New Toyota Prius revealed
Striking new generation of Toyota’s hybrid icon brings a heap more power and performance, but won’t come to AustraliaThe fifth-generation Toyota Prius has made its global debut in Japan 25 years after the original hybrid icon appeared back in 1997, bringing a sleek new take on the ‘spaceship’ designs of previous iterations.
The flipside of the new Toyota Prius’ new-found style is that we won’t actually see it on Australian roads, with Toyota’s local division citing the wealth of petrol-electric hybrid models it now offers in our market.
Toyota Australia axed the fourth-generation Prius due to slow sales in May this year, 21 years and more than 35,000 sales after the second-generation Prius became the car-maker’s first hybrid available here in October 2001.
The Australian market leader now offers hybrid powertrains across nine distinct hatch, sedan and SUV model lines, and the next HiLux, Prado and new Tundra pick-up are expected to add to that list.
Sharp from just about every angle, the new model is almost unrecognisable as a Prius and looks like it could’ve come from one of the myriad electric vehicle specialists like Lucid with its previously-teased wedge-like silhouette, C-clamp running lights and hidden headlight design.
Measuring 4524mm long (-46mm), 1782mm wide (+22mm), 1420mm high (-50mm) and riding on a 2750mm wheelbase (+50mm), the new Prius is shorter, wider and lower than before.
The sportier new look is backed up by new powertrains comprising two parallel hybrid systems and a new 2.0-litre plug-in hybrid set-up kicking out a peppy 164kW.
Besting all of the established warm hatches for grunt, Toyota says the new Prius PHEV will dispatch the 0-100km/h sprint in a brisk 6.7 seconds, but strangely it hasn’t nominated any official fuel consumption figures.
With help from a 13.6kWh battery pack, the PHEV’s all-electric driving range is said to be “about 50 per cent higher” than the model it replaces (which wasn’t sold here), meaning it could offer up to 100km of zero-emissions motoring.
It’s a similar story for the 1.8-litre and 2.0-litre parallel hybrids, which are said to be just as frugal as their predecessors while offering more power.
The entry-level 1.8-litre system is pinched out of the updated Toyota Corolla Hybrid and predictably hums out a combined 103kW – 41kW down on the vastly more potent 144kW 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain, as seen in the new Toyota Corolla Cross.
Opting for the gruntier system also throws in Toyota’s E-Four hybrid all-wheel drive system, which should help it find extra fans in northern hemisphere climates prone to frozen winters.
Underpinning the slick exterior and supporting the new powertrains is an evolved version of the TNGA platform that allowed engineers to repackage the battery systems and lower the centre of gravity while simultaneously accommodating bigger wheels and tyres (now up to 19-inch).
Suspension duties are taken care of by MacPherson struts up front and double wishbones at the rear.
Inside the cabin is a new ‘island architecture’ design concept featuring a raised digital cockpit, widescreen infotainment interface and a seemingly floating dashboard.
The bigger 12.3-inch central touch-screen adopts wireless over-the-air (OTR) updates, along with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
Toyota has moved its trademark centrally-mounted instrument display to a more conventional location behind the steering wheel and it’s now a 7.0-inch digital screen. The steering wheel is also new with uniquely clustered controls and the seat are offered with cloth or fake leather trim on regular or sports seats.
Some of the less obvious features of the new 2023 Toyota Prius include a digital rear-view mirror, power points and a built-in dashcam, while plug-in hybrid models get solar panels on the roof.
“Toyota believes that eco-cars can only contribute to the environment if they are popularised and from that point of view the Prius is a car for the majority,” Toyota global design boss Simon Humphries said.
“It is a car to be driven by all people, not just a few.
“Personally, I look forward to seeing people around the world enjoying, and growing to love, the new Prius.”
Hybrid versions of the new Prius will launch in the Japanese, European and North American markets in the coming months, while plug-in hybrid variants will be released there towards the middle of 2023.
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