The Toyota Prius is cool now. Period. Like the viral ‘glow-up’ videos filling up our TikTok feeds, nobody went harder than the Prius. With four generations of being one of the most bland and visually unremarkably things on the road, to fully turning heads. 2023 ushers in the fifth-generation of the Toyota Prius. A car that always sold extremely well, despite its lackluster appearance. Now, with all the practicality, fuel-economy, technology and reliability that made it a popular choice in the past, but with really pretty packaging! This latest generation of the Prius will likely be its best yet!
It’s not just the outside that’s new though, as the 2023 Toyota Prius has been thoroughly redesigned from top to bottom. For starters, every Prius now rides on the latest evolution of Toyota’s TNGA-C platform. This lean, rigid chassis has a wider stance and lower driving position, helping the new Prius look and feel much more sporty and dynamic. 194 net hp and available all-wheel drive has also been added in. That much power is enough to make the new Prius faster than most of its hybrid rivals, all without sacrificing a drop of fuel-economy. Which comes in at an impressive 52 mpg. Whether around town or on the highway.
While the exterior design underwent a beautifully radical transformation, the interior played it safe in comparison. Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. As an example, for the first time ever, the Prius now has a pretty traditional gauge cluster behind the steering wheel. The roofline is a couple inches lower, but the front passengers also sit lower than before, so it’s not felt. My Prius Limited model came with a fixed roof glass to fill the cockpit with natural light. Flooding the space with the clean, clear atmosphere that owning a Prius demonstrates the part you’re playing to protect it. There’s also a heated steering wheel, SofTex trimmed heated and ventilated front seats, a JBL sound system, Qi charger and six USB-C charging ports! I’m always surprised at the number of new vehicles that don’t even have one, let alone six! The future is truly here.
For four whole generations, the consuming masses found a way to overlook its bland looks. Still rushing out to purchase it because of all the many things it did well. With an exciting, attractive new design, even better fuel-economy, more power, faster acceleration, available AWD and a user-friendly, clean interior that’s chalk-full of USB-C ports; get ready to see a lot more of the Prius on the road.
Price as tested: $37,494.00
