Toyota wowed us with a new look of the Prius late last year, but they didn’t tell us we’d see impressive power in the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime.
The regular Prius showed up with enough of a power boost to make us smile and enjoy the new look. Gone are the days of the Prius offering under 130 horsepower and plodding along with only fuel savings in mind. The regular model now makes 196 or 198 horsepower depending on whether you’ve got an FWD or AWD model, but the Prime takes things to a whole new level.
What’s this new level of power?
The Prius Prime uses the same 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine as the basis for power as the regular Prius. The difference between them is the addition of a larger battery pack and the plug-in hybrid qualities. This gives the Prime model 220 horsepower and the ability to hit 60 mph in only 6.6 seconds. Considering this is the fifth generation Prius, that’s a crazy number. When the batteries are fully charged, the electric driving range is 37 miles, which could be enough to handle most of your weekly errands.
The Prius Prime has a special trick
The new 2023 Toyota Prius Prime features an option most owners should choose. This option is a solar-panel roof which charges the hybrid battery while parked at your office during the day. This feature also offers energy for several of the car’s accessories while driving. This could be a handy item to add to this car and might help you squeeze out a few more miles of all-electric driving, especially if you’ve left the car sitting in the sun during the day. With this solar roof, you won’t go looking for the shady spot in the parking lot.
This Toyota is a bit sportier
Instead of giving you the L-line of trims, the Prime model leans toward sportiness with the SE, XSE, and XSE Premium trims. Toyota gives the Prime a sporty suspension to ensure a bit more fun and active driving when desired. That said, you’ll still find an impressive level of comfort and ride quality when you get behind the wheel. The Proactive Driving Assist feature detects objects in your potential path while cornering and adjusts the steering and throttle to avoid hitting those obstacles, making your drive safer.
The Toyota style changes are certainly welcome
The Prius has finally evolved into a car we want to drive. The new Toyota Prius Prime brings stylish looks, a sporty stance, and long clean lines. There’s still a hint of the expected wedge shape that we’ve seen since the first Prius arrived, but it’s only a hint.
The cabin has never been the strong suit for the Prius until now. Finally, Toyota put the driver information display in front of the driver instead of being over the center console where it’s hard to see. This change gives the dashboard a contemporary appearance that’s perfect and offers an easy look at the rest of the improved interior of this car.
A few favorite features of the Prius Prime
Infotainment Systems
The Prime model includes wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto in every trim, and it has six USB-C ports to ensure everyone can keep their devices plugged in and charged up. This impressive PHEV now has a larger touchscreen than before, voice control, wireless charging, and over-the-air updates. This isn’t your parents Toyota Prius.
Traffic Jam Assist
When you’re stuck in slow traffic during rush hour, the Toyota Prius Prime can take some of the driving stress away from you. The Traffic Jam Assist feature works at speeds up to 25 mph to handle the throttle, brakes, and steering for you. All you’ve got to do is continue to focus on the road ahead.
Digital Key
If you’ve got an authorized smartphone, you’ve got access to your Prius Prime. Forget the key fob; your phone turns into your key and gives you easy access. This is great when you forget your keys and leave in a hurry, or you want to keep your keys in your purse and only use your phone, which is already in your hand anyway.
Advanced Park
This feature is only available for the XSE Premium trim, but it gives you a hands-free parking feature that works great and takes the stress out of parking your car. Choose your parallel or perpendicular parking spot and let your Toyota Prius Prime do the rest.
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