Toyota is one of the most recognizable automakers in the world, and the Japanese giant has many popular cars that excel in one way or another. One of those cars is the Prius, which has a PHEV version that’s called the Prius Prime. Just like how the Prius set the standard for hybrid cars, the redesigned 2023 Toyota Prius Prime may say set the standard for all PHEVs going forward.

A recap of what J.D. Power had to say about the 2023 Prius Prime

J.D. Power recently reviewed the redesigned Prius Prime, and it was a positive review overall. The Prius and the Prius Prime have always been relatively unremarkable cars in areas other than their fuel economies. Car shoppers didn’t buy them for their luxury features or their acceleration times, and Toyota didn’t really bother with improving those areas. 

That was the case back then, but it’s no longer the case now. The redesigned Prius Prime has upgrades both on the inside and on the outside. It’s now two inches shorter, but an inch wider and an inch longer. It’s still a hatchback, so drivers will get access to more cargo room than they would with a sedan. However, Toyota also changed the car’s looks, and it now has a sleeker, more modern and edgy design than before.

It’s still a Toyota though, so the Prius Prime has plenty of smart safety features that should help drivers stay safe. It starts at just over $32,000, and it’s well-equipped even at that price point. This is primarily because of the vast amount of upgrades that the Japanese automaker gave the car, especially under the hood.

Toyota improved the Prius Prime in many areas

The last generation of the Prius Prime featured a 1.8-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain that got 121 hp. With the redesign, Toyota upgraded that powertrain into a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that gets 220 hp. That’s a nearly 100-hp improvement compared to the last version. Its torque output also grew by 32%, but importantly, the Japanese auto giant was able to make these gains without sacrificing efficiency.

The new Prius Prime gets about 53 mpg combined, or 121 MPGe when it’s in PHEV mode. Those are similar fuel economy numbers to the prior generation of the car. It’s a similar story in terms of the PHEV’s interior, as Toyota improved the Prius Prime’s infotainment system as well.

The 7-inch touchscreen from the last generation is now an 8-inch touchscreen. The optional 11.6-inch touchscreen is now an optional 12.3-inch one. Plus, Toyota equipped the Prius Prime with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which is the company’s latest smart safety suite. The prior generation of the Prius came with an older version of that safety suite.

The 2023 Prius Prime’s all-electric range may set a standard for PHEVs

Another area that Toyota improved on the Prius Prime was its all-electric range. The prior generation of the PHEV had a battery pack that allowed it to go 25 miles on a single charge.

Toyota swapped that out for a new 13.6-kWh battery pack, and the Prius Prime can now get up to 44 miles on a single charge. Even the top trims of the car can get about 39 miles of range despite the fact that they have bigger and less efficient wheels.

While that’s not that much range compared to an EV, it’s a lot of range for a PHEV. When that range number is combined with all the other impressive specs about the car, J.D. Power said that the redesigned Prius Prime, “sets the standard for all PHEVs.”