See all New Car Reviews
Pros: sporty looks, impressive efficiency, excellent quality
Cons: small boot, may be expensive
Ever since Toyota launched the first Prius, some 26 years ago, it has headed its line-up of hybrid cars, standing apart as the one optimised for economy first and foremost. That has sometimes resulted in comprised looks, which buyers didn’t seem to care about. Now, however, there’s a new Prius on the way, and Toyota has reinvented it as a car many will buy just because it looks so good.
Toyota Prius Design
The sleek new Prius is the first Toyota to feature the brand’s new ‘hammerhead’ design motif up front, named after the shark and describing the shape of the nose, including the distinctive lighting. It’s low and quite sporty in appearance. That’s matched by a smooth glasshouse truncated by an upright rear, featuring an attractive and modern lightbar across the back. Irish cars will all sit on 19-inch wheels as standard, further enhancing their visual allure. All this detailing would be less effective if it weren’t for the change in the proportions. In comparison to the previous Prius, the new one is 50mm lower, 20mm wider and it has 50mm more in the wheelbase, as well.
Toyota Prius Interior
That lengthened wheelbase means more rear legroom than before, and adults will find the outer two seats comfortable with plenty of headroom, too. The middle-seat occupant must contend with a modest hump in the floor. Those rear seats split and fold down flat if the boot needs expanding – it holds only 284 litres otherwise.
Up front, the Prius is modern and of high quality and as in its predecessor it gets a unique steering wheel and instrumentation layout. It’s easier to get on with than before, however, and the new touchscreen is a particular highlight. We’re glad to see that Toyota has retained physical controls for the heating and ventilation, however, and there’s a useful amount of storage dotted around the cabin.
Toyota Prius Performance & Drive
While the previous-generation Prius was available in plug-in hybrid and ‘regular’ hybrid guises, the new one will only be sold as a plug-in hybrid in this part of the world. The logic is that there are enough regular hybrids in the Toyota line-up already. The Prius gets a new powertrain, however, using a familiar recipe. Under the bonnet is a 2.0-litre petrol engine, e-CVT automatic gearbox and an electric motor. Working together, the engine and motor can produce up to 223hp, sent to the front wheels, though the car is more refined when you’re not seeking every one of those horses out.
At the time of writing, the electric range of the new Prius has yet to be confirmed, but on our test drive, we managed 60 kilometres on a fully-charged battery before the engine kicked in. It’s a very quiet car, even when the engine is running (so long as you’re not accelerating hard), and makes for a relaxing way to cover large distances.
Saying that, the Prius has an ace up its sleeve in terms of the driving experience, as it’s genuinely good fun on a twisty road thanks to excellent body control and direct steering. It’s no hot hatch, but owners will certainly enjoy taking the long way home every now and then.
Toyota Prius Pricing
Toyota has yet to confirm pricing for the new Prius. We do know that it will be sold in one high-spec trim level with 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery and lots of other equipment as standard – including the latest generation of Toyota’s excellent package of safety features. Its low emissions will mean annual motor tax of just €140.
Carzone Verdict: 4/5
Our test drive of a pre-production version of the new Toyota Prius indicates that the car shows a lot of promise. It looks fantastic, it has a high-quality interior, it drives well and it’s also incredibly efficient. All that remains to be seen is its price.