2020 Toyota Prius Prime picks up Apple CarPlay and a fifth seat
There are no visual changes, just quality-of-life improvements.
Toyota may have given the regular Prius a redesign for the 2019 model year, but the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid soldiered on unchanged. The automaker will change that, though, with a slew of solid updates for the 2020 model year.
Toyota this week unveiled a raft of changes for the 2020 Toyota Prius. However, the aesthetics remain unchanged, leaving the Prius Prime to look like a sharper yet also wackier version of the regular Prius. The two do look a bit more similar, though, thanks to the 2019 Prius' visual updates.
The adjustments focus on interior comfort and tech. Perhaps most importantly, Toyota has added Apple CarPlay , SiriusXM satellite radio and Amazon Alexa compatibility as standard equipment across the lineup. To ensure everybody's devices are topped off for post-drive adventures, the 2020 Prius Prime now sports two extra USB ports in the second row.
Speaking of the second row, it now accommodates three individuals, up from two in previous model years. That's the major interior update, as the rest are pretty inconsequential. There's a new extender for the sun visors, the white interior accents have been swapped out for black ones and the front-heated seat buttons have been relocated for easier access.
Finally, Toyota also revamped the hierarchy of the lineup. Instead of Plus, Premium and Advanced trims, they're now called LE, XLE and Limited, mirroring other Toyota vehicles. When the 2020 Toyota Prius Prime goes on sale this summer, it'll start at $27,600 before destination, rising to $29,500 for the midlevel XLE and $33,500 for the top-tier Limited. Its battery still permits an all-electric range of 25 miles, but taking the gas tank into account, it can run up to 640 miles before it needs more go-go juice.
