Anthony on Autos: 2023 Toyota Prius Prime XSE

by  Anthony Fongaro - photos via Toyota- 06/30/2023

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Since its introduction, the Toyota Prius was known for being an efficient hatchback, and screw traditional styling! Toyota had created a few generations of their popular hybrid, but it wasn’t what you would call a looker. Especially in Prime plug-in hybrid form, it was one of the ugliest cars inside and out. That’s all changed. Toyota pulled a fast one on everyone when they revealed the 2023 Toyota Prius. Now, the Prius is pretty! How does that change the ethos of the Prius Prime?

“No way that’s the Prius!”! When the spy photos emerged on this current-generation Prius, I thought it was a joke. There’s no way that a Prius could look this good. Surprise surprise, this sleek body is a Prius and Prius Prime. The front end is the best part of the new Prius Prime, with angular lights, a deep windshield, and a decent-sized grille. At the side, the silhouette shows a more curved body, with this vehicle in Wind Chill Pearl white paint and 18-inch wheels. Although there are traditional door handles for the driver and front passenger, the rear has recessed door handles which are more style than function. At the rear is a full-length light bar. Prius is spelled across the hatch with a small Prime badge. If this wasn’t wearing a Toyota badge, you’d never know that this is a Prius. My only exterior complaint: no rear windshield wiper!

The interior also sees a drastic change but looks more like a conventional Toyota. Unfortunately, this also includes Toyota’s new gauge cluster and steering wheel. The steering wheel is below the small instrument display and is bombarded with buttons. I was never able to fully see the display without the steering wheel being in an uncomfortable position. It was so low I usually obstructed a bit of the display so I could only see the speed. As with other Toyotas, you can get Toyota’s new 12.3-inch infotainment system and it works quite well. You can use Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The display is good but the back-up camera looks about ten years old. Climate control functions are buttons and switches, thank you Toyota. 

While previous Prius’ had wacky interiors, Toyota decided to give the Prius its gear selector and switchgear. Red accents around the cabin and comfortable seats gave a splash of color. These seats were heated, and stepping up to the XSE Premium comes with ventilated seats. As a future taxi or ride-share vehicle, the Prius compromises style with space. The body slopes around the rear, which decreases the headroom. Thankfully, this XSE had an optional fixed roof. Similar to the rear-passenger space, the handsome rear end hides a smaller-looking trunk. XSE Premium comes with a power-operated tailgate which would have been nice to have since the tailgate is quite heavy.

There are so many changes, but the biggest one is under the hood. Not only has the engine size increased to a 2-liter engine, but the Prius Prime also utilizes two motors. This means the engine now creates 220 horsepower and 139 lb-ft. That’s almost 100 more than the previous generation! Such a drastic increase in power means the Prius is now competitive. Utilizing front-wheel-drive and a CVT, the Prius Prime now does 0-60 MPH in 6.5 seconds. That’s more than three seconds quicker than the previous generation! When you turn the Prius Prime on, it defaults to EV mode unless you don’t have any juice. 

This brings me to more buttons and an oddity. The buttons’ functions change depending on if you press or press and hold. The same button to put the Prime into its hybrid mode also activates EV Charge. EV Charge does what it says, using the engine to charge the battery. It charges the battery quicker than I imagined. You’ll also see a button that can automatically switch between hybrid and EV modes. Including the usual PRND, once you’re in D, you can select B mode. This mode gives a little more regenerative braking but Toyota doesn’t allow you to have the Prius in B and use adaptive-cruise control. I don’t understand this since every other PHEV I’ve driven with a special drive function can utilize adaptive cruise control.

That isn’t the end of the world, since there are a few drive modes including Eco, Normal, Sport, and Individual. I tried Sport and the Prius felt properly quick, although I kept it in Normal. Combining Eco with enough battery, the fuel economy is even more impressive at over 55 MPG. Claims for the EV-only range are over 30 miles and during my trip, I’d say that’s accurate. Driving around, the Prius is comfortable and simple to use. Funny enough, I never plugged in the Prime because I used that EV Charge mode. With a full tank, the Prius Prime was showing over 450 miles. 

There were a few options for the XSE which begs the question of whether should you go for top-of-the-line XSE Premium. These options included the fixed panoramic roof, upgraded infotainment system, and a few more options. A base SE starts at $32,000 with the XSE starting at $35,000. Options brought the Prius Prime to a little over $40,000. For a few thousand more with options, the XSE Premium can have rear heated seats, a solar roof, and ventilated seats. I would still stick with the XSE with most of the options on here. 

Wow, Toyota, slow clap for the new 2023 Prius Prime. What an absolute difference! Toyota created a beautiful, stylish, and quick Prius. It has plenty of range, plenty of power, and a nice interior. I still say that the steering wheel and small instrument cluster are odd, but you get used to it. I can’t wait to see these around Chicago as Taxis, Ubers, and Lyfts. It’ll be interesting to see people get used to the rear handles and less headroom than the previous generation. Still, this Prius isn’t just a good Prius, but a good PHEV in general.