While there are certainly some reasons to praise the Toyota Prius, starting with the hatchback’s industry-leading fuel economy, few would likely list “fun-to-drive” among its merits. Nor does it tend to rank high in terms of design.

Not until now, anyway.

Toyota is just getting ready to roll out a new version of the familiar hybrid, and the fifth-generation Prius takes a decidedly different direction. Yes, it’s still set to deliver benchmark mileage. But, according to Chief Engineer Satoki Oya, fuel economy wasn’t even one of the top three goals for the 2023 makeover. At the top of the list: design and performance.

And, after spending a day behind the wheel of the 2023 Toyota Prius, I can say that the Japanese automaker delivered quite handsomely.

Overview

Making its debut nearly a quarter century ago, the original Toyota Prius was the world’s first mass-marketed gas-electric hybrid, introducing a technology that has become increasingly commonplace today. In fact, Toyota now offers hybrid drive on most of its model lines with some, like the new Crown sedan, only coming with a gas-electric driveline.

The original Prius was a sedan. But it migrated to a hatchback layout by the time it reached U.S. shores a few years later. The hybrid quickly clicked with American motorists — at one point becoming the best-selling nameplate of any type in California. But demand has slackened in recent years. Increased competition has clearly been a factor, but the fourth-generation model wasn’t well received, with the awkward design being lambasted by reviewers.

The fifth-generation Prius gets a ground-up makeover. Now based on Toyota’s TNGA platform, it’s an inch longer and an inch wider than the outgoing hybrid — but about 2 inches lower. And it adopts a decidedly more stylish appearance that has generated a far more positive buzz since the 2023 model made its debut at the LA Auto Show in November.

It also helps to have a much more gutsy powertrain, with the updated hybrid delivering as much as 77% more horsepower, depending upon the model. At the same time, the 2023 Prius remains a mileage champ, now offering up to 57 mpg, depending upon the trim package.

Add an assortment of high-tech features and Toyota is betting the 2023 Prius will reverse the nameplate’s recent sales slide.

Exterior

Longer, wider and lower, the 2023 Toyota Prius is a dramatically different vehicle, at least from a design perspective. With its decidedly shorter front and rear overhangs, it adopts a far more dynamic and sporty appearance than the fourth-generation hybrid. And Toyota designers have abandoned some of the goofier relics found on the outgoing model, starting with the jug-eared taillights.

Overall, the new Prius gets a gentle, coupe-like slope to the front end, windshield and roofline, though it retains its five-passenger hatchback layout.

Slit-style lamps stretch across the nose, then hook along the front fenders before boomeranging back in front of the hood. The aforementioned jug-eared taillamps have been replaced by a crossbar mirroring the front headlights — and looking much like what Toyota developed for its Mirai hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle.

Interior

There’s a clean and uncluttered look to the interior of the new Prius. And it does move away — though not entirely — from the use of the hard plastic surfaces that gave the outgoing hybrid a bit of a cheap look.

The new cabin design appears to have been strongly influenced by Toyota’s new battery-electric vehicle, the bZ4X. That starts with a high-mounted 7-inch digital gauge cluster, with a large touchscreen infotainment system sitting at the top of the center console. The hatchback does retain more conventional controls for some vehicle functions, such as volume and climate settings.

The twin-screen layout is visually appealing but does have its drawbacks. The digital gauge cluster, in particular, has been placed up high, apparently to obviate any need for an additional head-up display. Personally, I found it easy to read, minimizing the need to look down to check vehicle speed, for one thing. But I tend to position the steering wheel low and out of the way. My co-driver preferred to have the steering wheel raised high and, in that position, it can cut off part of the digital display.

The lower roofline of the new Prius does create a slight compromise to rear-seat headroom. And the steep rake of the new hatch somewhat limits rear visibility — even though, from the outside, it appears to use a large piece of glass.

The added width and length of the new model does yield more shoulder and legroom. And the new Prius adopts larger, more supportive seats that are easier on the back and butt during long drives.

Powertrain

There will be two versions of the Toyota hybrid, the Prius and the Prius+. The latter, a makeover of the existing plug-in hybrid, won’t reach showrooms until the middle of the 2023 model year. Initially, Toyota will get things going with a conventional hybrid version, and it will deliver not only better mileage but also significantly improved performance.  

The current 1.8-liter gas engine has been replaced with a new 2.0-liter inline-4. As before, the internal combustion powerplant has been paired with twin electric motors. But they’ve also been upgraded, allowing the combined output to climb from 121 to 193 horsepower, a 60% improvement over the outgoing fourth-generation Prius. And there’s been no sacrifice in fuel economy, the 2023 hybrid delivering as much as 57 mpg, depending upon the trim package, a 1 mpg improvement.

As with the gen-4 Prius, the 2023 model will be available in either front-wheel drive or, for a $1,400 price bump, all-wheel drive. And the new AWD system will operate at all speeds. With the old model, it was only functional at launch and low-speed operation.

