We all know the fairy tales. The Ugly Duckling, Beauty and the Beast, and the Frog Prince are all as old as time, and all share a common theme: the main character transforms from something unflattering to become Prince Charming — or a beautiful swan — and gives us the happily-ever-after ending we longed for. In the real world, a similar story is unfolding with the 2024 Toyota Prius, finally having transformed into Prince Charming. Or a beautiful swan.
When the Toyota Prius debuted in the late 1990s, it was the world’s first hybrid for the masses. It had rather dull and uninspiring styling that failed to draw much attention. Toyota had followed up with one funky look after another and struck a chord with its target audience, but despite the Prius’ popularity, the funky look wasn’t for everyone. So when the fifth-generation car debuted last year, Toyota felt it was dial down the funk, dial up the pretty, and go mainstream to continue the Prius’ success.
Luckily, mainstream did not equal boring. A year in, we still think the latest Prius is one of the best-looking compact cars on the market. The sharp edges have all been smoothed out, the Toyota’s new signature front end with the slim LED headlights looks trendy, and it resonates well with the futuristic design of the rear end. Toyota designers clearly did something right, because people still kept coming up to us asking what this car was. The look on their faces when we told them was priceless.
A 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine is paired with two electric motors to generate 196 horsepower — a whopping 75 more than the last one, and an improvement as noteworthy as its glow-up. Its acceleration is nowhere near as forceful as pure EVs, but there is definitely enough oomph to effortlessly move the Prius off the line. All Prius models still come with a good-enough CVT and every unit in Canada is now all-wheel drive.
Beyond the power bump, the new Prius now rides on Toyota’s TNGA-C platform. The suspension is well-tuned to absorb most imperfections yet isn’t too soft when taking a corner. The steering, while devoid of feel and weight, is quick and accurate. And unlike most other EVs and hybrids, the brake pedal does not feel mushy.
Official fuel consumption is rated for 4.8 L/100km in the city, 4.7 on the highway, and 4.8 combined. Our real-world result worked out to 4.9 L/100 km over our time with the Prius, which is quite impressive given our city-heavy commute all week. That kind of fuel efficiency is especially good considering its relatively tiny 40-litre gas tank — which happily takes 87-octane gas.
Given the Prius’ sleek styling and compact footprint overall, it is not exactly surprising to see a lack of interior space. This current-generation Prius is smaller inside overall compared to its predecessor, both in of passenger space as well as trunk volume. Four adults can sit comfortably, but a fifth in the middle seat would be really tight. Headroom also comes up short especially in the back due to the sloping roofline, but cargo space is respectable, at 566 litres with the rear seats up.
While the Prius lost most of its quirkiness outside, much of that is still present inside. The digital instrument cluster sits far away from the driver; it is partially obscured by the steering wheel when driving, and the actual wheel itself has almost too many buttons. The rest of dashboard is fairly clean, and the infotainment software running on the standard eight-inch touchscreen is easy to use. There are also plenty of physical buttons and storage cubbies. Despite the smaller interior accommodations than before, the Prius is still easy to live with.
The Prius starts at an affordable $37,650 for this base XLE tester. It comes with a long list of standard features like LED lighting all around, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, 19-inch wheels, and plenty more. Toyota’s Safety Sense 3.0 package of driver assists is also standard, featuring automatic high beams, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, and more. Those who want fancier gadgets such as a digital key, wireless charging for your phone, a power liftgate, and a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen for the infotainment can opt for the Limited trim, at $43,790.
Depending on which fairy tale you most resonate with, the 2024 Toyota Prius has shed its ugly-ducking/Beast/frog look after years of mockery. It’s a handsome and efficient little car that has made itself really difficult to dislike. It is everything you want in a daily commuter, and the fact that it now turns heads in a good way is the ultimate happily-ever-after it deserves.
