The 2023 model year brings us a brand new Toyota Prius that has an impressive new look and more power to finally be all grown up.
Have you ever read through some of the before and after articles of celebrities? These articles might show some of the most beautiful people in their awkward youth, which shows just how much people can mature, grow, and evolve. The same is true of the new Prius. The hybrid car that has been the cornerstone of fuel savings for two decades is ready to show you how mature and beautiful it can be.
Slow and Ugly is Over
The Prius has been donned a slow and ugly car during all of its previous generations. Even when Toyota attempted to give this car a polarizing style with too many folds and bends in the body to count, this car was pretty ugly. That slow and ugly build worked because of the incredible fuel economy offered by the hybrid powertrain. The latest version of this car isn’t slow, and it sure ain’t ugly, either. Toyota finally allowed their cornerstone hybrid car to grow up and be a serious contender for more drivers than just those looking for fuel savings.
A New Wedge Evolves
Early generations of the Toyota Prius were so sharply wedge-shaped that it was hard to ignore the ugliness of the car. The wedge looked like something you would put under your door to keep it from closing. The 2023 model has a hint of a wedge shape but with some curves and lines that make it attractive. You could almost look at this new model and say that it has a fastback style; almost. This new Prius is much more attractive than ever before, finally giving us the hybrid car we deserve.
The new and attractive shape of this hybrid isn’t all that’s changed on the outside. The new Prius has a front end that offers scooped-out headlights with a C-shape LED accent. This C-shape is similar to the shape of the eyes on a hammerhead shark. The rear shows up with a full-width LED taillight strip, similar to the new Toyota Crown sedan.
With a build that’s two inches lower than before and one inch wider, the new Prius has a more aggressive and sporty stance, which might make more drivers happy to get behind the wheel.
What’s Under the Hood of the Prius?
The four-cylinder engine has grown from a 1.8-liter model to one that offers 2.0-liters of displacement. The outdated nickel hydride battery pack is replaced by a more advanced lithium-ion model. This new battery offers more energy while being lighter and smaller.
If you choose an FWD model of the new Toyota Prius, you’ll have one electric motor and 194 horsepower from the entire hybrid system. This is a huge increase from the 121 horsepower of the old model. When you select the AWD version of this car, you’ll enjoy 196 horsepower and two electric motors attached to the power plant.
The new Prius isn’t fast by sports car standards, but the time to reach 60 mph is more than three seconds better than the previous version of this car. The FWD version hits this mark in 7.2 seconds, while the AWD model can make the run in 7.0 seconds.
The new Toyota Prius gives you an improved level of fuel economy with 57 mpg combined compared to 52 mpg combined for the outgoing model. This final number tells you the new Prius is more powerful, more efficient, lighter, faster, and simply better than ever before.
Has the Cabin of the Prius been Improved?
Everything about the new Prius is better than what we’ve had in the past. It wasn’t hard for Toyota to improve the interior area of this car. The instrument panel used to be above the center stack; now, it’s in front of the driver where it belongs. This gives room for a centrally-mounted infotainment screen. Under this screen, you’ll find buttons to control the HVAC, making it easy to adjust while driving. Because the two screens are positioned in the right places, it’s easy to keep your eyes on the road and know where to look for desired information during your drive.
The materials throughout the cabin are an improvement over previous versions, giving you more style and comfort than before. Yes, you’ll find some hard plastics, but not where you don’t want them, and this material is made to keep the price down, allowing the Prius to continue to be an affordable hybrid car.
The overall design of the interior is more conventional than in the past. This allows the Prius to be a hybrid car that should appeal to many more drivers than before.
Did Toyota Upgrade the Tech of this Hybrid Car?
The 2023 version of the Toyota Prius will make the most tech-savvy driver happy. This car now has two different touchscreens, with the smaller one being an 8-inch unit. Higher trims benefit from a 12.3-inc unit which is standard on the Limited trim but optional for the XLE model. All versions of this car now offer wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. You can add a Wi-Fi hotspot, an eight-speaker JBL audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, and a panoramic roof to make this car even more enjoyable during your drive.
The tech of any car includes the safety package. The Prius includes the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of driving aids. This package gives you pre-collision warning and braking, lane departure alert, and adaptive cruise control. You’ll also enjoy the benefits of blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alerts, front and rear parking sensors, and automatic emergency braking. The top trim can include hands-free parking and a 360-degree parking camera.
Will You Enjoy this Grown-Up Hybrid Car?
Whether you’re looking for a hybrid car that offers impressive fuel savings or you simply admire the new style and build of the 2023 Toyota Prius, this car has finally grown up and is a real beauty. The ugly duckling days of the Prius are over, and now you can enjoy an incredible hybrid that packs the features and qualities you want into the right package. No one is going to sneer and point when they see what the Prius has grown up to become.
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