2023 Toyota Prius: let’s hope not…

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 It is time to all get on our knees and pray. Pray to our Gods that the next generation Prius doesn’t look like this illustration. At all… At any cost.

To say that the Prius is not as popular as it used to be is an understatement. It went from selling over 236 000 units in 2012, to just over 43 000 last year. Still, “Prius” is one of Toyota’s most recognizable names and they should really do something with it.

I think the next one should be a re-invention. Just like the 2nd generation was, going from a tiny sedan to a larger, taller hatchback style. And it should also bring something new. Something better. Something like a 100 miles EV range plug-in hybrid. 

Or maybe Toyota should actually give the name Prius to their very first EV. Japanese carmakers are in the habit of killing famous names. Like “Integra”, “Legend” or “Celica”. Toyota should really keep the name Prius somewhere. But it just cannot be another weird-looking ungainly hybrid hatchback.

No one cares about that anymore…

(Thanks to a reader for the pic)

Conversation 14 comments

  1. This honestly doesn’t look any worse than the current one, the front actually looks decent in this render.

  2. I like this shape at least is more dynamic then the current Version which looks like a little bit of everything but over all simply to much . I pray there will be no more tablet like screans attached to the dashboard because i really hate this trend and Toyota design Team they seems to be worshipers of this kind of ( distortion , abomination ). When it comes to the Prius name i think They should start with the whole fleet of Prius models. First of all some futuristic Suv ( crossover in the CH-R style ) because nowedays high Riding vehicles are literally condemned to be successful 👀

  3. I drove the current model and I think is a great car, OK power for my needs but that fugly front and rear, my God. The interior is not bad.
    With those low sales you would think that maybe, just maybe Toyota higher ups would start thinking about on what is the problem. What an awful exterior design, current and future.
    In the past I was considering the Prius Prime, solely on the exterior looks.

    The current design I believe was designed for the Japanese market.
    Excellent vehicle and reliable but really awful exterior. Toyota needs to have American designers get their hands on the exterior, at least for the American model.

  4. The naming exception that proves the rule is Odyssey. The first one was a little MPV that did nothing in our market. Detroit would have found a new name but Honda stuck with it for their segment-busting redesign.

  5. This is much better looking than the current mess on wheels. If it has any flaws from what I see, it is that it’s too long in proportion to its width.

  6. This is much better looking than the current mess on wheels. If it has any flaws from what I see, it is that it’s too long in proportion to its width.

  7. This is much better looking than the current mess on wheels. If it has any flaws from what I see, it is that it’s too long in proportion to its width.

  8. "Japanese carmakers are in the habit of killing famous names."

    Good point. Prius is a name that's been synonymous with futuristic eco-friendly transportation in the states for a generation. Toyota could definitely capitalize off of that name as we enter the next generation of "futuristic" and reinvent the Prius name as a flagship car or lineup. That it's instead becoming just another relic or at most a hybrid with maybe better gas mileage and electrification options is sad.

    Name recognition is hard to achieve. They've done that with Prius and then chose to let it get lost in the shuffle of "futuristic" with overstyled and clunky redesigns. Big missed opportunity imo.

    Ford (despite all its own faults) understands the value in a name. The fact that they put the Mustang name on their flagship electric vehicle shows a true understanding of the American market.

  9. Prius lost its way. It was an urban commuter. Slightly higher seating than Corolla, shorter (so easier to park), numb steering (which was good to prevent commuter road fatigue).

    Then Toyota changed it to everything a low cost, utilitarian commuter car isnt’. Its become less practical.

    Most models have no spare now (terrible for city potholes). Its longer, making it harder to paralle park. It sits lower, eliminating driver position when compared to all the SUV’s on the road. And even worse, its a “sporty” ride with sports steering – which exhausts long haul, high-mileage seeking commuters. Even worse, its lower to the ground on bottom too, so the undercarriage scrapes every city speed bump. And it even lost its bumpers, so the fragile front and back are a body shop’s dream.

    Its not fast. And its not a sports car. Never was intended to be. But it has all the appendages of one, making an otherwise very practical vehicle into one that seeks to attract an enthusiast. They are so hungry to overcome the tree-hugger image that they forget its not about that. People buy Prius’s for their utility, efficiency and reliability.

    Night shade edition? Persona Edition. That’s American car style marketing. Lack of added value with a premium paid for flashy badging.

    The growth in Small SUV’s is because of utility. And with the loss of utility, the Prius will become like the Camry. Cars already ride much lower than SUV’s, why lower the car further? Big Mistake.

    I’m sure the Toyota product will be well made, but its function is diminishing by its change in design.

    If Toyota was smart they would fire anyone seeking to turn a Prius into a Supra. That’s a designer that is turning a functional car into their own pet sports car project.

  10. Honda CR-Z was a marketing failure and Prius designers are trying to push the car in that same direction. What is the compulsion to turn a comfortable utilitarian commuter car into a wanna-be sports car?

  11. I own the pre refereshed 4th gen Prius. My wife likes the looks. I always thought the rear end was the worst looking part of the car but it has a lot of charm overall. It really is a great commuter car and the gas mileage is as still above average if you have a lead foot. I agree and think this new one actually looks better but I really wish they would bring a turbo hybrid like Hyundai is doing. But we will see.

    If this is what the new Prius looks like I will be happy to trade my 4th gen for one of these.

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