The Toyota Prius was always a grateful object for complainers: how ugly it was, despite its well-thought-out technology. But with the new Prius, everything falls into place.
When the Toyota Prius came on the market in 1997, you could say a lot about it. Yes, he was economical, progressive and environmentally friendly. A great car for daily kilometers, and for people who do not like gas stations. But for car enthusiasts, the Prius was also the target of scorn. We were not yet concerned about the climate, while Toyota actually deserves a compliment afterwards. As early as 1992, the Japanese committed themselves to designing cars with the smallest possible impact on the climate.
Crying in the desert
Today every car manufacturer shouts that, but thirty years ago Toyota was still a voice in the desert. We wanted fast cars, preferably with as many cylinders as possible. And that was exactly what the economical and clean Prius did not offer. You didn’t have to knock on this Toyota for driving pleasure, nor for fast sprints. And how ugly we all thought the car was.
Lower, wider, fat wheels
It seems that Toyota has finally had enough. After 25 years, the new Prius has suddenly transformed into a beautiful car. It is stripped of the busy lines of its predecessor, Toyota opted for a ‘clean’ design without unnecessary angles and lines. The great thing is that he can still be recognized as a Prius. They did that damn well at Toyota. The fact that the Prius looks sportier is partly due to the fact that it became five centimeters lower and two centimeters wider, and, in accordance with the prevailing fashion, comes standard with large 19-inch wheels.
In the summer the new Prius will be at the dealership and we wouldn’t be surprised if it becomes the star of the showroom. We give the Toyota its glorious revenge and put our hand in our own bosom, because we also regularly grumbled about the appearance. We did that especially with the Prius Wagon from 2012, in which we only wanted to get in with a sticky mustache and sunglasses. But look at this yellow car, still a little camouflaged, because it is a pre-production model. This is Toyota’s revenge, although the brand itself is too civilized to call it that.
Increased range Toyota Prius
Even the sportsmanship has been worked on. The fifth generation of the Prius is only available in Europe as a plug-in hybrid. The power increased considerably compared to the Prius, from 122 to 223 hp. An atmospheric 2.0-liter petrol engine (148 hp) together with an electric motor (160 hp) provides the drive. That power increase translates into a faster hundred sprint. The old Prius did it in 11.1 seconds, the new one only needs 6.9 seconds. One thing remained the same, the power is transferred to the front wheels via a stepless transmission.
Not only the performance improved, the economy was also worked on. The battery capacity increased considerably and rose from 8.8 kWh to 13.6 kWh. The electric range could therefore increase from 40 to 69 kilometers. The official WLTP emissions figures are not yet known, but Toyota keeps it at 19 grams per kilometer.
Small luggage compartment
The interior is higher quality than the old Prius. The menus in the multimedia system and the controls are more logical, while the chosen materials have improved considerably. Like the electric Toyota bZ4X, the Prius has a central touchscreen and digital instrumentation. The disadvantage is that the readability is not optimal for everyone, depending on your height, part of the information is hidden behind the wheel.
The front seats look like sports seats, but have a soft filling. You have little lateral support, especially around your shoulders, but if you mainly make kilometers on the highway, that is not an insurmountable disadvantage. You are fine in the front. The sporty design has to hurt somewhere, and that’s in the back seat. The roof slopes quite steeply and that has consequences for the headroom. The legroom is decent, but no more than that.
A bigger disadvantage is the small luggage space of 265 liters. And that while the Prius is used as a taxi in many major cities. Hopefully for the passengers they are short journeys and have not carried too many suitcases. It is not yet known what the load volume is when you fold the rear seats.
Exact price Toyota Prius not known
Toyota seems to want to tackle the eternal complaining about the limited sporting ambitions. Because the steering is surprisingly direct and the feedback is excellent. The chassis with new multi-link rear suspension improves cornering stability. Although the back has a tendency to break out with its heavy battery pack and the ESP seems to be hibernating at such times. Let’s stick to the cures of the pre-series car.
The Prius makes up for it with its excellent suspension comfort, smoothly smoothing bumps of large and small size. The petrol engine and the electric motor are well coordinated. A small disadvantage is that the relatively low-powered petrol engine has to make an effort during sporty rides.
The fifth generation of the Prius will come to the Netherlands in the second quarter of 2023 and will cost at least 40,000 euros. Those who ordered a Lightyear 0 might be better off buying the top version of the Prius. It also has a sunroof, costs two tons less and there is a good chance that this Toyota will be delivered properly.
Conclusion
We are charmed by the appearance of the new Prius, and the good performance in combination with the low consumption are also impressive. We overlook the breaking out rear, in general the Prius is a nice driving car. But once the initial euphoria has died down, we come to some practical drawbacks. The Prius has become less spacious and practical.