bad. Toyota, are you feeling alright?