Instantly recognizable with its wind-piercing shape, the Toyota Prius, becomes the first dedicated hybrid model to join Toyota’s growing family of Nightshade special editions for 2022. Available in either front-wheel drive or AWD-e versions, the new Prius Nightshade brings an unexpectedly bold style to the car that made “hybrid” a household word.
Based on the Toyota New Global Architecture, the fourth-generation Prius adds a Nightshade Special Edition alongside the L Eco, LE, LE AWD-e, XLE, XLE AWD-e and Limited grades.
New for 2022, all Prius grades add a standard Rear Seat Reminder. This vital safety feature, which is designed to activate based on door sequencing logic, can alert the driver that a child or pet remains in the back seat when the car is stopped, the transmission is shifted into park and the car is turned off. In addition, both the XLE and Limited grades add new integrated fog lights with LED accent lights.
Service Connect trial, now available for all Prius grades, provides a vehicle health report and maintenance alerts to the car, and can also send maintenance reminders via email, the Toyota App or a Toyota Owner’s online account.
Prius Goes High-Drama with Nightshade Special Edition
The 2022 Prius Nightshade special edition is available in Midnight Black Metallic, Super White and Silver Metallic. A slew of special exterior accent features include black headlight accents, mirror caps, door handles and a shark fin antenna. This extroverted Prius rides on black 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels on the FWD model, and 15-inch alloy wheels on the AWD-e version, paired with black lug nuts.
More than a cosmetic makeover, the Prius Nightshade adds features from the XLE grade, including 3-door Smart Key system, standard SofTex®-trimmed, heated, adjustable front seats and SofTex-trimmed heated tilt/telescopic steering wheel. Additional interior features include SofTex-trimmed door armrest area and seatback pockets, chrome accent interior door handles, 60/40 split fold-down rear seats with center armrest and a retractable tonneau cargo area cover.
More Than Six Million Sold
Introduced to the world in 1997, the Toyota Prius was the world’s first mass-production hybrid car. Toyota has since sold more than six million Prius vehicles worldwide, with about one-third of those in the U.S.
The Prius liftback models are powered by a combination of a high-efficiency 1.8-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and two motor-generators through an electronically controlled planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT). The air conditioning system, which uses a quiet, electric compressor, works intelligently to help maximize energy efficiency, with the Smart-flow (S-FLOW) mode directing airflow only to seated occupants to conserve energy.
The AWD-e system uses a dedicated rear electric motor to power the rear wheels only when needed, such as to confidently pull away from a stop or when front wheel slippage is detected up to 43 MPH. This automatic on-demand system can recognize when all-wheel-drive traction is not needed and can disengage it to maximize fuel economy. The Prius AWD-e models are rated at an EPA estimated 51 city/47 highway/49 combined MPG.
Efficient by Design
The unmistakable Prius silhouette remains its signature design feature, designed to cheat the wind with an ultra-low 0.24 coefficient of drag (Cd). An automatic grille shutter reduces aerodynamic drag by closing when airflow to the radiator is not needed. The iconic body shape pushes the boundaries of interior space to the point that the EPA classifies Prius as a midsize car. Thanks to its unique liftback design, the Prius front-wheel drive models offer 50.7 cu. ft. of cargo space with the rear seatbacks folded.
Standard Bi-LED headlamps and LED rear combination lamps provide better light than halogens and also reduce energy consumption and give a longer service life. A full-width glass panel beneath the rear spoiler aids rearward visibility while also serving as a distinctive Prius design feature.
Premium Tech for All Aboard
Prius models come with the familiar central screen interface, a signature feature available in every Prius since the original. In all 2022 models, the 4.2-inch color Dual Multi-Information Display with customizable screens includes Energy Monitor and Hybrid System Indicator with Eco Score, Eco Savings Record, Drive Monitor, Eco Wallet and Eco Diary features, plus displays for climate control, driver support systems, audio system content and navigation system. The AWD-e models also add and AWD-e system indicator.
The XLE, Nightshade and Limited add Smart Key functionality on three doors. All Prius grades except Limited come standard with a 7-inch touchscreen display and 6-speaker audio system with Android Auto™, Apple CarPlay® and Amazon Alexa compatibility. Also included are SiriusXM® three-month Platinum Plan trial subscription (see Toyota.com/audio-multimedia for details); Toyota Safety Connect® one-year trial, Service Connect with 10-year trial and Wi-Fi Connect with up to 2 GB within three-month trial (see Toyota.com/connected-services for details).
Prius occupants can keep their devices connected and charged with an auxiliary audio jack, one USB 2.0 port with iPod® connectivity and two 2.1-amp USB charge ports, a Qi wireless phone charging tray that accommodates larger phones and one 12V power outlet. Additional technology features include advanced voice recognition, Bluetooth® hands-free phone capability, phone book access and music streaming, Siri® Eyes Free and an integrated backup camera display.
The Prius Limited exclusively features Premium Audio with Integrated Navigation and JBL® system with 11.6-inch touchscreen with split-screen display, 10 JBL speakers with amplifier, Apple CarPlay and Amazon Alexa compatibility and SiriusXM with three-month Platinum Plan trial subscription.
Standard Safety
All Prius models are equipped with Toyota’s Star Safety system, which includes Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control (VSC), Traction Control (TRAC), Anti-lock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and Smart Stop Technology (SST).
The standard Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 (TSS-2.0) system includes:
- Pre-Collision System with Low-Light Pedestrian Detection
- Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
- Daytime Bicyclist Detection
- Lane Departure Alert
- Automatic High Beams
- Road Sign Assist
Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection is designed to help offer automatic braking capability under certain conditions should the driver not react in time in an emergency situation. Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Intelligent Clearance Sonar with Intelligent Parking Assist are standard on all grades except L Eco.
The Prius is one of 10 Toyota hybrid models and one of 11 electrified vehicles, including the Mirai Hydrogen Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Others include the Corolla Hybrid, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, Venza, Sienna, RAV4 Hybrid and Highlander Hybrid, plus the RAV4 Prime and Prius Prime plug-in hybrids and the Mirai Fuel-Cell Electric Vehicle.
2022 Prius Pricing
* MSRP excludes delivery, processing and handling fee, which may be subject to change at any time. Excludes taxes, title, license and optional equipment. Dealer price will vary.
Toyota Limited Warranty
All Toyota Prius models come with a 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty and 60-month/60,000-mile powertrain warranty. Toyota’s hybrid battery warranty is for 10 years or 150,000 miles from the vehicle’s in-service date, whichever occurs first. The hybrid system warranty is for 8 years or 100,000 miles from the vehicle’s in-service date, whichever occurs first. For complete details, visit Toyota.com/Prius.
All 2022 Prius models also come standard with ToyotaCare, a no-cost plan covering normal factory-scheduled maintenance, for two years or 25,000 miles, whichever comes first, and three years of 24-hour Roadside Assistance, regardless of mileage.
SOURCE: Toyota
