The new Toyota Prius is on the cards for a global launch in 2023. It has always had that turtle like personality “taking things slow and saving the planet, slowly but surely”.
This will be the 5th-generation Prius and boy are you in for a surprise. The new 2023 Prius will be more powerful, pushing out between 145kW and 165kW and will be slightly more fuel efficient than the outgoing model. New features also includes hands-free driving and solar panels which will assist to harvest energy that can be stored. Acceleration has also improved with a 0-100km/h times claimed at between 6.6sec to 7.2sec
The new Toyota Prius are more elegantly styled with a dash of sportiness, which is without a doubt a departure from the current styling of the Prius. Elegantly styled front and rear LED lights adds to the modern styling. The new Prius is also a bit lower than before, but wider in stance, which visually takes it to another level.
The engine capacity has also been increased from a 1.8-litre unit to a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine. All Priuses will now be utilizing a lithium-ion battery pack replacing the old nickel-metal-hydride pack. The lithium-ion batteries are better at storing energy and also lasts longer than the nickel batteries before they need to be replaced. The new electric motor is a new permanent-magnet synchronous unit which replaces the old rear-axle mounted setup. Range of the new battery is claimed at around 60 kilometers but this will all depend on driving conditions and driving style.
Toyota is heading in the right direction with the new Prius but now has some stiff competition to deal with. The Chinese manufactures are becoming a force to be reckoned with in the Hybrid and Plug-in Hybrid markets globally with the likes of the HAVAL H6 Hybrid and Jolion Hybrid as well as Chery Hybrid offerings which has not reached SA’s shores yet. You would say that, yes but those Chinese offerings are SUV’s and you would be right. So the Prius is basically in a class of its own and unfortunately in the dying sedan segment.
Maybe a Prius Crossover should be the way to go.
