Toyota punches up the Prius

An undeniable technical achievement since its U.S. launch for the 2001 model year, Toyota's Prius never has been able to shake its weenie-mobile reputation. It's an image formed largely by the combination off oddball, aerodynamics-first styling and the pursuit of ultimate fuel efficiency via low-power propulsion.

With EVs looming as the propulsion endgame and attention to the 20th-century concept of “fuel-efficiency” waning, Toyota's said “enough!” The 2023 Prius bodywork now is smooth, low and sleek, so different that there's virtually no visual connection to its trippy forerunners. Under the hood is a larger, powered-up 4-cyl. engine and similarly boosted drive motor that, combined, take the Prius to 194 hp (196 hp for AWD models) - a 60% jump over the wheezy 121 combined hp of its predecessor. Almost paradoxically, though, the 2023 Prius still sips gasoline at pretty much the same pace - up to a 57 mpg (4.1L/100 km) combined rating for the most-efficient LE trim in front-wheel drive. The low is the 49 mpg (4.8L/100 km) combined rating for the top-trim XLE in AWD layout.