In fact, we tested two different Prius variants in 2023, the parallel hybrid and the slightly more expensive plug-in hybrid, which features a bigger battery pack and about 35 miles of electric range. But the real headline is 57 mpg (4.13 L/100 km)-assuming you picked a Prius on the smaller wheels. The engine has grown slightly in capacity, there's a lithium ion traction battery in place of the previous car's NiMH pack, and electric all-wheel drive is an option now too.

Lower and wider than before, the dramatic-looking Prius is still all about fuel efficiency despite the makeover. Out went a weird-looking car that appeared to have been designed by two entirely separate teams that then crashed their creations together in came a super-sleek replacement with a more-steeply raked windshield than a Lamborghini Huracan.

The transformation of the Toyota Prius from fourth- to fifth-generation would be worthy of one of Hans-Christian Anderson's fairy tales. The twin-motor car might be faster, but it's less engaging to drive, has less range, and costs a whole bunch more. Only about 30 percent of US Polestar customers have picked the single-motor model in the past, but they're missing out. There's more standard equipment than before, and it's more efficient, too. Not Polestar-it mostly left the cosmetics alone but moved the electric motor in the single-motor Polestar 2 from under the hood, where it drove the front wheels, to the rear, where it now drives the rear wheels.Ĭombined with a bit of a bump in power (ok, 29 percent more power and 48 percent more torque), the result is a real driver's car, with better steering and handling than the front-wheel drive Polestar 2 it replaces. Normally, an automaker might restyle the bumpers or change the headlights and tweak the interior when it gives a model its spruce-up after a few years on sale. In addition to claiming the top spot in 2023, Polestar might also win a prize for the most significant reengineering job for a midlife refresh.

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