2023 Toyota Prius hybrid feels familiar despite added power, new looks

What is it? 2023 Toyota Prius front- or all-wheel-drive, five-passenger hybrid hatchback.

Why should you consider it? It’s the car that began the electric revolution, adds power.

How much will it cost? Base price $27,450, excluding $1,095 destination charge.

When can you buy it? January.

DEL MAR, California – The 2023 Toyota Prius hybrid will arrive in January, boasting a major technical achievement and recasting of its aero-hatchback design, but the changes to the fifth generation of Toyota’s signature electrified small car feel incremental for a nameplate that once revolutionized the auto industry.

The 2023 Toyota Prius retains its aero-hatchback looks but adds dramatic flourishes and new proportions.

The 2023 Prius is 1.1 inches longer than the current model. A 2-inch lower roof contributes to sportier looks. It features a more advanced and powerful lithium ion battery and a new 2.0L gasoline engine for total output of 194 horsepower from front-wheel and 196 hp from all-wheel-drive models.

All-wheel-drive models cost $1,400 more and have an electric rear axle that’s not connected to the engine. The total power of the current Prius is 121 hp. It’s also available in FWD or AWD.

A plug-in hybrid Prius Prime model will join the lineup in spring. No details on price or electric range are available.

The new Prius also adds updated infotainment and safety and driver assist features.

It’s based on what Toyota calls the second generation of its TNGA C platform. TNGA stands for Toyota New Generation Architecture, an argument for platform names with adjectives like “new” that grow increasingly irrelevant over time.

NASCAR fans may recall how silly announcers sounded calling a car that had been competing for months and years the “Car of Tomorrow.”

The 2023 Toyota Prius's single-pane rear window improves visibility.

2023 Toyota Prius prices and trim levels

  • LE: $27,450
  • LE AWD: $28,850
  • XLE: $30,895
  • XLE AWD: $32,295
  • Limited: $34,465
  • Limited AWD: $35,865

Prices exclude $1,095 destination charge.

Source: Toyota

The 2023 Toyota Prius

Best features

Other 2023 Prius strengths are:

  • 12.3-inch touch screen. Available for $610 on XLE models, standard on Limited.
  • Four USB C and two USB B ports.
  • Standard JBL eight-speaker audio on Limited models.
  • Wireless phone charging in a convenient vertical niche.
  • Phone as key app.
  • Toyota’s virtual assistant for cloud-based navigation and other features.
  • Ability to receive over-the-air software updates.

Its 60%-plus power increase notwithstanding, Toyota says the Prius remains the most fuel efficient hybrid on the American market.

Preliminary fuel economy figures show the best model, should score 57 mpg city, 56 highway and 57 combined.

Some models of the 2023 Toyota Prius have a 12.3-inch touch screen.

The key combined figure is only one mpg better than the current Prius, but that’s an achievement in a vehicle that’s bigger, heavier, faster and more powerful.

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The least efficient 2023 Prius will be the AWD Limited model, at 49/50/49. Its combined 49 mpg combined figure matches the top AWD 2022 Prius.

2023 Toyota Prius estimated fuel economy

  • LE FWD: 57 mpg city/56 highway/57 combined
  • LE AWD: 53/54/54
  • XLE Limited: FWD 53/53/53
  • XLE Limited AWD: 49/50/49

Source: Toyota

The 2023 Toyota Prius grew longer and lower.

Driving impressions

I spent several hours driving a pair of 2023 Prius Limiteds — one FWD, the other AWD — and a 2022 Prius in beach towns and suburbs a few miles north of San Diego.

The additional power is immediately noticeable. Prius fans have always praised the electric motor’s instant torque, which provides good acceleration, but the little hybrid ran out of muscle pretty quickly after the initial push.

The weight-to-horsepower ratio of an AWD 2022 Prius Limited is 26.5 pounds. Despite being more than 100 pounds heavier, the 2023 AWD Prius Limited checks in at 17 pounds to horsepower. Hardly Hellcat territory, but a difference any driver will notice.

Zero to 60 mph time for the AWD model is 7 seconds. FWD 0-60 time falls to 7.2 seconds from the 2022’s glacial 9.8 seconds.

The 2023’s steering is responsive. Its suspension cushions bumpy surfaces. There’s little wind or road noise at highway speeds.

Toyota redesigned the 2023 Toyota Prius' seats for more comfort.

Driver assistance and safety features

  • Adaptive cruise control
  • Automatic high beams
  • Front collision alert with pedestrian, bicycle and motorcycle detection
  • Lane departure alert and assist
  • Lane keeping assist
  • Road sign recognition
  • Proactive Driving Assist
  • Emergency stop in case of incapacitated driver
The 2023 Toyota Prius' steering wheel blocked view of key instruments for many drivers.

Needs work: Gauge visibility and automatic braking

Toyota moved the instrument cluster from the center of the dashboard — above the audio and climate controls — to the more conventional location in front of the driver.

That sounds like a good idea, but I — and every driver I spoke to over 5 feet tall — found half of the cluster obscured by the steering wheel. The digits showing speed were visible, but trip odometer, fuel range and other common data were not. Adjusting the wheel to its lowest position helped, but at the cost of driver comfort.