Toyota Prius Prime 2023 is a plug-in hybrid version of Regular hybrid Prius 2023 launched earlier this year. It shares that vehicle’s striking new shape, which has wowed reviewers and shoppers alike.
Prime adds a much larger battery that can be plugged into the grid to recharge—giving it an estimated combined EPA electric range of up to 44 miles for the base SE or 39 miles for the XSE and XSE. higher level (and heavier) Premium decoration. It’s rated at 51 mpg combined in hybrid mode with a depleted battery for the SE model, 47 mpg for the XSE and XSE Premium—less than the regular hybrid, which has ratings between 49 and 57 mpg. .
It’s a stealthy EV, unlike the previous generation that was visually distinct. Thirty-five to 40 miles is useful all-electric range, and more powerful electric motors—120 kilowatts (161 hp) rated power—to keep up with traffic without lightly pedaling accelerator pedal to avoid triggering the engine. That 2.0-liter engine makes 150 horsepower, but unlike the regular hybrid, optional all-wheel drive isn’t available.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota will sell all the new-generation Prius Prime it needs to comply with state and federal emissions requirements and zero-emissions vehicle sales requirements. How adept its salesman is explain plug-in hybrid to shoppers newly attracted to the Prius by its good looks is still to be seen.
But the bigger question is whether Toyota’s new Prius Prime can surpass the most competent and attractive compact plug-in hybrid passenger car: the second generation. Chevrolet Volt 2016-2019, launched more than seven years ago with a 53-mile EPA range. The Volt was killed in 2019 General Motors as it prepares for the future of Ultium battery electric vehicles—which we’ve mostly been waiting for.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Prius . plug-in hybrid history
The new Prime is actually the third generation of the Prius delivered with a plug. The 2012-15 Prius Plug-In Hybrid has a 4.4-kilowatt-hour battery pack, large enough to qualify for a federal tax credit, and a range of just 11 miles by EPA standards—although its electric-only power is so low that the motor had to turn on at 6 o’clock, halfway through the EPA’s easy test cycle.
Then come Prius Prime 2017, which looks quite different from its conventional hybrid sibling, with 8.8 kWh for a 25-mile range. Commendable, it only works as an EV as long as the battery has more charge than the regular hybrid version. We now have the new 2023 Prius Prime, with a 13.6 kWh battery for a range of 39 to 44 miles, coming to dealers in May.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Prius Prime Design and Style
While the old Prius Prime had a lot of design differences from its plain old hybrid sibling – whose looks didn’t get good reviews, charity speaking – the new Prius Prime is exactly the same. regular hybrid version. Prius fans will notice the charging port door on the right rear flank, a different wheel design, and a slightly different front bottom bezel. That’s it.
Toyota executives told Green Car Reports that the lack of differentiation was intentional. The idea was to put the Prime version at the top of the Prius line-up, rather than trying to make it a separate and distinct model like the previous model.
Given the low expected volume, that seems reasonable. Toyota says the number for the first year of the new Prius will be 30,000, of which Prime makes up 30% of that, or up to 10,000. For all of 2024, it expects those numbers to grow to 50,000 and 15,000. Given that 240,000 Prius in four different models were sold ten years ago, that’s a bit of a joke.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
We drove two Prius Primes in and around the San Diego suburb of Carlsbad. One is the top-end XSE Premium, while the other is the mid-range XSE. Both are estimated at 39 miles in the combined EPA range, but given the range of drive modes, acceleration tests, and other driving variations, we can’t say for certain. reasonable or not. Experience with the previous generation Prime suggests perhaps so.
Prius Prime EV’s acceleration: enough to shock a car
On the road, acceleration in electric mode is quick, especially at 30 mph. We were able to surprise a truck friend in a pickup truck that was raised very loudly when the lights came on. The accelerator that prevents the driver from accidentally activating the engine-on mode is solid, and the electric motors are powerful enough to spin the front wheel inside while accelerating around a bend.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Unfortunately, the regenerative braking doesn’t feel any stronger than the regular Prius hybrid brakes, despite the much larger package. Only on downhill sections is resilience significantly increased as the car holds itself at a set speed. But despite the Prime’s all-electric nature in EV mode, nothing comes close to heavy-duty reproduction, let alone single-pedal driving.
