Toyota Prius - Review, Specs, Pricing, Features, Videos and More

The 2026 Toyota Prius marks the 25th anniversary of the nameplate’s U.S. debut, continuing its fifth-generation design. It remains a central pillar of Toyota’s electrification strategy, utilizing the fifth-generation Toyota Hybrid System (THS 5). This system pairs a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine with a lithium-ion battery and two electric motor-generators. Front-wheel-drive models produce 194 net-combined horsepower, while the Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive (AWD) variants increase output to 196 horsepower.

Efficiency remains the vehicle's primary hallmark. The LE FWD grade achieves a manufacturer-estimated 57 MPG combined, while AWD models are rated at 54 MPG combined. The AWD system employs a dedicated rear-mounted electric motor that provides instant torque to the rear wheels during starts or on slippery surfaces to improve traction and cornering stability. Safety is standardized across the lineup with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes proactive driving assist and pedestrian detection, alongside standard Blind Spot Monitoring and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert.

What’s New for 2026

The 2026 model year expands the lineup and updates technical features for the hybrid sedan:

• Nightshade Grade: A new trim joins the lineup, offering a distinct aesthetic with black 19-inch alloy wheels, black-out badging, and black exterior accents on the bumpers and shark fin antenna. The interior features carbon fiber dashboard detailing.
• Four-Grade Strategy: The Prius is now available in LE, XLE, Nightshade, and Limited trims, providing a wider range of price points and styling options.
• Updated Pricing: The 2026 model enters the market with a starting MSRP of $28,550 for the LE grade.
• Enhanced Technology: The 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen, standard on the Limited, is now an available option for the Nightshade trim.

It’s another case of sibling rivalry here at AutoGuide.

Toyota offers not one but two all-hybrid car models. One is—of course—the Prius. Wholly redone for the 2023 model year, it’s went from gawky to gaw-dang gorgeous. The hybrid poster child is finally, finally cool, and it packs far more power than before as well as the traditional exceptional fuel economy.

But there’s another choice for those wanting a little more. The Toyota Crown debuted a few months before this Prius, sitting atop the Toyota car lineup. It replaces the Avalon, in a shape that’s just as unique as that of the Prius, but in a different way. A raised sedan might just be the purest definition of the word “crossover.”

Read the full comparison here.

We’re hard pressed to think of any other vehicle that has undergone such a fundamental improvement from one generation to the next like the 2023 Toyota Prius has. Going from a sensible, highly efficient, albeit uninspiring car, to one that has suddenly become desirable, is no small feat. Toyota hit a home run with this car that seemingly does it all.

It’s obvious we’re enamoured with the new little hybrid. Finding reasons to like the car are easy, and we list a few of the standouts below. But there are still a few things we’d change about the new Prius, including one that some may find hard to look past. But before we get to that, let’s start with the biggest draws for the new 2023 Toyota Prius.

Read the full article here.

This is the 2023 Toyota Prius. No, really. I still can’t quite believe it either, and I spent a whole day driving the thing.

Toyota is closing out a busy year with a full redo of the car that made “hybrid” a household word. For over two decades, the Prius has been the source of astounding fuel economy … and the butt of some jokes all because of its gawky looks. Well, no more. In fact, Toyota is out here pulling double-duty with the new car: not only is the Prius stylish, more powerful, and better to drive, but it should serve in the dictionary as the very definition of a glow-up.

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