While final figures could be revised, the 2023 Toyota Prius+ is expected to deliver a full 77% increase in output, going from 134 to 220 hp. The automaker says it will launch from 0 to 60 in just 6.7 seconds, a full four-second improvement compared to the outgoing plug-in hybrid.

The new “Plus” plug-in also will get improved fuel economy, while boosting by 50% its range in all-electric mode, to as much as 24 miles.

Safety and Technology

The 2023 Toyota Prius updates to the latest Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 suite of advanced driver assistance systems. These include as standard technology blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and forward collision warning with emergency auto-braking. There are a handful of systems that are added on higher trim packages — or offered as options on base and mid-level versions of the hybrid. These include front cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist.

With Toyota officials billing the fifith-generation Prius as a “high-tech marvel,” you can expect plenty of other features, including an electronically operated curve control system to help a driver stay in their lane during aggressive maneuvers.

But much of that high-tech gear can be found inside the cabin, starting with twin digital displays. That includes the new, high-mounted LCD gauge cluster, as well as the latest Toyota infotainment display. In the base model, that’s an 8-inch touchscreen. The mid-range XLE hybrid can be upgraded to a 12.3-inch display, which is standard on the high-line Prius Limited.

With the larger screen you’ll also get a new Amazon Alexa-style voice assistant that, simply by saying, “Hey, Toyota,” will let you issue commands in plain English. And the system can operate a wide range of vehicle functions while also answering questions, such as the weather forecast.

There’s Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, as well as Sirius/XM radio. Depending upon trim package there’s wireless smartphone charging. And one of the new features, dubbed Digital Key, lets you rely on a smartphone app to not only get into your Prius but run it, leaving the key fob at home. Add the latest suite of advanced driver assistance technologies.

Driving Impressions

Here’s where the new Prius really started to shine.

The outgoing hybrid — like all of the Prius models before it — had one core assignment: maximizing mileage. Unless you got a thrill watching the instant fuel economy gauge, it really wasn’t a fun-to-drive vehicle. Until now, anyway.

Along with my co-driver, I spent the better part of a day flogging the 2023 Toyota Prius around San Diego, much of that journey spent out in the rolling foothills east of the old Navy town. With sharp S-turns, sudden elevation changes and other surprises, it’s a quick way to get a feel for a new model. And the Prius delivered in ways I didn’t expect.

With an updated suspension and a newly lowered center of gravity it proved surprisingly nimble, able to handle corners smoothly and predictably, with far less body roll than the outgoing model. And it delivered significantly more road feel through the steering wheel, as well.

And the upgraded drivetrain added to the fun. The old Prius was anything but exciting. It seemed like the right pedal was designed to resist quick inputs. Acceleration was sluggish, at best. Not so, the 2023 Prius. Now, let me be clear: this is no sports car. But it proved far more responsive to demands for power, allowing me to stomp on the throttle coming out of a corner and pointing the nose right where I wanted to go.

During my day in San Diego I stuck with the Limited version of the new Prius. But I had the opportunity to switch between the front- and all-wheel-drive models. There was surprisingly little difference between the two on dry pavement — though the AWD system did seem to help retain control a bit better on tight corners. Kudos to Toyota for switching to an all-speed system, rather than the low-speed all-wheel-drive of the gen-4 hybrid.

The automaker expects about 30% of buyers will opt for the AWD option. I’d be surprised if it wasn’t a bit higher, especially in cooler parts of the country.

Wrap Up

While I have long respected the technology in early versions of the Prius, it was never a product I had a desire to own. And the outgoing model, with its cartoon-like design, just seemed the answer to a question no one was asking.

A few years ago, in a conversation with a senior Toyota official, it seemed like there was a good chance the automaker might abandon the Prius badge, at least in the U.S. market. Two other versions of the hybrid, the bigger V and compact C, were dropped as sales started tumbling. And, with hybrid packages available for so many other Toyota packages, it begged the question of whether there was still a need for a Prius.

Internally, the answer turned out to be “yes.” And, after driving the 2023 Toyota Prius, I have to say it was the right choice. It’s a far more desirable package than, say, the Corolla hybrid, though the new Prius will face some serious competition from products like the latest Hyundai Elantra Hybrid.

Nonetheless, the 2023 Toyota Prius should do quite well. It  is attractive, fun to drive and still a leader when it comes to fuel economy. In today’s highly competitive market I don’t expect it to reach its former peaks when it comes to sales but Toyota has clearly taken the right steps to reverse the long slide.

Pricing for the 2023 model starts at $27,450 for the base LE with front-wheel drive, and jumps to $35,865 for the all-wheel drive Limited package. (Add another $1,095 in delivery fees.)

2023 Toyota Prius ­— Frequently Asked Questions

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