The 2023 Toyota Prius has just been unveiled, and it’s pretty much everything we said it was going to be. The revolutionary new version of the iconic hybrid looks like an elegant coupe. There’s even a potent plug-in hybrid version with about 220 hp and an impressive EV range.
However, there’s always something interesting going on with Toyota models sold in Japan, and that’s the body kits they offer. Customization is such a huge part of car culture that many brands offer kits right on the day of the launch, and the dedicated team at Modellista has created not one but two body kits for the 2023 (and later) Prius hybrid.
One kit is called Elegant Ice Style and the other one is Neo Advance Style. Japanese branding will never stop being entertaining, but I’d like to think of them as “Vanilla” and “Gundam Warrior” because that’s what these look like.
The Nio kit adds a big front spoiler that attaches to the factory bumper. What’s interesting about this is the spoiler comes with Lamborghini-like lights right at the bottom and a set of blue halos in the grille which give it that Gundam look. Modellista is an in-house brand, which is how this redesign was available right as Toyota revealed the car.
You also get some brash side skirts, new wheels and a diffuser at the back. Meanwhile, Elegant Ice Style has much more discreet versions of all these add-ons. Now, pricing hasn’t been revealed yet, but on the previous generation, one of these kits would cost under $1,600. Obviously, they’re specific to Japan, but it’s not impossible to have them shipped.
2023 Toyota Prius: what’s new
In case you didn’t get the memo, this Prius is an all-new model. The fifth generation of the most iconic hybrid of all time is based on the second version of the TNGA platform and brings multiple upgrades over its predecessor.
As far as dimensions are concerned, the new Prius XW60 is 22mm or 0.9 inches wider than the XW50 it replaces. The wheelbase was stretched by 50mm or almost 2 inches, greatly improving legroom even though overall length has gone down by 46mm (1.8 inches).
The 2023 Prius will undoubtedly also get a TRD body kit as well. Most Japanese Toyotas do, but this one is quite deserving because of its new top powertrain, a plug-in hybrid producing up to 220 hp that can apparently hit 62 mph in 6.7 seconds. Just like the Corolla, the Prius will now also be offered with a 2.0-liter hybrid drive producing as much as 193 hp, and that’s in addition to the usual 1.8-liter.
