Once the darling of the biggest Japanese car brand on earth, the Prius has taken some big sales hits over the past few years. It's down 50% from last year, in fact. That's a big deal because it used to be the hybrid leader in the industry, and it's the one that pioneered the movement. Right now, it's getting beaten by its own sibling, the RAV4 Prime
There are a number of factors that contribute to this including new entrants into the hybrid game, the onslaught of electric cars, and the fact that the Prius is just plain weird looking. Toyota recognizes that, and the 2023 Prius should be a significant departure from that weirdness. A total redesign will debut in two days, but Toyota has given us a teaser.
In the image above and in the lead image, you can see a totally different approach to the Prius's design. Instead disjointed and rather busy front end like the current car's, the new Prius will get a sleeker and more unified front end with bracketed C-shaped headlights that doesn't make the front end look like it was pinched too hard.
The side view shows more of a fastback style rear than the squared-off version from the current car. It also seems like the front windshield is more steeply raked. Overall, the teaser shows a more attractive Prius with styling that's far less odd. Our favorite Prius (if we HAD to pick one) was the first-generation car that was unique enough to be different without encroaching into the territory of ugly. For the first time, it appears that the new Prius will actually look sporty. Wow, what a change.
The rendering above (courtesy of Wapcar) looks pretty close to what the next Prius will look like. If this is even remotely true, it seems likely that It will be the best-looking Prius ever. The car still looks unique enough to set itself apart from the rest of the pack, but it's also no longer just plain ugly. The reveal of the official Prius takes place on November 16th, so let's keep our fingers crossed.
