2021 Toyota Prius Prime review | Car Reviews

Auto123 assessments the 2021 Toyota Prius Key.

The Prius is nonetheless the ideal-regarded hybrid motor vehicle on the market place. In fantastic section that’s simply because it was a single of, if not THE first motor vehicle to undertake a powertrain combining a combustion engine and electrical motor. Commencing in 2004, the Prius designed its mark on the automotive landscape. It was the communicate of the city, or at minimum of some corners of it, and its stinginess on gasoline was just a single of the points that experienced folks chatting – the car’s odd form was a common topic of dialogue as well.

Here’s a minimal anecdote from a single of our automotive journalists that relates his first working experience with a Prius. He was on a spouse and children trip in the United States and when he arrived at the motor vehicle rental business office, he was provided a Toyota Prius. At first, our hero kindly refused the offer you. The motor vehicle rental representative insisted, and finally confident him. The only ailment our hero established was that he could return the motor vehicle to any branch and just take a further design if he wasn’t glad.

In the celebration, the employee’s family vacation went really well. The spouse and children fell in adore with the Prius simply because in addition to owning all the space they desired for travellers and luggage in the trunk, gasoline consumption for the duration of their holiday was only four.6L/100 km right after a minimal more than two,500 km. The Prius was and is an all-around gasoline economy champion.

The arrival of the Prius Key represented a further enhancement. We will not likely go into all the information of the motor vehicle, as it can be really a lot the exact same as the 2020 version you can examine our total 2020 Prius Key assessment to find out more. We will, however, be aware the couple of new capabilities that are introduced to the 2021 design.

2021 Toyota Prius Prime review | Car Reviews

2021 Toyota Prius Key, profile

Protection
Toyota adds Protection Perception two., a established of energetic security systems that assist the driver steer clear of or mitigate collisions. Also now consists of is the dynamic cruise manage, which tracks the motor vehicle in entrance of you and can even carry the motor vehicle to a total stop. The procedure restarts the motor vehicle as soon as the motor vehicle in entrance of you commences transferring once more. It was a single of the capabilities I tested and I can confirm its effectiveness.

Know-how
Other additions consist of the integration of Android Vehicle. This is a welcome insert-on, as recall that the 2020 design only experienced Apple CarPlay. The 2021 version also welcomes the Smart Crucial procedure with drive-button start out and a 120-volt electric power outlet.

2021 Toyota Prius Prime, interior

2021 Toyota Prius Key, inside

Pricing
Rates boost only a little bit from the 2020 Prius Key. The base design commences at $33,150, followed by $35,990 for the Improve variation and $38,340 if you insert the Know-how Package deal. You can deduct from the totals applicable provincial government incentives in Quebec and British Columbia.

Fuel economy
The Prius Key gives an all-electrical (EV) assortment of up to 40 km on a one demand, in accordance to Toyota Canada. All through our check drive, we arrived at a assortment of fifty two km on quite a few events. After this electrical assortment, the one.8-litre in-line four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine requires about.

The figures in accordance to Pure Methods Canada are one.8L/100 km and in accordance to Toyota Canada, the Prius has a total assortment of 1035 km on a total forty three-litre tank of gasoline (and total battery demand of system). We did not have occasion to validate this, but we have no trouble believing that homeowners would get about that.

Total, we enjoyed the Prius Key for the duration of our week-long check drive. Why? Very first of all, we drove 530 km in a single week and used only one.nine litres of gasoline.

Even far better, it took beneath 6 hrs to recharge the battery to get again about 50 km of assortment. What that intended is that, nevertheless I’m nonetheless working from dwelling, I could just take the little ones to school, appear again dwelling, recharge the battery, choose up the little ones at the conclusion of the working day and run a couple of errands along the way, driving around ninety km for the duration of the working day, and not use a one drop of gasoline. That’s what I contact a mandate fulfilled!

2021 Toyota Prius Prime, front

2021 Toyota Prius Key, entrance

For individuals not fairly ready to switch to pure electrical vehicles just nonetheless, the 2021 Toyota Prius Key is in fact a fantastic compromise option. You get a first rate assortment in all-electrical mode, and no tension because the combustion engine is there to just take about when the battery operates out.

Of system, its lots of characteristics aside, the Prius Key isn’t best either. You have to get earlier its form and general visual appearance, which we’ll politely contact a little bit exclusive. Since aesthetically speaking, let’s be truthful, it can be not stunning. Neither from the entrance nor from the again.

Within, meanwhile, you pay back additional for the Improve trim, but the 11.five-inch display and the Softex are really aggravating just about every for their personal reason. The former gets to be completely unreadable in sunlight, and the latter is a suffering simply because you are inclined to slide around on it. For these explanations, we think that the base design will offer you you the ideal of both worlds with its extremely-economical engine, 7-inch display, heated entrance seats and a heated steering wheel.

2021 Toyota Prius Prime, gear shifter, screen

2021 Toyota Prius Key, gear shifter, display

We like

Easy experience
Room on board
Ease and comfort
Overall economy

We like a lot less

11-inch display
Softex seats
Exclusive visual appearance
Confined cargo space

The competitiveness

Honda Clarity
Hyundai Ioniq PHEV
Kia Niro PHEV
Ford Fusion energi (although supplies previous)

2021 Toyota Prius Prime, rear

2021 Toyota Prius Key, rear

Professionals

Shoppers

2021 Toyota Prius Key photographs