Key Features:

• Hybrid Drivetrain: Combines a gasoline engine with an electric motor for enhanced fuel efficiency.
• Fuel Efficiency: Offers impressive mileage, with some models achieving up to 57 mpg combined.
• Design: Features a sleek, aerodynamic design.
• Performance: Provides a balance of fuel economy and performance, with 0-60 mph acceleration in 7.0-7.2 seconds for some models.
• Interior: Offers a comfortable and functional cabin with features like heated and ventilated front seats, and flexible cargo space.
• Technology: Equipped with advanced technology, including multimedia touchscreen displays, wireless smartphone charging, and safety features like blind spot monitoring and lane departure warning.

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Let's explore the current models (referring to the 2024 and 2025 model years as they are most current) and then dive into its comprehensive safety features.

Toyota Prius: Current Models/Trim Levels

The Toyota Prius typically comes in a few distinct trim levels, offering a balance of features, technology, and price. For the current generation (5th generation, XW60), common trims include:

• LE (Base Model):

  • Focus: Value-oriented, offering excellent fuel economy and essential modern features.
  • Key Features: The LE comes standard with an 8-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™, a 7-inch Multi-Information Display (MID) for the driver, fabric-trimmed seats, and the full suite of Toyota Safety Sense 3.0. It's available with either Front-Wheel Drive (FWD) or Electronic On-Demand All-Wheel Drive (AWD-e).
  • Fuel Economy: Often achieves the highest MPG ratings within the lineup due to its smaller wheel size (typically 17-inch) and standard features.

  

• XLE (Mid-Range):

  • Focus: Adds more comfort, convenience, and styling upgrades.
  • Key Features (adds to LE): Upgrades to 19-inch alloy wheels, SofTex®-trimmed heated front seats (with 8-way power adjustment for the driver), a heated steering wheel, wireless smartphone charging, and Smart Key System on all four doors (instead of just the driver's). It also includes front and rear parking assist with automatic braking.
  • Interior: Features more premium materials and additional driver-focused conveniences.

   

• Nightshade Edition (Special Appearance Package):

  • Focus: A newer addition, building on the XLE trim but adding a distinctive blacked-out aesthetic.
  • Key Features (builds on XLE): Features black badging, black bumper trim, a black roof-mounted shark fin antenna, and black door handles. It sits on unique 19-inch black-finished alloy wheels. The interior often includes carbon fiber detailing on the dashboard and black SofTex® seats with gray stitching.
  • Style: Designed for those who want a more aggressive and stylish look.

  

• Limited (Top-of-the-Line):

  • Focus: The most luxurious and technologically advanced Prius, offering the full range of available features.
  • Key Features (adds to XLE): Upgrades to a larger 12.3-inch Toyota Audio Multimedia touchscreen, a premium JBL® 8-speaker audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, a digital rearview mirror, and a power rear liftback. It can also feature a Panoramic View Monitor (360-degree camera system) and available Digital Key capability. Some markets also offer heated rear seats.
  • Technology & Comfort: Provides the ultimate in comfort, connectivity, and driver assistance.

   

All current generation Prius models (LE, XLE, Nightshade, Limited) share the same powerful and efficient 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain, producing a combined 194 horsepower for FWD models and 196 horsepower for AWD-e models.

Toyota Prius: Safety Features (Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 and More)

Toyota has consistently prioritized safety, and the latest Prius models come standard with an impressive array of active and passive safety features. The cornerstone of its active safety is Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) 3.0, which is the latest iteration of Toyota's suite of advanced driver-assistance systems.

Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (Standard on all trims):

• Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection (PCS w/PD): This system can detect vehicles, pedestrians, bicyclists, and even motorcyclists. It provides visual and audible alerts and, if necessary, can automatically apply the brakes to help avoid or mitigate a collision.
• Full-Speed Range Dynamic Radar Cruise Control (DRCC): An adaptive cruise control system that maintains a preset distance from the vehicle ahead, even in stop-and-go traffic.
• Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist (LDA w/SA): Detects when the vehicle unintentionally drifts from its lane and can provide gentle steering input to help keep it centered.
• Lane Tracing Assist (LTA): Works with DRCC to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane on highways, even in mild curves.
• Automatic High Beams (AHB): Automatically switches between high and low beams based on ambient light and the presence of other vehicles.
• Road Sign Assist (RSA): Uses a camera to detect certain road signs (like speed limit signs) and displays them on the Multi-Information Display.
• Proactive Driving Assist (PDA): A newer feature that provides subtle braking and steering support to help maintain a safe distance from other vehicles, pedestrians, or curves in the road, even when DRCC is not engaged.

Additional Safety and Convenience Features (Availability may vary by trim):

• Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert (RCTA): Alerts the driver to vehicles in adjacent lanes that are not visible in the side mirrors and warns of approaching vehicles when backing out of a parking space.
• Front and Rear Parking Assist with Automatic Braking (PA w/AB): Uses sonar sensors to detect obstacles when parking at low speeds and can apply the brakes if a collision is imminent.
• Panoramic View Monitor (PVM): Provides a 360-degree bird's-eye view of the vehicle's surroundings, displayed on the infotainment screen, making parking and maneuvering in tight spaces much easier.
• Advanced Park: An available feature that can assist the driver with parallel parking or backing into a perpendicular parking spot by controlling steering, acceleration, and braking.
• Integrated Backup Camera: Standard on all models, providing a clear view of the area behind the vehicle when reversing.
• 8 Airbags: Including driver and front passenger advanced airbags, driver and front passenger seat-mounted side airbags, driver's knee airbag, and front and rear side curtain airbags.
• Star Safety System™: Toyota's foundational safety suite which includes 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).
• Whiplash-Injury-Lessening (WIL) Front Seats: Designed to help reduce the severity of whiplash injuries in certain rear-end collisions.

Safety Ratings:

The latest generation Toyota Prius has received high safety ratings from organizations like the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), often earning top honors like the IIHS's "Top Safety Pick+" award. This reflects its robust construction and comprehensive suite of safety technologies.

The Prius combines its legendary fuel efficiency with a commitment to driver and passenger safety, making it a highly appealing choice in the hybrid segment.