The new Prime has a 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds. Not bad at all.
ToyotaThe 2023 Toyota Prius is here with a new design, up to 196 hp, and up to 57 mpg. But, as the hardcore fan probably knows, there’s an even more efficient version. Like the previous-generation car, the new Prius also offers a plug-in hybrid version called the Prime. Toyota unveiled the updated model Wednesday night, and this time around, it makes 220 hp.
Unlike the standard Prius, the new Prime can also be recharged off a wall outlet to provide all-electric driving. There’s no official figure for how far the 2023 Prius Prime can go before kicking on its 2.0-liter gas-burning engine, but Toyota says that range should be up 50 percent over the 2022 model. That car can go up to 25 miles on electric power alone, so by our math, the new model should be good for around 37 or 38 miles of EV range.
To eek out a few extra inches of range, the Prius Prime will again offer an optional solar roof. Toyota doesn’t say how much power the roof-mounted photovoltaic cells provide, but traditionally solar roof designs add only a couple of miles of range per day in ideal conditions. So expect that gas motor to still be a regular part of Prius usage. Given that the standard Prius gets 57 mpg without any help from the wall, though, even when you don’t charge it, the Prime should have great gas mileage.
This one will also be a lot quicker than previous Priuses. Thanks to the nearly 100-hp power gain, 0-60 happens in 6.6 seconds. It wasn’t too long ago that hot hatches took that long to hit highway speeds. Once you’ve merged, you can also use the full suite of driver-assistance features that come standard on the Prime. These include all the standard Toyota Safety Sense things like collision braking and auto high beams, but also new improvements like lane-change assistant, front cross-traffic alert, a proactive system that slows for curves under certain conditions, and a new traffic jam assistant.
Inside, you can get a 12.3-inch screen, wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, wifi, onboard music streaming, a voice assistant, and Google point-of-interest search. Toyota also says luggage capacity has increased, good for those who use their Priuses as low-cost road trip machines.
Toyota says we can expect to hear about full pricing and release timing early next year.
Keyword: The 2023 Toyota Prius Prime Gets 220 HP, 50 Percent More Electric Range