Toyota has had a busy 2022 when it comes to product launches and its last big debut this year is the all-new Prius. The once-classic hybrid has been teased widely in recent days, strongly suggesting it will have an entirely new design. From what we’ve seen so far, the styling will be similar to the new Crown, but with a heavily sloping roofline to lower the drag coefficient for better efficiency.
Aerodynamics has always played an important role in design, and the fifth-generation Prius is no exception. It’s unclear whether the revamp will be accompanied by a switch to a different platform. Logic tells us that it will use an evolution of the TNGA architecture which actually debuted in 2015 with the outgoing model. Again, there should be another Prius Prime with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
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The improved powertrain and streamlined build will contribute to better efficiency for the 2023 Prius compared to the previous model. In its budget-friendly specs, the current car produces a combined 58 mpg city / 53 mpg highway / 56 mpg. As for the Prime PHEV, it has an EPA rating of 133 MPGe and will travel 25 miles before sipping any petrol.
Toyota has been rapidly expanding its hybrid offerings in recent times and the Prius has fallen out of favor in the crossover/SUV era. It still deserves a place in the company’s growing portfolio, and it looks like the next generation of cars could be the prettiest so far. That should revive the demand for hybrids that was on everyone’s lips in the 2000s and early 2010s.
The live broadcast from Japan will begin at 13:30 JST on November 16th. Until 11:30 p.m. ET today, November 15, or 4:30 a.m. GMT, November 16. Following its debut, the next-generation Toyota Prius is slated to go on sale next year as the 2023MY in the United States. We should get our first chance to see him in metal this weekend at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
