Toyota Prius - Engines, performance & drive

Before driving the Toyota Prius for the first time in the UK, various Toyota representatives used words like ‘responsiveness’, ‘agility’ and ‘dynamic’ to describe what to expect of the new car – not the usual superlatives you’d traditionally ascribe to the Prius. The platform of the Prius is the second generation of Toyota’s ‘TNGA’ architecture that underpins the Corolla and C-HR. 

The first thing you notice when getting into the Prius is the low roofline. It tapers from the front to an apex point behind the heads of the front occupants, all in the name of aerodynamics. This not only gives the car a wedge-like profile from the outside, but the driving position has more than an air of sportiness about it with a small wheel and a driver’s display above it (not dissimilar to Peugeot’s I-Cockpit, but we found Toyota’s to fit us better). 

The 13.6kWh battery sits beneath the rear seats ‘to keep weight distribution low” according to Toyota – although a more likely reason is that’s the neatest place to put it. 

The latest Prius comes with a sophisticated powertrain, a 2.0-litre petrol engine providing 150bhp and an electric motor with 161bhp for a combined output of 223bhp. That’s over 100bhp more than the old Prius PHEV, and nearly puts it in hot hatch territory. We found the transition between the two powertrains to be silky smooth.

As you’d expect, there’s a selection of different modes to provide the most efficient driving depending on the circumstances. Charge mode replenishes the battery via the petrol unit on the move, EV mode makes the Prius run on electric-only power (for up to 53 miles), and hybrid mode combines the two – utilising each power source when needed. For optimal efficiency, use Eco mode, and if you want snappier acceleration, choose the Power mode. 

Compared to the family hatchback-based plug-in hybrid rivals previously mentioned, we’d say the Prius is a match not only in fun behind the wheel, but in refinement too.

What is the Toyota Prius like to drive? 

In town 

When setting off, the steering is noticeably heftier than expected in a car designed to whizz around urban areas. It’s a reassuring steering feel, though you soon realise there’s little feedback from the front tyres.

Around town the electric motor provides more than enough shove by itself for an eager throttle response, although we found it interesting that the less powerful petrol engine seemed to offer more grunt at higher speeds in isolation. Lean on the petrol engine often, and you’ll notice some gruff noise, not helped by the continuously variable transmission. In the wet, you’ll find the front tyres scrambling for grip if you’re liberal with your right foot – unsurprising given the low rolling resistance tyres.

The Prius is also pretty comfortable. We tried the Prius in both Design and Excel form with 17-inch wheels as standard for the lower-spec model and the higher-spec version gaining 19-inch rims. There’s a touch more composure to the ride with the smaller wheels, but choose either, and you’ll come away impressed at how the Prius smothers bumps and ruts in the road at low speeds.

On A- and B-roads

Toyota has injected some dynamism into the chassis with the latest TNGA platform to help it match the punchier powertrain. Body lean is kept in check at higher speeds, with the Prius demonstrating a significant step up in driving dynamics compared with its predecessor.

On the motorway

The Prius is relatively serene on the move, with only a bit of road noise transmitted through to the interior from the narrow eco-friendly tyres. A positive side effect of the aerodynamic body is that wind noise isn’t really a factor in the Prius.

While seat comfort is often a personal preference, we found the car’s front seats to be particularly cosseting. We are also impressed with its ability to provide a settled ride at the motorway speeds.

0-62mph acceleration and top speed

The days of the Prius being the butt of performance jokes have long gone. The 223bhp combined output catapults the new car to 60mph in 6.8 seconds – quicker than plug-in hybrid versions of the Kia Niro PHEV, Peugeot 308, and Volkswagen Golf. The Prius has a top speed of 109mph.