ALL-NEW 2023 TOYOTA PRIUS PREVIEWED IN JAPAN
Just in time for the 21st century. That’s the tagline for the 5th generation Toyota Prius, which is also the oldest mass produced hybrid car having first been seen 26 years ago in 1997. The car was the first hybrid most people had heard of, and it soon became the butt of tree-hugger and hippie driver jokes thanks to it being all about saving the planet. If only more embraced the technology back then, the planet would admittedly be in a much better state. The nameplate also makes more sense all these years down the line, Prius comes from Latin and translates to ‘to go before’, which it has done with total worldwide sales of the range being over 5 000 000 units. Usually when old nameplates are released as all-new models, there’s a host of visual and tech changes but a lot of the underpinnings remain the same. In the case of the 2023 Prius the techs started from scratch and so it’s a true all-new model under the Hybrid Reborn concept.
The new Prius looks good, but any change to the very familiar car would be good. Even with the sleeker and tighter ;ines, it still casts the almost unmistakable silhouette of a Prius. The hybrid is lower, rolls on larger 19-inch wheels, and has some great looking lighting on both ends. Inside it’s spacious and features black throughout which means it’s going to be perfect for ride sharing companies. The Prius can be had in eight paint shades, so there should be something for everyone. There will be the powertrains available, a 2.0-litre Plug-in Hybrid System and a 2.0-liter and also 1.8-litre Series Parallel Hybrid System. The 2.0-litre Plug-in Hybrid System is no slouch with 164 kW on tap and the ability to hit 100 km/h in 6.7-seconds. It can also do this while being capable of more range, 50% more than the outgoing version. The two Series Parallel Hybrid System powertrains offer up 144 kW for the 2.0-litre version, which is 1.6 times higher than before. This version comes with the latest E-Four system with a high-output motor, it offers improved uphill performance on low-friction road surfaces, like snow-covered roads, and greater stability when turning.
The car is set to be a hit, with new styling and a massive list of new tech features the model may just attract new buyers. The weird stigma these cars had will no longer exist because the reality of climate change is widely known with irrefutable proof, so people who previously overlooked a Prius as daily transportation may take a closer look. There's no word as to if the catalytic converters are still easy to get to though. They're the most sought after ones for bad guys to steal because they've done less work to filter the dodgy stuff thanks to the hybrid setup of the car and so even old ones are nearly new and so the platinum, palladium, or rhodium is still very usable.
Take a look at the YouTube video showing the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius parading up and down to show ioff it's new lines and rather good-looking styling: All-new 2023 Prius previewed in Japan - Hybrid Reborn | CWM
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