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2024 Toyota Prius XLE: Specs, Interior & Price – The Toyota Prius, which recently underwent one of the industry’s most extensive and visually arresting redesigns in recent memory, maintains its position as one of the most fuel-efficient vehicles currently available for purchase. The new Prius has a drivetrain that is significantly more powerful than the previous model (75 more horsepower, to be precise), but it still maintains the Prius’s reputation for being economical with gasoline. This new powertrain is hidden beneath all of that new styling. The Prius offers mileage estimates ranging from 49 to 57 miles per gallon, depending on the model. In addition to all of these benefits, the new Prius is undeniably easier to operate and features an internal arrangement that is significantly more conventional and user-friendly than the previous model’s.
Given that such a significant makeover is still visible in the rearview mirror, it is probably safe to assume that Toyota will not make any significant modifications to the Prius in 2024. However, there is one story that is capturing the attention of everyone. According to recent reports, Toyota is hard at work developing a high-performance variant of the Prius that may be given the moniker “GRMN Prius” (which stands for “Gazoo Racing Meister of the Nurburgring”). These rumors were first disseminated by the Japanese publication Best Car, which stated that the plug-in hybrid version of the Prius, known as the Prius Prime (which is the subject of a distinct evaluation on our website), would serve as the basis for the speedier Prius. There is no evidence to support any of this at this time. If what they say is accurate, however, some of the performance improvements, such as a stronger suspension and sport-themed aesthetics and internal details, could find their way into the base model of the Prius.
Design
The new fifth generation of the Toyota Prius will debut in 2024 with a comprehensively redesigned and up-to-date interior and exterior. Every single Prius now travels on the newest iteration of Toyota’s TNGA-C architecture, which gives it a broader posture and lower driving position in addition to making it more eco-friendly while simultaneously reducing its overall weight. Not only has the increase in power made the Prius speedier than many of its hybrid competitors, but its increased performance has also come without a cost to the fuel efficiency of the vehicle. The new hybrid drivetrain has 194 horsepower and comes standard with all-wheel drive as an accessible option. The addition of a high-output magnet to the back engine of versions with all-wheel drive results in an increase of 196 horsepower for these vehicles. A plug-in hybrid version of the Prius Prime with 220 horsepower is also available, but we cover that variant in a different evaluation.
Interior
Although Toyota may have advanced the Prius in ways that were not anticipated, one of the vehicle’s long-standing flaws has persisted. At greater velocities, road noise is able to make its way into the interior, which diminishes the general sense of smoothness in the cabin. As we observed after our first drive in the new Prius, larger people may find that the rear-seat headroom is compromised by the sexier new roofline, and the absence of air ducts is a disheartening oversight on a car that is likely to enter ride-sharing service at some point in the future. A comparable sacrifice is made in the name of design for the vehicle’s cargo capacity, which decreases from 23.8 cubic feet for the basic LE model to 20.3 cubic feet for the more feature-packed XLE and Limited editions of the vehicle. Because the previous generation of the Prius had a luggage capacity of 27.4 cubic feet, it is clear that Toyota has compromised some functionality in order to improve the look of the new model.
In addition to the remarkable 12.3-inch infotainment display that was powered by Toyota’s most recent software, the 2024 Toyota Prius XLE trim level that we tested came standard with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration as well as a wireless charging compartment that held a smartphone in place securely. The use of these technologies took a discernible toll on the battery life of a brand-new iPhone. As a result, wireless CarPlay rapidly necessitated the continuous use of the wireless charging pocket. Although going untethered is convenient, using these technologies took a detectable toll on the battery life of a brand-new iPhone. The author’s phone, on the other hand, quickly overloaded when they used CarPlay while charging it at the same time, which resulted in the device crashing multiple times. Because the charging compartment is equipped with a power switch, we were able to physically turn it off at regular intervals to prevent it from overheating and causing problems. To be fair to the Prius, we have found that other vehicles with the same technological features, such as the Genesis G90 premium sedan, which was our pick for the year 2024 vehicle of the year, also have this problem.
Specs
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.
In 2024, the Toyota Prius achieves improved fuel economy, despite having an engine that is bigger and a drivetrain that is more powerful. According to the projections provided by the EPA, the front-wheel drive version of the Prius achieves 57 miles per gallon in the city and 56 miles per gallon on the freeway. In comparison to the previous generation, this represents an increase of between 4 and 6 miles. The fuel efficiency of the all-wheel-drive Prius takes a slight blow, dropping to an anticipated 53 miles per gallon in the city and 54 miles per gallon on the interstate. When we have completed our freeway fuel efficiency test for the Prius at 75 miles per hour, this section will be updated with the results.
Price
The 2024 Toyota Prius XLE is an excellent buy for the price of $34,220 after it has been evaluated. If you choose not to get the Supersonic Red color, which costs $495, and the glass roof and touchscreen combination, which costs $1,735, the price drops to just $31,990. The Toyota, which achieves an estimated 52 miles per gallon, will almost certainly save its drivers a lot of money at the gas station. There is still the basic LE model available, which can be purchased for as little as $28,545; this version gets 57/56 miles in the city and on the interstate because it has smaller wheels and tires, which should also result in a smoother journey for the driver and passengers. The Prius Limited variant, which costs $35,660, is accessible to buyers who desire a more opulent driving experience. All-wheel drive can be added to any specification level for an additional $1,400. (though it incurs a slight fuel economy penalty). The Prius, on the other hand, is a viable option in spite of the fact that values in the market appear to be spiraling out of control.
We think the 2024 Toyota Prius is simply great for what it is, an efficient hybrid hatchback that is significantly more reasonable than most EVs while also not being attached to a charging network. A more pessimistic commentator might evaluate the Prius more severely for what it isn’t — a full-fledged EV. However, we think the Prius is simply great for what it is. Because it manages to carry out this unremarkable task with more flair than any previous Prius, we are, for the first time, in a position to recommend it to individuals seeking for a vehicle that fulfills a role beyond that of a purely utilitarian vehicle with economical operating costs.