Whenever a new Toyota debuts at home in Japan, it’s immediately followed by a slew of upgrades from both Modelsta and TRD. The fifth-generation Prius is no exception as the popular hybrid car – which now looks better than ever – has already been pampered by two of the automaker’s in-house tuners. Toyota Racing Development is previewing the new model with an assortment of Gazoo Racing branded parts.
Unlike the flashy Modellista package introduced earlier this week, these GR parts are more subtle. A prominent spoiler lip is prominent at the front while the rear tailgate hosts a pair of winglets. The 2023 Prius is fitted with different, possibly slightly larger wheels and appears to have black wind deflectors as apparently those are still a thing in the Land of the Rising Sun.
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It should be noted that this is not the first time Toyota is giving the Prius the GR treatment as the once-popular hybrid in Japan has had sporty bits since the second half of 2017. States and Prius+ in Europe and the Prius PHV (Prime in the US) have been available locally in GR Sport trim for about five years. The GR Sport sits at the bottom of the GR food chain, below the mid-range GR and the high-end GRMN.
It looks like Toyota will come out with a true performance version of the all-new Prius as the model is still all about performance. That said, the latest generation is more powerful than the model it replaces for both the Standard and Prime flavors. The former has just under 200 hp while the latter delivers a respectable 220 hp, good for 0 to 60 mph in just 6.6 seconds.
That makes the Prius Prime just half a second slower than the 2023 GR 86. Even the regular model is much faster than before, taking 7.2 seconds to complete the task or 2.6 seconds less than its predecessor. The all-wheel drive version of the non-prime Prius reduces the sprint time to 7.0 seconds.