LOS ANGELES – Like a lot of automotive enthusiasts, I’ve always been a little derisive towards Toyota’s Prius, mostly because the car has always been a bit lacking in guts. In fact, a running joke I have with a few other automotive journalists I know involves uttering the words “it’s always a f*cking Prius” when we come upon slower traffic during press drives. That’s because it often actually is a Prius holding up the works. I’ve dropped this line on many a California freeway, from Sacramento on down to San Diego. And, of course, I’ve said plenty of times bopping around my home base of Chicago.

I’ve never been a huge fan of the car’s styling, which has always been, shall we say, unusual.

That said, I’m a fair-minded sort, and I am paid to evaluate cars honestly, and I have always tried to take into account the Prius’ plusses. It’s a fuel-economy champ, the cabin has always felt spacious, and it’s offered up utility and the ability to pass many a gas pump at a relatively low MSRP. Most Prius owners – even the ones who aren’t using their Prius for ride-share duty – are happy to exchange speed and style for function and frugality.

Enter the fifth-generation Toyota Prius and Prius Prime. With which Toyota has looked at the often-contradictory nexus of fuel economy and power and decided to follow the advice from a well-worn meme. Why not both?

To that end, Toyota has a new hybrid system that uses a 2.0-Liter Gas Engine and a new lithium-ion battery. According to Toyota, the new battery, which replaces a nickel-metal battery, is smaller and weighs less but puts out 15 percent more power. The battery is under the rear seat.

All-wheel drive is available, and these models have an electric motor driving the rear wheels. These models have a combined system output of 196 horsepower and Toyota touts a 0-60 time of seven seconds flat. Front-wheel-drive models make 194 horsepower and Toyota says FWD cars can get from zero to sixty in 7.2 seconds. There are three drive modes: Normal, Eco, and Sport.

There are also three trims: LE, XLE, and Limited. Toyota is claiming up to 57 mpg in a LE with front-wheel drive.

Using the second generation of the TNGA-C platform, this Prius gains rigidity while losing weight. The stance is wider and the driver position is lower. The roofline drops 2 inches and the rear gains an inch of width. The hip point also drops by about an inch.

Standard features on LE will include 17-inch wheels, an 8-inch infotainment screen, six USB ports, blind-spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert. Optional will be front and rear parking assist with automatic braking.

Standard or optional features on the two higher trims will include 18-inch wheels, heated front seats, wireless device charging, digital key, fixed glass roof, a larger infotainment screen (12.3 inches), heated steering wheel, JBL audio, power rear door, digital rearview mirror, panoramic-view monitor, and heated rear seats.

Other available features include Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and satellite radio.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 is standard, and the advanced driver-aid systems it comes with include a pre-collision system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, full-speed dynamic radar cruise control, lane-tracing assist, road-sign assist, automatic high beams, and proactive driving assist. That last one uses camera and radar to brake or steer gently in certain situations.

Toyota hasn’t forgotten the plug-in hybrid Prius Prime, either, and neither have we. Available in SE, XSE, and XSE Premium trim, the Prime adds a few available features – such as a solar roof, lane-change assist, front cross-traffic alert, and traffic-jam assist and offers up 220 horsepower and a claimed 0-60 time of 6.6 seconds. Its hybrid system also uses a 2.0-liter gas engine and lithium-ion battery pack.

The Prime is 2 inches lower, an inch wider, and an inch longer than what came before. Toyota says it has “more than” 50 percent of the 25-mile EV-only range of the previous car available. So that means more than 37.5 miles of EV-only driving.

The car looks sleeker than before – it’s quite fetching in photos. Your humble author will add in-person photos and a quick take once he’s seen the car live, which he will do tonight. Expect an update later tonight or early tomorrow.

Pricing and an on-sale date for the 2023 Toyota Prius and Toyota Prius Prime have not yet been announced.

[Images: Toyota]

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