New plug-in hybrid Toyota Prius gets £37k starting price

UK pricing for the new Toyota Prius has been revealed, with the fifth-generation of Toyota’s pioneering hatchback priced from £37,315 and available exclusively with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. 

Order books are due to open on 4 March before first examples arrive in July – more than a year and a half after the latest Prius was unveiled in November 2022. That’s because the Mk5 Prius wasn’t initially set for sale in Britain, but the brand has had a change of heart.

Toyota has also provided some details of the two specifications it’ll offer. Entry-level Prius Design cars will be equipped with 17-inch alloy wheels, keyless entry, a 12.3-inch central touchscreen with built-in sat-nav, a digital driver’s display, dual-zone climate control, rear privacy glass and parking sensors with vehicle, pedestrian and obstacle detection.

Every Prius is also fitted with the latest suite of ‘Toyota Safety Sense’ active safety and driver assistance systems that includes safe exit warning, lane trace assist and adaptive cruise control, amongst other features.

Upgrading to Excel trim increases the car’s price to £39,995, and adds 19-inch wheels, heated and ventilated eight-way power adjustable front seats, a digital rear-view mirror and powered tailgate.

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The new Prius features the same PHEV setup that’ll be offered in the new Toyota C-HR SUV very soon. It consists of a 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and a single electric motor that combined, send 220bhp through the front wheels. The 0-62mph sprint takes 6.8 seconds.

The new Prius also boasts a pure-electric driving range of 53 miles thanks to its 13.6kWh battery, which trumps the Vauxhall Astra PHEV’s 41-mile EV range, but doesn’t quite match the 62-mile range of the facelifted Volkswagen Golf.

Fuel economy figures have yet to be confirmed, but Toyota claims CO2 emissions for the new Prius are as low as 12g/km, which should result in affordable Benefit-in-Kind tax rates for company car drivers.  

The sleek design of the new Prius draws heavily from the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV, and latest C-HR, as does the interior. The latest generation car has been made 50mm lower and the tallest point on the roof moved rearwards to help create a more coupe-like silhouette. The wheelbase is 50mm longer than the previous model as well, but overall the car is 46mm shorter than its predecessor.

Now click here to read our review of the new Toyota Prius...