A new generation of the Toyota Prius is finally set to debut this Wednesday, November 16.
The 2023 Toyota Prius will mark the first complete redesign of this efficiency icon since the arrival of the Tesla Model 3, which is highly energy-efficient. The last time the Prius underwent a complete redesign was for the 2016 model year. Subsequently, an improved Prius Prime plug-in hybrid was introduced for 2017, followed by Prius AWD-e versions with all-wheel drive for 2019.
In recent years, the Prius has been overshadowed by the shift to fully electric vehicles and the trend toward crossovers. Additionally, the outgoing generation of the Prius was not well-received due to its heavily contoured body design.
So far, Toyota has only released a few teaser photos. The profile suggests that the Prius will maintain its highly aerodynamic shape and remain largely a passenger car. However, the profile hints at a much cleaner appearance, with a LED light bar across the rear and a more chiseled look enabled by the front lighting, bearing signs of the hybrid Crown that will replace the soon-to-be-discontinued Avalon.
Toyota has managed to keep all specifications and vital details of the new Prius under wraps. Although there have been many speculations about the direction of the Prius, the only clue we have received from Toyota about the upcoming Prius is that the hybrid versions are not going away. The Prime may not be the entire lineup, but it will be a broader focus for this high-efficiency model.
In recent years, Prius sales have declined, possibly due in part to its non-crossover nature and the shift to electric vehicles for environmentally conscious consumers. Toyota might be planning to revive the Prius as the innovative hybrid it once was. In terms of style, the look seems to be more evolutionary than revolutionary. More news is expected this week from the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show.
