Though few people would look at a Prius and see it as a high-performance vehicle, the truth is that they are every bit as rigorously engineered as a Porsche or BMW. Toyota's designers maintain a ruthless pursuit of fuel economy, improving whenever and wherever they can.

For 2022, several variations of the Prius are available, intended to appeal to the variety of hybrid car buyers who have different requirements. The Prius, the standard on which all the others are based, is a 4-door compact hatch that comes in L, LE, XLE, Limited and Nightshade trims. Prius LE, XLE and Nightshade trims can be optioned with AWD-e, an automatic, on-demand all-wheel-drive system that utilizes a rear-mounted electric motor to power the rear wheels as necessary.

All three standard Prius models are powered by a 1.8L 4-cylinder engine connected to Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive electric motor. The only transmission choice remains a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The interior of the Prius is big and airy, offering an open feel and a good view of the road ahead, with improved headroom over previous generations. Two 4.2-inch multi-information displays are housed within the instrument panel. Basic information such as speed and fuel level are displayed on the right. The left display, on the other hand, is programmable, allowing the driver to choose what information he or she wants to see at any time.

Basic features on the Prius include 15-inch alloy wheels, low rolling resistance tires and four-wheel disc brakes. Standard features include automatic climate control, a six-speaker sound system, a 7-inch touchscreen display, wireless device connectivity and 3 USB ports.

A suite of safety features as standard including a pedestrian detection system, a pre-collision warning system, as well as a radar-controlled dynamic cruise control system, an active lane departure system, blind spot warning, rear collision warning and a driver attention alert system.