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2024 Toyota Prius HP, 0-60, & Engine – The Toyota Prius from the year 2024 is not going to take that laying down. It’s heading out for the night, all dressed up with new shoes and a clean outfit, and it has plans to go dancing. Even the hybrid’s following of devoted supporters could turn their collective head toward a new rhythm if the Prius fails to perform. Toyota is hoping that the revised hybrid will capture the views of some new partners in this spin around the dancefloor.
This revival of the Prius is more than just a superficial makeover, as well. Toyota gave the vehicle an additional dosage of horsepower and torque, improved the suspension and handling, and made brake hold an optional extra. Because of its reduced height, broader track, and increased length, observers are left wondering, “Is that really a Prius? If the previous generation was purposefully rebellious and nerdy, then the new generation is entering the room with more sophistication and providing a more pleasurable journey. It’s true: the Prius has taken on a completely different demeanor, and the difference is striking. Let’s perform.
Design
The Prius is outfitted with three different drive modes: Eco, Normal, and Sport. If you want to get the most out of your Prius, it is recommended that you begin your journey in either of the latter two modes before transitioning to Eco mode for extended distances. Even when set to Eco mode, I was able to observe that the vehicle had lost some weight and was not as ponderous off the line as it had been previously. When I drove the older model of the Prius, it was like trying to move a geriatric animal, but now it moves with significantly less resistance.
However, the owner’s handbook for the 2024 Toyota Prius recommends using 87-octane gasoline. Toyota informed our testing group that using 87-octane fuel rather than 91-octane fuel will have a minimal impact on engine production, which will have an impact on overall performance.
The new Prius is very good at masking shocks and irregular surfaces on the road, such as railroad tracks or small potholes. It should come as no surprise that the Prius is not designed for aggressive ravine cutting or off-roading on terrain with more significant irregularities and potholes. However, compared to the earlier iteration, the functionality feels like it has been enhanced, taking into account what it is designed to do. The handling, despite having a touch of numbness to it, will satisfy longtime Prius supporters and possibly win over some new ones as well.
On the braking system that does not involve regeneration energy, Toyota utilizes an active hydraulic booster, which results in a journey that is even and consistent stopping performance. The brake hold feature is now standard, and it works very well; the driver only needs to lightly press the accelerator to release the hold. People who drive in areas with a lot of stop-and-go traffic will appreciate having the option to lift their foot off the accelerator occasionally, as this will reduce the amount of tiredness they experience.
They envisioned creating something that people would enjoy for a significant amount of time. According to what Oya has said, he preferred the drawing for the 2024 models the moment the design team presented it to him for the first time. This is a significant departure from the procedure that was followed for the previous generation, in which higher-ups repeatedly sent the design back to the table for revisions, which caused the introduction to be delayed.
The redesigned Prius is not only lighter and more rigid than its predecessor, but it also has a reduced center of gravity. The updated model retains the front grille shutters and underbody sections for enhanced performance and a smoother ride, and the aerodynamics have been improved, sporting a drag coefficient of 0.27.
The 15- and 17-inch wheel choices that were available on the 2023 model have been replaced with 17- and 19-inch wheels that are fitted with all-season rubber. Its roofline is now 2 inches lower, and it is 1 inch broader and longer, all of which contribute to what the manufacturer refers to as a “more athletic” posture for the vehicle. Because of this, passengers on the inside will benefit from an additional inch of headroom in both the front and rear seats.
The decision to replace the divided (or bifurcated, if you want to be pretentious) back windshield, which will result in an improvement in visibility, has my full support. On the other hand, the single-pane glass in the back is less advantageous due to the sloping front end and the bulkier A, B, and C supports that display the strengthened frame. Its redesigned chassis is noticeably more attractive, and judging by the feedback I’ve received from others, I’m not the only one who shares this opinion. Previously, it appeared more like an eccentric status symbol than a genuine automobile. To tell you the truth, some of the individuals who have already seen the vehicle have completely lost their heads. It’s a step in the right direction.
Interior
The seven-inch multi-information display (MID) has been moved so that it is now positioned in front of the driver rather than in the middle of the redesigned dashboard. Toyota claims that it is a substitute for a head-up display, but both my driving companion and I found it challenging to get the steering column in the correct position while still being able to see all of the information on the driver display.
The new Toyota Prius comes equipped with Toyota’s latest entertainment system, which was first introduced in the Lexus NX crossover the previous year. It relies heavily on touch controls and vocal commands, with “Hey Toyota” being able to, among other things, adjust the music and temperature settings. It works effectively the majority of the time, and it appears that Toyota has improved the tone of the computerized response, which previously sounded like an irritated mother asking, “Whaddaya want this time?” when it had just begun to be distributed.
