Here’s an interesting bit of trivia; while Toyota’s Prius is the world’s first mass-produced hybrid vehicle, it’s not the first of its kind to be offered in the United States. That honor goes to the 1999 Honda Insight.
The first Prius models sold here rolled out of cargo ships for the 2000 model year. Thus, 2025 marks the 25thanniversary of Prius in the U.S. marketplace. By the way, those were actually second-generation cars. First generation Prius models were never sold (by Toyota anyway) in the United States.
What’s New?
Currently in its fifth generation, the Toyota Prius was completely redone in 2022, and arrived in the U.S. as 2023 models. As a result, the 2025s are largely unchanged from their immediate predecessors.
However, those of you for whom attention to detail numbers among your character traits will likely note there has been a name change. Henceforth, the model formerly known as “Prius Prime Plug-in Hybrid” is designated “Prius PHEV,” which is the big news for 2025.
XSE Features
I spent a week with a Prius PHEV with the XSE trim package. Key features included an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, a heated steering wheel, and blind spot monitoring. The car was also fitted with smart cruise control and automatic lane keeping. The XSE package landed the car in the middle of the 2025 Prius PHEV range, above the SE and below the XSE Premium.
Powertrain Details
The powertrain is comprised of a 160-horsepower, 2.0-liter internal combustion engine and a pair of electric motors. The PHEVs planetary gearset is controlled by one of those motors, enabling it to mimic a continuously variable transmission.
The other motor feeds the front wheels along with the engine for a combined system output of 220 hp. The result is a front-wheel drive sedan capable of a seven-second zero-to-60 time.
The battery pack employs lithium-ion cells and is said to be capable of running the Prius on its own for up to 44 miles. This looked plausible as I drove around town, according to the car’s trip computer. However, range dropped from 40 to just over 30 miles once I got up to speed on the freeway. While the EPA says you can expect to see 52 miles for every gallon of regular gasoline consumed, I averaged 48.
Interior Accommodations
Ironically, I found the interior treatments of earlier Prii (Priuses? Prius? Prii sounds cooler) to be more avant-garde than the one gracing this model. Given the sleek new exterior styling and the eclecticism of previous models, I expected to find something far more forward facing. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice enough, it’s just — conventional.
Where the instrumentation was center mounted on the dash before, it’s now behind the steering wheel — like everything else out there today. Additionally, the shifter has been moved from the dash to the center console — like pretty much everything else out there. And that’s okay I suppose, but it’s not as “out there” as the Prius used to be.
On the other hand, if this is your first exposure to a Prius you probably won’t care. Quality materials abound. What’s more, the layout is logical, ergonomically efficient and pleasing to the eye.
A profusion of USB ports (six of them, actually), along with Android and CarPlay compatibility are standard. Leg, hip and shoulder room are ample at all seating positions too. Rear seat headroom is slightly compromised, but not terribly so.
Driving Impressions
Despite the racy new exterior styling, the Toyota’s driving experience leans more toward practicality than performance. Yes, this model is more powerful and refined than its ancestors, but it’s far from being an asphalt smelting thrill machine. Instead, its newfound aptitude is applied to amplifying the Toyota’s competence on the road.
Ride quality is more comfortable and quieter than before, while steering and braking are more predictable and confidence inspiring. Throttle response is also good and the engine, when it kicks in to take over for the electric motor, does so smoothly and unobtrusively.
Simply put, interior treatment aside, everything we’ve come to expect from a Prius has been improved, and it’s better looking too. The 2025 Toyota Prius PHEV XSE pricing had yet to be announced as of this writing. However, I’m thinking it will start somewhere around $38,000. SE versions should come in about $3,000 less and XSE Premium versions should be about $3,000 more.
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