Toyota has revealed its all-new Prius, featuring streamlined cab-forward styling and traditional powertrains. And the model has already been confirmed as a non-starter for the Australian market.
Toyota Australia has already that the model will not be offered locally, with the company saying that its other hybrid offerings already suitably fill the Prius’ void.
“Toyota Australia has no plans to introduce the new Prius to the Australian market,” Toyota Australia said in a statement issued to Drive.
“Over the past few years, we have substantially increased our hybrid offering with vehicles suited to Australian market conditions including Yaris, Yaris Cross, Corolla, C-HR and recently Corolla Cross.”
While there had been speculation that the next-gen Prius would be fully electric, that’s proven to not be the case. The brand has instead debuted the model with hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
The new Prius will be sold in Japan with either a 1.8-litre or 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol Series Parallel Hybrid, making 103kW and 144kW, respectively.
It will also be offered as a PHEV, where it combines a 2.0-litre engine with a 13.6kWh battery pack. It produces 164kW of power, and can accelerate to 100km/h in 6.7 seconds.
Toyota claims the model has 50% more pure electric range than the outgoing Prius Prime. Although it hasn’t specified an exact number, this suggests a range of approximately 70km per charge.
The new Prius is 4524mm long, 1782mm wide, and 1420mm tall with a 2750mm wheelbase. It is built on Toyota’s second generation TNGA architecture.
The model’s styling has been well received thus far. It combines elements from the brand’s Mirai hydrogen sedan, and the Crown unveiled earlier this year. The headlights in particular are consistent with its other BZ electrified projects.
Inside, the Prius features a 12.3-inch touchscreen, a 7.0-inch digital cluster, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, over-the-air update functionality, heated and cooled front seats, USB-C ports, a panoramic sunroof, automatic parking, a built-in dashcam, and more.
The Prius is set to launch in its home market in hybrid form by the end of this year, with the plug-in variant following in mid-2023.
