The hybrid gets extra LEDs and chrome accents.
Toyota has done what seemed virtually impossible by introducing this week a truly attractive Prius. It has more than a bit of Crown DNA combined with a sleek shape and sharp lights front and rear. The automaker’s in-house tuner is not wasting any time as Modellista is now introducing a couple of body kits for the completely revamped hybrid. You can either choose from Neo Advance Style or Elegant Ice Style to bulk up the 2023 model.
The 2023 Prius in Neo specification is the one to get if you prefer the extra lights embedded into the front bumper, which is also visibly larger than the standard piece. The corners of the bumper have boomerang-shaped LEDs and are complemented by two blue lights in the corners of the lower air intake. Custom wheels with an intricate spoke layout are likely a pain to clean and we’re fairly certain some will find their design too busy.
Elegant Ice Style is more subtle since it eschews the additional LEDs and gets chrome accents instead. The rectangular trim pieces at the bottom of the rear bumper give the impression of fake exhaust tips while the wheels are the same installed on the Neo kit. Beefier side skirts are part of the package, as is an extended front bumper that drivers will likely damage not long after taking delivery of the new Prius.
The fifth-generation model is worthy of more aggressive styling now that it has as much as 220 horsepower (164 kilowatts) for the plug-in hybrid version. The PHEV is relatively quick by doing the 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) sprint in 6.7 seconds. Toyota has also upgraded the regular hybrid by increasing the output of the 2.0-liter version to a more than decent 193 hp (144 kW).
That’s not to say the new Prius fully deserves to look this muscular but Modellista’s modus operandi is to give Toyotas overly aggressive styling. From the factory, the Mk5 is 22 millimeters (nearly 0.9 inches) wider than the model it replaces and has had its wheelbase stretched by 50 mm (almost 2 in) even though the overall length has been reduced by 46 mm (1.8 in). The size of these custom wheels is not mentioned, but the OEM ones can be as large as 19 inches.
It’s likely only a matter of time before the new Prius will also receive an array of TRD parts.
