The Toyota Prius got a pretty impressive makeover in 2023, transforming it from an ugly duckling into a stylish car. The Toyota Prius Prime, now sleeker and better-looking than ever before, enters 2024 with almost no design changes.
Toyota USA offers the Prius Prime exclusively with front-wheel drive. Along with refreshed styling, the Prius Prime also features a more powerful powertrain and an improved electric range.
Toyota Prius Prime Cost
In America, the Toyota Prius Prime is available in three variants. Here are their base MSRPs.
- XE: $32,975
- XSE: $36,225
- XSE Premium: $39,670
New Toyota Prius Prime Interior:
The Prime gets a pleasing interior with sleek design cues. The wrap-around dashboard and large infotainment screen are the highlights of the new cabin. The instrument cluster and shifter have been rearranged for better visual appeal and practicality.
Seats:
- The Toyota Prius Prime gets sporty seats that offer sufficient comfort for long rides. The base SE variant gets fabric seats and 6-way adjustable front row seats.
- The XSE and XSE premium trims get SofTex® faux leather upholstery instead, which is immediately a huge step up and feels much nicer and cushier. They also get a 6-way adjustable front passenger seat and an 8-way power-adjustable driver’s seat.
- The XSE Premium gets heated and ventilated front seats and optional rear seat heating, while the XSE only gets heated front seats. The former also features a memory function for the driver’s seat.
- All trims get 60/40 split folding rear seats. Apart from SE, all other variants get a center armrest in the rear.
Steering Wheel:
- The Toyota Prius Prime gets a SofTex®-covered steering wheel, which is accompanied by a 7-inch Multi-Information Display (MID). The wheel gets mounted audio and Bluetooth controls.
- XSE and XSE Premium models also get heated steering as standard.
Infotainment System:
- Toyota USA offers the more affordable Prime Toyota cars with an 8-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia display, which comes with standard wireless Android Auto™19 & Apple CarPlay® and a complimentary 3-month subscription to SiriusXM®.
- The top-spec XSE Premium gets the same features but a larger, 12.3-inch infotainment display. It also gets an 8-speaker JBL®15 Premium Audio setup with an amplifier, while the other Toyota models make do with a 6-speaker audio system.
Storage Space:
- This compact Toyota car gets 20.3 cubic feet of cargo space in its hatchback. While that’s a lot of space for a car this size, those who upgrade from older Prius models will surely notice the decrease in space.
- The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime gets two cup holders in the front and four bottle holders, two in the front and two in the back. The XLE Premium variant gets two cup holders in the rear as well.
Climate Controls:
- All variants of the Prius Prime get a single-zone climate control system and pollen filters.
Prius Prime Exterior Design:
The Prius Prime is entering its prime design era. More streamlined, sleek, and stylish than ever before, this all-new Toyota car is great to look at. It’s nothing like the lackluster Prius of yesteryear. In fact, if it weren’t for the Toyota logo on the bonnet, you’d probably mistake the Prius Prime for a far sportier car.
Body Colors: The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime is available in 6 exterior paint options: Midnight Black Metallic, Reservoir Blue, Guardian Gray, Cutting Edge, Supersonic Red, and Wind Chill Pearl.
Headlights and Tail Lights: All variants of this Toyota hybrid get LED DRLs and slim Bi-LED projector headlights with automatic high beams. It also gets all-LED tail lights and stop lights.
Wheels and Tires: The SE Prius Prime gets 17-inch alloy wheels, while the XSE and XSE Premium get bigger 19-inch alloy wheels.
Side Mirrors: Your Prime gets heated and has power-folding side mirrors.
Roof: The SE model gets a shark-fin antenna mounted on the roof. The XSE Premium Prius Prime gets a fixed panoramic glass roof with a removable sunshade.
For $610, the XSE Premium forgoes the glass roof and gets an optional solar charging roof instead, which continues to charge your Prime while it is parked. While driving, it can power your air conditioning and conserve battery energy. Perhaps the biggest selling point of the solar panels is the additional range you get every day by simply parking your car outside.
Safety Features:
The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime gets Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 in the standard package, which includes features such as adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, and lane keeping assist.
Braking System: The Prius Prime gets power-assisted ventilated 12-inch disc brakes in the front and 11-inch disc brakes in the rear.
Airbags: The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime gets 8 airbags.
Safety Ratings: The 2024 Toyota Prius Prime wins the 2024 Top Safety Pick badge in the ‘small car’ category in tests conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). It has been assigned a five-star rating by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
Toyota Prius Prime Hybrid Powertrain Specifications:
The American Prius Prime is available in a single plug-in hybrid powertrain that uses Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive® system. It gets a 2-liter, four-cylinder gas engine paired with two electric motors that produce a combined 220 hp. You also get the flexibility of a plug-in hybrid: 44 miles of electric-only range and a combined EPA mileage of 52 mpg.
The 2024 Prius Prime is quicker and more fuel-efficient than its predecessors. Its performance has been tuned to be fuel-efficient yet enjoyable.
Top Competitors:
The Prius Prime doesn’t have a direct competitor, but there are a few options to consider depending on what you’re looking for. If you don’t mind sacrificing EV range and fuel efficiency, the plug-in Kia Sorento and Hyundai Tucson are great alternatives with more spacious interiors and cargo space.
Toyota Prius Prime Cost:
The Toyota Prius Prime wins brownie points for its excellent electric range and fuel efficiency. Toyota is leading the American market in the production of hybrid EVs with cars that are safe, efficient, reliable, and, most importantly, great for the environment. As a plug-in hybrid, the 2024 Toyota Prius Prime hits the sweet spot between emission reduction and ease of use as an everyday car.
And of course, you can be assured of top-notch and reliable Toyota service maintenance that is free of charge for two years after purchase. Overall, the Prius Prime offers excellent value, comfortable and enjoyable ride quality, and efficient, money-saving mileage and range.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Is the Toyota Prius Prime an EV vehicle?
The 2024 Prius Prime is a plug-in hybrid, which means it can run on electric power until the charge runs out and then automatically switch to an ICE engine. The Prius Prime is not fully electric but it can be driven in EV mode for up to 44 miles.
What is the range and mileage of the Prius Prime?
The 2024 Prius Prime has an EPA-estimated electric-only range of 44 miles and a combined mileage of 52 mpg. It has a total driving range of up to 600 miles.