The new 2023 Toyota Prius offers a complete redesign to be a car that looks more engaging. This car also has a few tricks up its proverbial sleeves.
It’s always fun to find little gems in the cars that we drive. These items that are usually hidden in plain sight are called Easter Eggs, after the tradition of hiding and finding eggs on Easter morning. Some of the little features are so subtle that you might not know what they are unless someone points them out to you, which is what we’re here to do.
This is the Most Powerful Prius Ever Made
The new 2023 model of the popular Toyota hybrid car delivers more power than ever before. Usually, we don’t associate this little hybrid with decent power, but the new powertrain delivers 194 horsepower in some versions and 220 ponies in others. This would have been more than enough to keep us interested in the Prius, but Toyota went and added a ton of cool little details to give us something fun to admire about the top-selling hybrid.
1. What’s that Shiny Circle Next to the Prime Name?
The Toyota Prius Prime doesn’t bear the bZ name, which stands for Beyond Zero, but it is the first vehicle to showcase the circular badge that will signify the new EV lineup. This bZ circular badge starts with the Prius but will be found on all new electrified vehicles from Toyota going forward. This means that every hybrid, fuel-cell, and EV that comes from this extremely popular brand will bear this little blue and silver shiny circular badge.
2. Is the Prius Really a Reborn Model?
The painstaking work that Toyota put into giving the fifth generation of the Prius a complete makeover brought about a rebirth of this car and what it can be. The Prius is the hybrid that showed the world how to save fuel; now it’s the car that can also be a lot of fun to drive. This is the first generation of this car that embraces the performance side of things. One Easter Egg you’ll find on this car is the words “Hybrid Reborn” in various locations, including the cowl behind the windshield and inside the hatch opening next to the taillight.
3. What’s Hidden in that Compartment?
Some cars come with secret spots that offer secure ways to hide some of your valuables. GM vehicles used to come with an infotainment screen with a compartment behind them to fit your wallet or other valuables while you’re on a hike. The Toyota Prius has a #hiddencompartment located ahead of the cupholders below a removable tray. Maybe they shouldn’t have labeled it, but it’s pretty cool to check it out and see what’s hidden in this space.
4. Will You Keep Gloves in There?
Another unnecessarily hashtagged location in the new Prius is the #glovebox. This is still the traditional place where most of us keep our owner’s manuals, registration cards, and other information we might need while driving. When was the last time you saw a pair of gloves in the glove box? You know what this space is called, but it’s typically a great place for those small items you might need to reach while out on the road.
5. Your Car is On Your Car
Jeep has done it before with their Easter Eggs, and now Toyota has as well. The silhouette of the new Toyota Prius is found in several locations on this car. You’ll find one at the base of the camera and radar unit at the top of the windshield and also on either side of the dashboard. This second location is only visible when the front doors are open, which means most people might not ever know they are there unless we do you the favor of pointing them out.
6. The Prius Prime Uses Solar Power
Even though no automaker has harnessed enough solar power to completely power any car from the sun’s energy, the Prius Prim has a set of solar panels on the roof that can receive enough energy to power some of the accessories and the air conditioning system of this car. The solar panels can continue to soak up the sunlight energy while the car is parked, which adds to the electrified range of the PHEV version of this hybrid car.
7. The Light Signature Includes the Prius Name
The new Toyota Prius features LED headlights, much the same way that most other new vehicles give us. The unique shape and style of these lights could be enough to give us the desired appearance, but this Toyota has lights that include the name. Yes, the Prius name is found in detail within the LED headlights, offering a unique feature that some might not realize is there until they look a little closer.
8. That Name is Everywhere
In addition to the headlights, the Prius name can be found in other locations where you don’t normally expect to find it. While you should see the name on the rear hatch or possibly on the front fenders, you might not expect to find the name in the heater coils of the rear defroster. The name is there, and it can melt snow and ice in the shape of the letters. Another place you’ll see the car’s name is at the top of the A-pillar along the windshield sill.
9. Unique Rear Door Handles
You won’t find traditional rear door handles on the Toyota Prius. These handles are integrated into the window trim near the rear of the door. If you ever drove the Chevy Sonic or Spark, you’ll be familiar with these door handles, but most people will need some time to get used to these unique door handles. Removing the handles and putting them in this location helps to smooth out the body sides and gives you a specialized look on this new hybrid.
Are you going to choose a new Toyota Prius to drive? If so, start looking for all of these cool little Easter Eggs that make this hybrid more interesting than ever before.
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