Toyota (NYSE:TM) Prius enters the 2023 model year when it is now scheduled to appear in US showrooms next month as a hedge against the ongoing auto industry rush to convert to EVs. With nine hybrid models, soon to be ten with the addition of the all-new Toyota Crown, two plug-in hybrid models, the new bZ4X battery electric vehicle and the zero-emission hydrogen fuel cell Mirai, Toyota will offer 14 electrified vehicles next year it said today in a release. Development goals appear to be based on styling and marketing and not breakthrough jumps in technology at conservative Toyota. This approach has served Toyota and its customers well when it comes to quality and durability. (Autoinformed.com: First Look: Toyota Crown Returns to the US)

The 2023 Prius has a larger 2.0-liter engine and a revised hybrid system that results in 60% more combined system horsepower. Who says that size doesn’t matter? Output is now rated by Toyota at 196 net hp on AWD equipped models, increasing from 121 hp in the prior generation, and 194 net hp on FWD equipped models, previously 121 hp. Maximum engine torque is up ~15%, from 120 to 139 lb.-ft. on all models. Torque on the electric motor generator two, which drives the front wheels and regenerates the battery during braking, also increases by more than 20% – climbing from 120 to 152 lb.-ft.
Prius’s power gains are actually efficient. In FWD models, the LE grade offers up to a manufacturer estimated 57 MPG combined rating, the best-ever for a Prius and the most fuel-efficient hybrid in production so-far for model year 2023. The XLE and Limited grades have up to 52 MPG combined. The AWD equipped LE grade delivers up to a manufacturer estimate 54 MPG combined rating, with the XLE and Limited grades are capable of up to 49 MPG combined. The AWD system also receives power upgrades, with 50% more torque in the rear motor, moving from 41 to 62 lb.-ft., and 40 horsepower (previously 7 hp).