This generation of the Prius only has a volume knob, and it’s small, and it’s all the way on the right side of the available 12.3-inch touchscreen, which is very inconvenient for me. I miss having the tuning knob from the previous generation. It would appear that the placement of the handle was chosen for reasons of appearance rather than practicality; however, I assume that you intended to use the settings that are located on the steering column anyway. The touchscreen makes tuning a little bit difficult, and I wish there was a more convenient way to browse through the station lineup. Those who are younger and more likely to use streaming services as opposed to satellite radio or – goodness forbid! – FM radio might not forget about it.
Engine
There is just one drivetrain available for the Toyota Prius series. This hybrid system has a maximum output of 194 horsepower and is powered by a hybrid inline-four gasoline engine with a capacity of 2.0 liters that has been borrowed from the Toyota Corolla Cross hybrid crossover and attached to an automatic transmission with a continuously variable ratio. Front-wheel drive is conventional. The overall drivetrain output of all-wheel-drive Priuses from Toyota is increased to 196 horsepower thanks to the addition of a high-output permanent magnet electric motor to the back tire. This represents a power increase of 60 percent. According to the results of our testing with a front-drive Limited model, it now takes just 7.1 seconds for the Prius to achieve 60 miles per hour after taking an exhausting 10.5 seconds to do so in the previous model year. That is a better time than either the Camry Hybrid or the Elantra Hybrid could achieve. Because of improvements made to the vehicle’s front and back braking systems, the latest generation of the Prius comes to a halt from 70 miles per hour in just 171 feet, whereas the previous model required 194 feet to accomplish the same feat.
The significant increase in power that was added to the new Prius isn’t really noticeable when traveling around the city in it because the car is so refined and is still able to intelligently accelerate from a stoplight just like the earlier versions. Our test front-wheel-drive Prius accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in 7.7 seconds, which is a significant improvement over the previous generation’s 10.7-second sprint time. However, the additional horsepower is a benefit for getting onto a freeway or ascending a lengthy incline, both of which are now a lot less worrisome to do.
Aside from the apparent upgrades in the looks department, Toyota gave the Prius’ drivetrain a significant boost in the trousers to increase its production. This was done in addition to the obvious updates in the looks department. The hybrid will receive a bigger gas engine in 2024, which will result in both an increase in horsepower and an increase in torque; neither of these improvements will be minor. The horsepower has increased by 60 percent, going from 121 to 194 total horsepower. Sixty. Percent.
At the San Diego drive for the introduction of the Prius, Chief Engineer Satoki Oya sat down with me and explained that the power increase is due to each engineering team enhancing its own specialization. As a consequence of this, the new method is the culmination of some small adjustments rather than a complete substitution of the previous one.
The new engine, which has a capacity of 2.0 liters as opposed to 1.8 liters in the previous model, is paired with an updated lithium-ion battery cell that guarantees an increase in production of 14%. Further demonstrating Oya’s argument that there have been enhancements made to each component are an electrical continuously variable transmission, two motor generators, and a new drive motor. These four components combine with two supplementary magnets to produce additional output. In spite of all of this, the Prius continues to deliver the outstanding fuel economy for which it is famous. Depending on the model level and whether it has front- or all-wheel drive, the Prius can achieve anywhere from 52 to 57 miles per gallon when driving in combined mode.
After back-to-back test drives along the Pacific coast in versions 2023 and 2024, I can say with certainty that the difference is noticeable from the moment the beginning acceleration is applied. In addition to the boosts in horsepower and torque, the 0-to-60 time has also seen a significant improvement, dropping from a sluggish 9.8 seconds to a respectable 7.0 seconds with all-wheel drive and 7.2 seconds with front-wheel drive. This is a significant improvement over the hybrid versions of the 2024 Hyundai Sonata and even the Toyota Camry.
Price
The front-wheel-drive basic model of the 2024 Prius LE begins at a starting price of $28,545, which includes a transportation charge of $1,095. This represents an overall increase of $2,375 over the base model of the 2022 Prius. The price of the vehicle increases by $1,400 when all-wheel drive is selected; the price increase of moving from the LE trim level to the XLE level or from the XLE level to the Platinum level is approximately $3,500. You should budget an additional $1,085 to cover the cost of the panoramic view monitor and sophisticated parking technology.
In contrast, there is only a $760 price gap between the brand-new Prius and its chief competitor, the Kia Niro. Since the Prius has substantially more power than the Niro (it has 194 horsepower as opposed to the Niro’s 139), purchasing one is unquestionably worthwhile now that fuel economy has improved. The equivalent Hyundai Elantra hybrid has a starting price that’s less than $26,000 and is on a level with the Niro in terms of both horsepower and acceleration.