Overview

The gas-electric Toyota Prius has more than made its mark in the alternative-fuel realm: after it debuted in 2000, it became the face of the segment almost immediately. The electrified vehicle market continued to evolve, leading to more and more plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) such as the Prius PHV, which debuted for model year 2012. For model year 2017, Toyota made the two versions more distinct from each other in appearance and reintroduced their PHEV as the Prius Prime. PHEVs offer some advantages over conventional gas-electric hybrids, since they use all of their stored electric before switching to the combustion engine. This means that the driver doesn’t have to worry about range on longer drives, as they would in an all-electric vehicle, and short drives can be made using just the electric motor. For instance, if a Prius Prime owner has a relatively short commute, they won’t have to burn any gas if they plug in to top off the charge each day.

Trims and Mechanical Specs

Toyota gives Prius Prime PHEV buyers a trio of choices – LE, XLE, and Limited – with rising levels of standard equipment. The powertrain is the same across the board: a 121 horsepower gas-electric system working in conjunction with an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery; a front-wheel drivetrain and an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission complete the mechanical big picture.

A fully charged Prius Prime supplies 25 miles of electric power before switching over to the gasoline engine, although the vehicle’s regenerative braking feature can add incremental bits of charge by capturing the kinetic energy formed during the stopping process. Charging via a 120-volt outlet takes about 5.5 hours; the available 240-volt charger cuts that to about 2 hours. The official fuel economy numbers from the EPA have its mileage as 55 mpg around town and 53 mpg highway. Its MPGe rating is 133.

Standard Features

The base LE is well set up with heated exterior mirrors, heated front seats, LED headlights and taillights (with automatic turn-off), three USB ports, and a 60/40-split folding second-row seatback that raises the already-high versatility factor of this hatchback model. Toyota’s Smart Key is also included for use on the driver’s door. The XLE adds an auto-on feature for the lights and expands Smart Key to all doors. It also gets SofTex seats, wireless phone charging, and a Predictive Efficient Drive system that helps to maximize the vehicle’s efficiency. At the top of the lineup, the Limited is ready for inclement weather with a heated steering wheel, rain-sensing windshield wipers, and LED fog lights. It also adds a head-up display (color), a sliding cover for the cargo area, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, and a universal garage door opener.

Advanced Safety Technology

Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 comes on every 2022 Prius Prime to enhance occupant safety. The technologies in this standard bundle are dynamic radar cruise control, a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, automatic high beams, lane departure alert with steering assist, lane tracing assist, and road sign assist. The Limited gets the full treatment with parking sensors, a parking assist system, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert.

Infotainment and Connectivity

The base infotainment system has all of the necessities and a nicely sized 7-inch touchscreen. Its other features are a six-speaker sound system, SiriusXM satellite radio, Bluetooth for hands-free phone calls and audio streaming, and smartphone integration (Android Auto and Apple CarPlay). The XLE moves up to an 11.6-inch touchscreen (although it’s not compatible with Android Auto) and adds high-definition radio, navigation, and an amplifier and subwoofers for the audio system. The Limited is the best choice for music lovers, as it gets a premium JBL sound system with 10 speakers.

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