March 28, 2024

The automobile that led the expansion of petrol-electric hybrid era for the fashionable generation has been reinvented, with a brand new glance, new era and extra energy. Nevertheless it may not come to Australia.


The brand new 2023 Toyota Prius has been unveiled in the USA and Japan – however the ambassador of Toyota’s hybrid era is not going to make a go back to Australian showrooms.

Getting into its 5th technology since 1997, the brand new Prius sits on acquainted underpinnings however wears a brand new frame, adopts era from Toyota’s flagship fashions, and good points a variety of extra tough and environment friendly hybrid and plug-in hybrid drivetrains.

Nevertheless it may not come to Australia, because the current-generation Prius used to be axed in the neighborhood in Would possibly – and its low gross sales numbers are not likely to make a go back possible.



Toyota has bought greater than 300,000 hybrid vehicles in Australia, about 35,000 of which were Prius fashions – however after Prius gross sales peaked in 2008, they by no means recovered, losing to fewer than 100 in 2021.

To face except Toyota’s Corolla and Camry Hybrid – that have neatly overtaken it in gross sales – the brand new Prius cuts a smaller hollow in the course of the air than its predecessor, and is fitted with extra environment friendly hybrid energy choices.

The entry-level possibility across the world combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with an electrical part for a mixed output of 103kW – matching the 2023 Corolla Hybrid it stocks its drivetrain with, and up at the outgoing 90kW 1.8-litre Prius.



Toyota has no longer equipped any gasoline financial system figures, alternatively Toyota world design boss Simon Humphries advised audience of the automobile’s livestream it’ll be the best type in its “elegance”.

To be had for the primary time is a extra tough 2.0-litre hybrid device shared with Toyota’s new Corolla Go small SUV, creating 144kW. Jap stories recommend each 1.8-litre and a couple of.0-litre Prius fashions are to be had with front- or all-wheel force.

The two.0-litre type is essentially the most tough manufacturing Prius hybrid ever constructed, and the fastest, with a claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time in the USA of about 7.5 seconds.



Crowing the variety can be a brand new Prius plug-in hybrid, combining a 2.0-litre petrol engine, more than one electrical motors and a 13.6kWh battery pack for a mixed output of 164kW, with front-wheel force.

The claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.7 seconds is on par with sizzling hatches a decade in the past – and a couple of tenths slower than Toyota’s GR86 sports activities coupe – whilst all-electric using vary has been larger by way of a claimed 50 in step with cent, suggesting as much as 70km in Jap trying out.

The plug-in hybrid’s battery pack is now situated underneath the rear seats, somewhat than underneath the boot flooring – claimed to fortify the automobile’s centre of gravity and build up boot house.



Underpinning the brand new Prius is assumed to be an evolution of the outgoing type’s structure, additionally utilized by the Corolla hatch, Corolla Go SUV and a variety of alternative Toyota vehicles.

Ecu specs point out the brand new Prius measures about 4524mm lengthy, 1782mm large and 1420mm tall, using on a 2750mm wheelbase – 46mm shorter general, 22mm wider, 50mm decrease and 50mm longer between the wheels than the outgoing vehicle.

The design of the brand new Prius is extra recent than the outgoing vehicle – which divided opinion upon its release in 2016 – with a sleeker five-door hatchback form, easy frame surfaces, and an aerodynamic windscreen that just about blends with the bonnet line.



The LED headlights draw inspiration from Toyota’s BZ electric-car vary, whilst there is a full-width LED tail-light bar, and alloy wheels as much as 19 inches in diameter – two inches better than as of late’s vehicle.

Within, a 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen is suited for flagship fashions, working Toyota’s newest instrument with wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, satellite tv for pc navigation and over-the-air updates.

The centrally-mounted tool binnacle of the outgoing Prius has been ditched in favour of a 7.0-inch virtual tool cluster – shared with the BZ4X electrical SUV – forward of the driving force.

Material or artificial leather-based trim is predicted to be to be had, relying at the type grade – with flagship fashions fitted with sports activities seats – whilst a financial institution of key inner controls has been moved to a row of slender switches at the dashboard.

To be had inner options come with dual-zone local weather keep an eye on, heated and ventilated seats, an ambient lighting fixtures device built-in into the dashboard panels, USB-C ports, an electrical parking brake, a wide ranging sunroof, and at the plug-in hybrid type, sun panels at the roof.

Toyota’s newest complicated security measures are to be had, anticipated to incorporate independent emergency braking (AEB), lane-keep help, adaptive cruise keep an eye on, blind-spot tracking, and rear cross-traffic alert.



There is additionally automated parking, a integrated dashcam, a virtual rear-view replicate, and on some fashions, house energy sockets within the vehicle, permitting exterior electric gadgets to be charged from the automobile’s battery.

The 2023 Toyota Prius is due in Jap showrooms earlier than the tip of this yr in hybrid shape, with the plug-in hybrid due mid subsequent yr.

“Toyota Australia has no plans to introduce the brand new Prius to the Australian marketplace,” a Toyota Australia spokesperson mentioned in a media observation.

“Over the last few years, now we have considerably larger our hybrid providing with cars fitted to Australian marketplace stipulations together with Yaris, Yaris Go, Corolla, C-HR and just lately Corolla Go.”

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about vehicles since 2017, when he began his personal web site, Redline. He contributed for Power in 2018, earlier than becoming a member of CarAdvice in 2019, turning into a typical contributing journalist inside the information group in 2020.

Vehicles have performed a central function during Alex’s existence, from flicking thru vehicle magazines at a tender age, to rising up round efficiency cars in a car-loving circle of relatives.

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