2023 Toyota Prius Shames Its Predecessor's Acceleration Performance
The 2023 Toyota Prius isn’t just prettier than its predecessor; its straight-line performance is also considerably better.The new front-wheel-drive Prius we tested hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds, making it 3.4 seconds quicker than its older equivalent.The Prius’s improved acceleration comes with an enhanced hybrid powertrain that produces a lot more horsepower.
Welcome to Car and Driver’s Testing Hub, where we zoom in on the test numbers. We’ve been pushing vehicles to their limits since 1956 to provide objective data to bolster our subjective impressions (you can see how we test here). A more comprehensive review of the 2023 Toyota Prius can be found here.
In what world is a hybrid’s straight-line performance important? Welcome to Car and Driver! Thanks for stopping by. For those who haven’t heard, the new fifth-generation Toyota Prius is preparing to hit the streets, and we’ve already subjected it to our signature series of track tests. The results speak volumes: Toyota’s proverbial hybrid is not only a lot prettier, but it’s a lot quicker, too. The 2023 Prius hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds—a noteworthy 3.4 ticks ahead of its predecessor, which took a pitifully slow 10.5 seconds to hit that mark.
Prius Palate Cleanser
Before we compare the rest of the new Prius’s test numbers with those of the old one, let’s reset the deck. The 2023 Toyota Prius kickstarts a new generation with a makeover that most people with two working eyes would call attractive at worst and drop-dead gorgeous at best. (The latter likely applies to owners of one or more of the previous generations). While the hybrid hatchback’s visual shift from dorky to sexy is a hot topic of conversation, here at Car and Driver, we like to offset subjective musing with objective testing.
Underneath the Prius’s hot new bod is an enhanced hybrid powertrain. As with the outgoing versions, the incoming ones are still available with front- or all-wheel drive. Along with switching from a nickel-metal-hydride battery to a lithium-ion pack, the Prius’s gas-fed engine goes from a 1.8-liter four-cylinder to a larger 2.0-liter four-pot.
The growth spurt in engine displacement brings a big bump in horsepower too, with output rising from 121 total horses to between 194 and 196 combined ponies for the front- and all-wheel-drive models, respectively. There’s also a new plug-in-hybrid Prius Prime that headlines with 220 horsepower (also up from 121 hp), but we haven’t yet had the chance to test one.
Quickest Prius We’ve Ever Tested (So Far)
The only 2023 Prius we’ve strapped our test gear to so far is a top-spec Limited trim with front-wheel drive. For comparison’s sake, that setup most closely corresponds with the 2017 Prius Three (same front-drive configuration) we tested several years back.
Despite some increased dimensions and the addition of upgraded equipment, the new Prius isn’t much heavier than before. The 2023 example tipped our scales at 3199 pounds, a reasonable 86 pounds more than the 3113-pound 2017 version. The new Prius still carries about 60 percent of its curb weight up front.
As we revealed earlier, the new Prius hit 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. That’s an unremarkable time when taken out of context. However, compared with the 10.5 ticks the old Prius needed to reach the mile-per-minute mark, that 3.4-second improvement is cause for celebration—at least among folks who extol the joy of driving.
The new Prius proved significantly quicker in our other acceleration tests, too. Its quarter-mile time dropped more than two seconds, from 17.8 seconds at 79 mph to 15.5 seconds at 92 mph. The 2023 model should also reduce any lingering anxiety when executing passes on the highway, as the hybrid now accelerates from 50 to 70 mph in 5 seconds flat (2.1 seconds quicker than before).
Marc Urbano|Car and Driver
On the rare occasions a new Prius driver wants to seek speeds in triple-digit territory, it’s remarkable how much quicker they can do it. We hit 100 mph in 18.8 seconds. That’s an incredible 11.7 seconds quicker than its predecessor, which took 30.5 ticks. The old car also needed 43.2 seconds to reach 110 mph; the new one did the deed in 24.4 seconds.
More Prius Tests to Come
The last all-wheel-drive Prius we tested was three-tenths slower to 60 mph (10.8 seconds) than its front-drive counterpart, which suggests the new all-wheel-drive version might not be quicker either. Still, we’ll have to wait until we test one to find out. The same goes for the new Prius Prime; the outgoing example we tested took 10.3 seconds to hit 60 mph.
For now, the new front-drive 2023 Prius is the quickest Prius we’ve ever tested. Only time will tell if the hybrid’s newfound speed will require sacrifices at the fuel pump. Toyota claims the new Prius is more efficient than the last, targeting an EPA-rated 57 mpg combined versus the previous high of 56 mpg combined. However, we’ll see if our real-world fuel-economy test says differently. Stay tuned.
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