The cost of the Prius hybrid has not been disclosed.
Japan will launch Toyota sales, followed by the US.
The plug-in Prius hybrid will be available in 2023.

The brand-new Toyota Prius hybrid has more power, acceleration, and range than its predecessor. A sleek, contemporary design replaces the somewhat stodgy angular body, making it more fashionable.

Simon Humphries, senior general manager of Global Toyota Design, highlighted that the firm was still defying the doubters who keep questioning how long the Japanese manufacturer will stick with hybrids in a quickly electrified sector when he introduced the car in Tokyo and Los Angeles on Wednesday.

'Simply because the Prius is an affordable eco-car available to everyone. 'We need ecological solutions within reach of the people in order to attain carbon neutrality, everyone in the globe must participate,' he told reporters. And it must begin right away, not later.

This winter will mark the launch of the fifth-generation Prius hybrid cars, first in Japan and subsequently the US. According to Toyota, a plug-in version will be available the following year. Prices weren't made public.

The automaker replaced an outdated nickel-metal-hydride battery with a more energy-efficient lithium-ion battery that is lighter and smaller. The engine's capacity increases from 1.8 to 2 litres, and its horsepower increases from 121 to over 190. As a result, depending on the Prius model, acceleration from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) is reduced from about 10 seconds to only about 7 seconds.

The Prius, which debuted in 1997, alternates between a gasoline engine and an electric motor to provide a cleaner driving than vehicles with standard internal combustion engines. The 2023 Prius is expected to achieve 57 mpg in combined city and highway driving, according to Toyota, making it the most efficient Prius ever.

Despite having no emissions, electric vehicles require charging. Concerns about running out of fuel on the roadways are shared by some consumers. A hybrid's backup gas engine is always present. Including Prius automobiles, Toyota has sold more than 20.3 million hybrid vehicles globally to date. In the same way that its Lexus luxury cars have defined Toyota as a brand, the Prius, which is Latin for 'pioneer' or 'first,' has done the same.

Even so, some analysts argue that Toyota has occasionally come under fire from environmentalists for being slow to electrify, despite the fact that many other automakers also offer only a small number of electric vehicles and have created numerous hybrid models.

According to Daniel Read of Greenpeace East Asia, a Tokyo-based organisation, 'the selling of additional hybrid vehicles, especially the Prius, drives us farther into the climate disaster.' According to Read, fuel-cell and electric car models offer more effective climate change mitigation strategies than hybrids.

With updated look and performance, the Prius will be better able to compete not only with rival hybrid models but also with the current crop of completely electric vehicles.

According to Brinley, who thinks the new Prius performs better against hybrids and plug-ins from Hyundai, Kia, Ford, and Jeep, the Prius models have always served as a sort of bridge to a day when there are more EV charging points.

The battery range can be increased by 50%, bringing it to about 38 miles (61 kilometres), or enough to cover the typical US driver's commute and local errands. According to Brinley, the hybrid powertrain enables road trips without having to worry about an incomplete charging network.