We live in a wacky world. Elon Musk owns Twitter, there’s an ongoing war between Russia and the Ukraine, Donald Trump is running for president again, and the all-new 2023 Toyota Prius looks like a million bucks. That’s right, Toyota Prius and ‘attractive’ can now be used in the same sentence non-ironically for the first time ever. Let’s dive into that design. Where the outgoing model had a forward-leaning stance with a face that only a mother could love, the new one takes a cab-rearward approach and what Toyota calls a “one-motion silhouette” to give it a far sleeker and perhaps sexier shape. There are 19-inch wheels, hidden rear door handles, clean lines, and a contrasting panoramic glass roof.
The specs are also improved for both the hybrid and the plug-in hybrid Prime. The Prius hybrid will be available in front- or all-wheel drive with either 194 or 196 horsepower, respectively. The most efficient model, the LE FWD, will achieve an estimated 57 mpg combined. That’s only 1 mpg better than the outgoing car, but it brings 121 more horsepower, so can you really complain? Both it and the Prime are powered by a 2.0L naturally-aspirated 4-cylinder, but the latter’s battery is larger and the power output skyrockets to 220 horsepower. Electric-only range is expected to come in around 40 miles, but it will be front-wheel drive-only.
More on the 2023 Toyota Prius and Prius Prime here.