Q&A

For his first job as a chief engineer, Satoki Oya got a big one: managing the development of Toyota's 2023 Prius. The new fifth-generation version's heavy revision is most apparent in its brazenly sleek sheetmetal. But letting go of the Prius' hallmark stylistic oddness was just one part of Oya's mission: to shockingly upgrade the hybrid's dynamics while sacrificing virtually none of its signature fuel-efficiency.

The Prius' new design has earned near-unanimous praise. Its upgraded power and performance take it to a driving-dynamics place difficult to believe could be achieved in concert with a 57-mpg city/highway combined fuel-economy rating. SAE Media editorial director Bill Visnic interviewed Oya, assisted by a translator, at a media-drive program in December 2022.