Toyota Prius Hybrid: not for Europe, but interesting

Since its introduction in 1997, the first-generation Toyota Prius has sold 5.05 million units worldwide across four generations. Its sales performance, however, is not the main reason why the Prius claims a significant place in Toyota’s history. The first generation Prius was the first car with a hybrid powertrain to go into series production. The third generation of the Toyota Prius was the first to come on the market with plug-in hybrid technology in addition to a regular electric powertrain. The outgoing generation Prius was also available as a Hybrid and as a Plug-in Hybrid, although Toyota chose to give those two cars a considerably different appearance. The brand new Toyota Prius only comes to Europe as a Plug-in Hybrid, but it does also have a regular Hybrid!

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (left) can hardly be distinguished from the Hybrid (right).

Visible differences

Toyota is moving away from the visual dichotomy in the Prius range and giving the Prius Plug-in Hybrid and the Hybrid the same body. The two engine versions can hardly be distinguished from each other from the outside. Just like the Prius Hybrid, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid has a fuel filler flap at the rear left behind which hides the filler cap of the petrol tank. What the Prius Hybrid of course does not have is a flap with a loading opening behind it. With the Prius Plug-in Hybrid you will find it at the rear right. The plug-in Prius has lights in the center of the rear bumper that display the charging status. On the right side of the tailgate of the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is the PHEV designation, with the regular hybrid Prius it simply says HEV, short for Hybrid Electric Vehicle.

Tiny difference: no charging indicator in the rear bumper and a different type designation.

Powertrain Toyota Prius Hybrid

The outgoing generation Toyota Prius Hybrid always had a powertrain consisting of a 1.8-liter petrol engine and an electric motor. The 1.8 was good for 98 hp and together with the electric motor for a system power of 122 hp. Things look different in the new hybrid Prius. The Toyota Prius Hybrid will soon be available as a 1.8 Hybrid and a 2.0 Hybrid, just like the Corolla, for example. The new Toyota Prius 1.8 Hybrid has a system power of 140 hp and reaches a speed of 100 km / h in 9.3 seconds. This makes the ‘lightest’ version about 15 percent stronger than the outgoing model. That ‘old’ Prius 1.8 Hybrid took 10.8 seconds for the 0-100 sprint.

The Prius Hybrid has a smaller battery pack than the Plug-in Hybrid. It’s under the back seat.

The brand new Prius 2.0 Hybrid goes over that, because it delivers a system power of 193 hp and therefore trumps the previous Prius 1.8 Hybrid. In 7.5 seconds, the new Prius 2.0 Hybrid accelerates to a speed of 100 km / h, making it the fastest accelerating Prius ever after the 223 hp Prius Hybrid Plug-in. Toyota does not yet release consumption figures, but it does say that despite the higher power, the new Prius Hybrid is expected to be at least as economical as the outgoing model (manufacturer’s specification: 4.2 l/100 km).

The Prius Hybrid that you may still find in the Toyota showrooms until the arrival of the new Prius (Plug-in Hybrid), has never been available with Toyota’s E-Four/AWD-e four-wheel drive in the Netherlands. In the United States and Japan, however, you could get such a version and the new Prius Hybrid is also available with the system again. However, do not expect violent off-road characteristics, the E-Four system is mainly intended for driving away on a slippery surface, for example.

As mentioned, the new Toyota Prius will only come to the Netherlands as a Plug-in Hybrid. Would you prefer one of the Hybrid versions over the Plug-in Hybrid? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments.