2027 Toyota Prius and Prius PHEV First Look: Small Tweaks, Slightly Higher Prices, Same Sharp Style

When Toyota revealed the then-all-new 2023 Prius for the first time, the compact hybrid sedan shocked the world. The once-boring slab of an appliance on wheels became a beautiful swan seemingly overnight. Now, four model years later, it’s still as good-looking as ever. That’s not to say it couldn’t use some improvements, and it appears Toyota has tweaked a few things without ruining the character or the price of either the standard hybrid or the plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) versions of the 2027 Prius.

It’s Only a Few Hundred More

There are only two bits of bad news to report about the 2027 Prius. The first is that the PHEV is still limited to front-wheel drive, but that’s something we don’t expect will change until the next generation comes along. The other is that both versions are more expensive than they were in 2026, but that increase is only $305 across all trims and drivetrains. That’s something worth celebrating in 2026, if you ask us. The base trim of the Prius hybrid, the LE FWD, starts at $30,050, and the PHEV SE starts at $35,275.

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An Efficiency Drop

Although both will save you quite a bit of cash by cutting fuel stops, that initial hurdle is getting harder for many families who could use a good hybrid in their driveway. But if you can afford the $30,050, the LE FWD returns an astoundingly high 59/50/55 mpg city/highway/combined on the EPA cycle. That’s a change from the 2026 model year, which was rated at 57/56/57 mpg, as the 2027 model’s slight rise in city efficiency isn’t enough to offset its significant drop in highway mpg.

Add AWD to the LE trim and the numbers fall to 56/49/53 mpg, both city and highway efficiencies drop from the 2026 model as well. We’ve reached out to Toyota to see what changed to cause the drop, as the engine, CVT, and body design do not appear to warrant such a decline in highway mileage.

Mostly unchanged is the Prius PHEV's efficiency. It still gets 114 mpg-e combined on the XSE and up. The SE trim, however, is now rated at 129 mpg-e, up 2 mpg-e from 2026, but both trims’ combined gas-only EPA ratings are down by 1 mpg, now showing 51 mpg for the SE and 47 mpg for the XSE and above.

All Prius Models Get Dual-Zone Climate and a New Black

The only major change that could have any effect, though it should do so across all EPA cycles, is the addition of dual-zone climate control. This was a feature previously limited to just the top-of-the-line hybrid Limited trim while the PHEV XSE Premium missed out, but now all trims of the Prius and Prius PHEV get this HVAC functionality. This does, however, help explain some of the $305 price increase across all but the Limited grade.

Another new addition to both versions of the Prius is a new body color called Inked, a new black paint job that replaces Midnight Black Metallic and will be one of the four no-cost color options. The two upcharge colors, Supersonic Red and Wind Chill Pearl, remain and cost the same $475 as they did in 2026. The Nightshade trim only has Inked, Karashi, and Wind Chill Pearl, a $475 option, as body-color choices for 2027.

Save for the changes mentioned, the 2027 Prius and Prius PHEV are carryovers from 2026. As such, the Prius hybrid comes standard with an 8.0-inch infotainment screen on the LE, XLE, and Nightshade trims, while the hybrid Limited and PHEV XSE Premium come standard with a 12.3-inch display. You can order the hybrid Nightshade with the larger screen for $735, but the upgrade is only $610 for the Nightshade and XSE PHEVs. Standard audio comes from a six-speaker sound system, but the hybrid Limited and PHEV XSE Premium trims gain an eight-speaker JBL Premium Audio system as standard. All variants also get wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

All 2027 Toyota Prius models, including the PHEV, come standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0, which includes lane departure alert, dynamic cruise control, lane trace assist, road sign assist, automatic high beams, and a pre-collision system with brake assist.

The 2027 Toyota Prius and 2027 Toyota Prius PHEV are available to order now and are expected to arrive at your local Toyota dealer soon.