The fifth-generation Prius comes with plug-in hybrid and series hybrid power offerings but there are no plans to bring it to Australia.
The Toyota Prius has been with us for over 25 years and in that time it’s become a symbol for environmentally friendly motoring. Despite the march of fully-electric cars, Toyota’s all-new Prius will retain the focus on hybrid power that it’s built its name on.
A huge seller worldwide for Toyota (over five million units and counting), the Prius has evolved steadily over the years, with the biggest change coming in 2012 when it first incorporated plug-in hybrid technology. The new model continues to offer a plug-in hybrid option which will launch in Q2 2023 and a “Series Parallel Hybrid” – launching in December 2022. But Toyota says there are no plans to bring the model back to Australia at this point in time after it removed the fourth-generation from sale.
The outgoing Prius uses a TNGA platform and the new model features what Toyota calls a “second-generation” of that architecture. The powertrain has also been revised with the displacement of the petrol engine growing from 1.8-litres to 2.0-litres for both the plug-in hybrid and series hybrid.
The plug-in hybrid Prius comes with 164kW which allows for a 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds. More importantly for most Prius buyers, Toyota says efficiency is maintained over the previous model so we should see figures around 1.3L/100km and 29g/km of CO2. The pure-electric driving range is around 50 per cent higher than before so expect around 100km of EV-only range.
As for the regular hybrid model, there are two powertrain options, a 2.0-litre and a 1.8-litre. The 2.0-litre comes with 142kW and although Toyota hasn’t revealed performance figures yet, it says every model offers “captivating driving performance”. Up front there’s a MacPherson strut set up and double wishbone suspension at the rear which Toyota says provides stability, responsiveness and “easy line-tracing ability”.
Unlike previous plug-in hybrid and hybrid Priuses, there’s very little to distinguish between the two new models. The overall design borrows plenty of styling cues from the upcoming C-HR replacement and the all-electric bZ3. The front end features C-shaped headlights inspired by hammerhead sharks and a bonnet that rises almost in line with the windscreen to create a sleek profile. The rear door handle is hidden within the c-pillar and at the rear we can see “Prius” lettering across the bootlid.
The interior of the new Prius is much more akin to the latest bZ4X EV, with a larger touchscreen dominating the dash and a smaller digital screen for the driver display. There are individual controls for the climate below the main screen and we can see the steering wheel has been taken from the bZ4X. Unlike the EV, the Prius retains a gear knob selector rather than a rotary dial.
A panoramic sunroof is standard across all models and PHEV versions come with a solar charging system which can deliver up to 1249km of driving a year. There’s also Toyota’s ‘Safety Sense’ which adds a range of safety systems, plus there’s Advanced Park – enabling automatic parking and exiting of car park spaces – which can also be operated remotely through a smartphone app.
Alastair Crooks