The Prius line represents Toyota’s earnest efforts to combine gasoline-electric-hybrid fuel savings with everyday practicality. Part of that lineup includes the Prius Prime. The 2019 model carries over from last year.
The Prius Prime soldiers on wearing its own unique front and rear fascias. Inside, you’ll find space for four occupants, compared to five in other Prius models. Due to a larger battery, you also give up about 6 cubic feet of cargo space on the Prius Prime, for 19.8 total. However, the seats split 60/40 and fold flat.
The Prius Prime’s main draw is its drivetrain, which consists of a 1.8-liter inline 4-cylinder engine coupled to an electric motor and 8.8-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. Together, these provide 121 net horsepower to the front wheels through a continuously variable automatic transmission. Toyota employs a number of wind-cheating technologies to improve fuel economy, from ultra-aerodynamic wheels to active grille shutters. The Prius Prime gives you up to 25 miles of electric range. Replenishing the battery from a 120-volt wall outlet takes less than 5.5 hours, although that shortens to just over 2 hours using 240V public charging. In electric mode, the Prius Prime achieves 133 miles-per-gallon equivalent (MPGe). In hybrid mode, it provides 54 combined mpg.
All three of the Prius Prime’s trims, Plus, Premium, and Advanced, return for 2019. The base Plus trim bundles 15-inch alloy wheels, quad-LED headlights, LED taillights, fabric upholstery, heated front seats, heated side mirrors, keyless access on one door, keyless start, a color instrument panel, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and navigation. Opting for the Premium grade gets you Qi-compatible wireless-phone charging, leatherette upholstery, an 8-way power driver’s seat, keyless access on three doors, and an 11.6-inch high-definition touchscreen. Finally, the Advanced trim comes with LED fog and accent lights, an auto-dimming rear-view mirror, and premium JBL audio.
Like many Toyota models, the Prius Prime comes standard with a reversing camera and the Toyota Safety Sense P (TSS-P) suite. The latter includes forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning with steering assist, automatic high beams, and full-speed adaptive cruise control. The Advanced trim gets further content, like blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, a parking assistant, a head-up display (HUD), automatic rain-sensing wipers, and an emergency-response telematics system. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluated the Prius Prime as recently as 2018 and deemed it worthy of a Top Safety Pick.
The Prius Prime competes with other EVs from Toyota, like the traditional Prius, as well as EVs from other automakers like Honda.