Even so, the larger pack will accumulate significantly more charge downhill than conventional hybrids. We actually achieved 10 percent battery range, or about 4 miles of all-electricity, in the few miles downhill of the driving route.
A jarring transition to gas
In general, Prius Prime 2023 operates quite like a regular car in electric mode. That is admirable. But it made the transition to a hybrid all the more jarring after the more than 30 miles we went on battery power alone.
In hybrid mode, the Prius Prime is comfortably quiet while walking around town. The sound of an engine was far away, somewhere in the nose. If it turns on at a steady rate when the battery runs out, that’s not noticeable. However, when accelerating up a short ramp on a ramp, the sound picks up quickly—though without the shrill or desperate sound of previous generations.
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
However, especially after the EV ran silently with only some whine from the powertrain, that engine’s roar was particularly shrill. It took about 10 miles to acclimatize, as memories of the quiet, electric-only propulsion faded.
Our two Prius Primes both showed a cumulative average of 3.1 mph, although we weren’t able to see the previous driving cycles those miles went through. And we appreciate the Hill Hold feature that keeps the brakes engaged after stopping — although we found it annoying to have to re-engage after every power cycle.
Does the new Prius shape affect cabin comfort?
The fifth-generation Prius is still a striking, beautiful car, whose project team deliberately sacrificed a few points of aerodynamic drag—and perhaps, some practicality—to get attractive shape now. Toyota’s marketers are taking full advantage of the new and unexpected humour, with ads tagged with, “Prius: Now a Look” and “Prius: Now Rebel. “
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
We’re not sure if it’s really rebellious, but its steep windshield—at a 21.6-degree angle—still requires a hand propping up against the pole and a swinging motion to get into the driver’s seat without being hit. head. Inside, passengers sit low and some drivers complain about how difficult it is to find adjustments to the seats and steering wheel so they can see the instrument cluster — at the base of the windshield — without the wheels rubbing against their feet. .
Powertrain aside, pretty much every comment we make in First driving report on the regular 2023 Prius hybrid applies to Prime. You will miss it in the parking lot unless you happen to see it plugged in.
Will the owner plug them in? Toyota has no previous plug-in data to share, although (as before) it has promised to investigate the question.
Prius Prime vs Used Volt?
So… back to that Chevy Volt. More than seven years after GM launched its second-generation plug-in hybrid hatchback — and four years after it was discontinued — has Toyota built a better Volt?
In scope, the answer is no. The Volt has an EPA-rated 53-mile departure; all but the basic Prius Prime are 27% lower. Furthermore, the Volt remains fully electric even when accelerating from foot to floor if its battery pack is charged; The Prius Prime will start its engine in those cases.
In terms of looks, we must say that the Prius wins. The second-generation Volt is beautiful and attractive, but the 2023 Prius Prime still gets approval for its simply amazing shape, which has been reviewed and commented on in our tests. .
Toyota Prius Prime 2023
Would Volt owners looking to replace their six-year-old cars find the Prius Prime an attractive entry? Maybe. But a full decade after Toyota’s first Prius with a plug, we can’t help but feel that the company still doesn’t really want to make electric cars. Although it has committed to invest $35 billion in battery-powered vehicles by 2030 — the same amount as General Motors — its first electric vehicle, the bZ4X compact SUV makes a poor impression, hard to come by. could enable Toyota to design attractive electric vehicles.
After delivering our Prius Prime, one last thought came to mind: As a battery-powered model, the Prius Prime EV would be a much better vehicle than the bZ4X. It will have more range and its attractive looks will attract a new group of buyers looking for an EV—and keep the Prius name relevant.
That’s right, the 2023 Toyota Prius Prime is a good plug-in hybrid. But with less range and less performance than the Volt of seven years ago, it’s not a great plug-in hybrid.
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Toyota provided airfare, accommodation and meals so Green Car Reports brings you this first-person driving report.
