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No other brand is as synonymous with hybrid technology as Toyota, and it has been continuously developing it for the last 25 years. That first Toyota hybrid was the Prius, and over subsequent generations the name served to showcase the best hybrid had to offer. This fifth-generation Prius uses a plug-in hybrid powertrain and features a striking exterior look defined by aerodynamic efficiency.
In the previous version of the Prius there were two distinctive designs for the standard hybrid Prius and the plug-in hybrid model. This time there is only one Prius model, which comes only as a PHEV in Europe.
Attractive design
A remarkable outer appearance is dominated by a shallow windscreen and roofline that gives the Prius an ultra-sleek profile. It is 50mm lower than its predecessor, with the roof’s highest point moving further rearward to emphasise a wedge-like shape. The Prius is built on the ‘GA-C’ platform of the Toyota New Global Architecture (TNGA), which allows for lower weight and increased rigidity and is the same base that underpins several other models in the range.
C-shaped headlights form what Toyota designers call the hammerhead motif and are a look that will carry through other new models from the brand. That design will surely divide opinion, but it’s clear that Toyota is sticking to its promise set out a few years ago of producing no more boring cars.
The Prius has a dramatic outward appearance to enable it to move through the air with less resistance, thus improving how efficiently it can operate. At the car’s rear, the Prius name is proudly spaced across the rear hatch. Another of the car’s neat design details is how the rear lights integrate into a black panel that dips into the rear bumper. With all that clean air flowing over the roof, Toyota decided not to fit a wiper to the rear window to give the car a cleaner look, but how clean it keeps the rear glass remains to be seen.
Compromised interior space
All that exterior sleekness does bring compromises inside, most notably the limited headroom, especially for passengers in the rear. Our test car was equipped with a solar roof that contains photovoltaic cells capable of adding a further eight kilometres of driving range to the battery in optimum conditions. However, this option isn’t available in Ireland. Sampling a car with the standard roof revealed a slight increase in headroom. However, it still falls short of what else is available in the segment, and that will also be disappointing news to taxi drivers for whom the Prius has become hugely popular.
Finding the right driving position isn’t too tricky as there is plenty of adjustment, though the seat could do with being able to move slightly lower, as the rakish windscreen and bulky rear-view mirror and its plastic surround - that covers the forward-facing camera and sensors - noticeably obstructs outward visibility, especially when trying to see traffic lights.
A seven-inch screen high up behind the steering wheel saves the need for a secondary head-up display as it is already mounted in the driver’s line of sight. At the dashboard’s centre is a 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment, with a bank of buttons below it for more frequently used functions. The centre console between the front seats is a slender affair, just wide enough to accommodate two cupholders towards the front, while the drive selector is small and straightforward to operate.
Electric power
The battery element of the plug-in hybrid system is a 13.6kWh lithium-ion unit located towards the rear of the car. When fully charged (which takes about four hours), it can provide enough energy for up to 71 kilometres of electric-only driving. Once you thumb the car’s start button, it will begin driving using that battery power to propel itself so long as there’s some charge available.
If you want to be extra sure only to use the battery, there is an EV mode that you can select; otherwise, it will revert to its hybrid setting either when the charge runs low, or you demand more power by pressing the accelerator. Do the latter and the 2.0-litre petrol engine sparks into life, providing a maximum power output of 223hp with both motors running simultaneously.
Not that the Prius pretends to be a sporty or an especially quick car, but it is now far more responsive than the previous versions, especially when accelerating to join a motorway. In the past, the car’s forward progression never matched the engine revs, but now the car almost feels like it has a conventional automatic transmission.
Good balance of comfort and control
The ride is every bit as smooth as the exterior lines, with the suspension doing an excellent job of soaking up surface imperfections.
Even with the hybrid mode in operation, in city driving conditions, the Prius uses its petrol engine sparingly, seemingly capable of travelling long distances either using the battery or recuperating energy back into it. When cruising along, it is almost whisper-quiet inside, and that remains true when the speed increases right up to motorway driving. All the while, the Toyota is nothing short of impressive at how little fuel, relatively speaking, it consumes.
The latest Prius is, without question, the best iteration to date, and all that stands in its way of being a huge hit is the €45,900 price tag, as that puts it up against some excellent fully electric cars. Of course, it’s horses for courses with these things, but nevertheless, the new Prius is Toyota doing hybrid at its best.