The Prius is the archetype of the hybrid car: a design that has become iconic and a technical part that seems very complicated on paper, and yet surprisingly effective in practice.

In the foreground, the Prius retains its streamlined look dictated by aerodynamics, a guarantee of energy efficiency.

But the news is lower and the highest point of its pavilion is pushed back.

And as it is also slightly shorter than before, and the handle of its rear door is concealed, the new version takes on the air of a small coupe. 



More tech but less space

The passenger compartment follows the same trend of more aesthetic sobriety.

Ergonomics are in order, and Toyota has managed to find a good balance between physical controls and use of the screen, with in particular direct controls for the air conditioning, which is always appreciable.

The instrumentation screen rejected far in front of the steering wheel displays clear and readable information on any occasion (navigation, multimedia, Trip, consumption, etc.), if not very customizable.

And as always with Toyota, the assemblies do not lend themselves to any criticism.



This is however less the case for habitability, especially at the rear.

If we will not be embarrassed at the knees, individuals over 1.80 m will inevitably touch the ceiling.

This is where the new look is paid for.

As well as at the level of the trunk, wide and deep, but whose capacity is limited to 284 liters.

Fortunately, the seat remains splittable and foldable.



Radical choice 

In Europe, the Prius will now only be offered as a plug-in hybrid version.

Toyota explains it by the plethora of classic hybrid powertrains on its models with much greater sales potential here, such as the Corolla, Corolla Cross and… almost the entire range, in fact.

This radical choice, to say the least, is accompanied by a significant increase in power: 223 horsepower when the two engines (gasoline and electric) work together. 

This latest development is incredibly smooth and pleasant, with the added bonus of small sports performance: 6.8s to go from 0 to 100 km/h!

The new Prius is resolutely dynamic in its behavior, with well-balanced damping between cornering and absorption of irregularities.

For the first time, we can really have fun with the Prius! 



And since it has a generous 13.6 kWh battery, it can drive up to 69 km without emissions depending on the brand.

A figure which we approach quite easily in reality, thanks to intelligent management of electricity, which can be harmoniously distributed to optimize the phases of rolling in electric when a route is entered in the GPS.

As a result, the approved consumption drops to less than 1.3l/100km (19 gCO2/km), but will in fact depend on your recharging frequency: the more electricity you use, the lower your fuel consumption will be.

The prices are not yet known, since this 5th generation Prius will not arrive here until the beginning of the summer.


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The Toyota Prius PHEV in a few figures

  • Engine: 4-cylinder, plug-in hybrid, 1,987 cc;

    223 hp at 6,000 

  • rpm;

    208 Nm from 4,400 to 5,200 rpm

  • Transmission: to the front wheels

  • Gearbox: single-speed e-CVT

  • L/W/H (mm): 4,600/1,783/1,420

  • Empty weight (kg): 

  • Trunk volume (l): 284

  • Tank(l): 40

  • 0-100 km/h (sec.): 6.8

  • V-Max (km/h): 177

  • Cons.

    Mixed (l/100km): 1.3

  • CO2 (g/km): 19

  • Price (€): na


  • Automotive

  • Toyota

  • Hybrid cars