GIIAS 2024: Fifth-Gen Toyota Prius Debuts with HEV & PHEV Options

The all-new fifth-gen Toyota Prius makes its Indonesian debut at GIIAS 2024. (Photo credit: GAIKINDO Facebook page)

Besides the facelifted Kia Carnival Hybrid, the 31st Gaikindo Indonesia International Auto Show (GIIAS) also welcomes yet another new model to the Indonesian market, this time the fifth-gen Toyota Prius. Shown at the auto show are both the series-parallel (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variants of the new Prius, alongside other new and existing Toyota models.

Fifth-gen Toyota Prius HEV

Focusing on the former, the Indo-bound Prius HEV only gets the 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain version instead of the new 2.0-litre ones we saw in its native Japanese market. Essentially the same powertrain used on the Corolla Cross Hybrid, this HEV setup comprises a 1.8-litre 4-cyl nat-asp 2ZR-FXE VVT-i Atkinson Cycle petrol mill that is augmented with a single electric motor and an e-CVT automatic gearbox to deliver a total system output of 138 HP.

While Toyota Indonesia hasn’t taken any orders for the Prius PHEV, the car was still shown at GIIAS 2024. Offered for the first time to the fifth-gen Prius model, this PHEV setup features a 2.0-litre 4-cyl nat-asp Dynamic Force petrol engine rated at 149 HP and 188 NM by itself, which is mated to a peppier electric motor rated at 161 HP and 208 NM.

Combined with a 13.6-kWh battery pack, the Prius PHEV boasts a total system output of 220 HP, while its all-electric range reads at a decent rate of 105 KM. Besides using the Dynamic Force petrol mill as a generator, the small battery pack can also be charged via an AC charger at up to 3.7 kW, which takes about four hours and 30 minutes to be fully charged.

Underpinning the revised version of the TNGA platform, the new fifth-gen Prius is far sportier and sleeker than any of its predecessors. Featuring a sleek hatchback body style with Toyota’s signature hammerhead front look, the new Prius has garnered many international accolades since making its debut back in Dec 2022, including both the 2023/24 Japan Car of the Year and NACTOY’s 2024 Car of the Year awards.

While the Indo-spec Prius is offered in the signature Mustard yellow exterior colour, unfortunately they are only offered on the standard 17-inch wheels instead of the larger and sportier ones we saw in other markets.

Due to its similar underpinnings, the new Prius shares many of its interior parts with the Toyota bZ4X EV SUV, notably the high-mounted digital instrument cluster. However, the Indonesian market is yet again getting a shorter end of a stick, as the Prius only comes with a small 9-inch infotainment unit that crowns above the centre air vents instead of the larger 12.3-inch unit used in other markets.

Fortunately, the Indonesians are still getting a full swing of ADAS for their Prius model, courtesy of the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 ADAS suite. Notable ADAS features present here include autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control (ACC), lane keep assist (LKA), auto high beam (AHB), and many more.

With the HEV model only available for purchase via indent order, the fifth-gen Toyota Prius HEV is tagged at IDR 698 million (RM201,613) for the Indonesian market, which is quite reasonable considering that the model is fully-imported (CBU) from Toyota’s Tsutsumi plant in Aichi, Japan.

Given that the new, fifth-gen Toyota Prius already debuted in the ASEAN region, it is only fair to ask when this sleek hybrid hatch will make its way into our market. Local Toyota distributor UMW Toyota Motor (UMWT) already previewed the sporty 24 Hour Le Mans Centennial GR Edition of the new Prius at its Beyond Zero showcase event earlier this year, so there’s a slight chance we may get this model sooner or later.