(November 17, 2023) MotorTrend has named the 2024 Toyota Prius as the 2024 Car of the Year. This marks the second time that the Prius has won the award — the first being in 2004.

Twenty-three years ago, this high-tech sedan rolled into U.S. Toyota dealerships and forever changed the automotive industry. The Prius became the world’s first production hybrid car and ushered in a new generation of vehicles that combined an electric motor with a high-efficiency engine to get you farther with gas. Now, over two decades later, this legendary nameplate is making waves — once again — as MotorTrend’s Car of the Year.

“Toyota has fundamentally redefined the essence of a Prius with its new model, which represents a crowning achievement in its evolution,” said MotorTrend Group head of editorial Ed Loh. “The Prius succeeded in capturing the hearts and minds of MotorTrend judges by offering an undeniably attractive and engaging car — all while upholding its hallmark traits of efficiency, safety, and affordability.

"In an automotive landscape grappling with a scarcity of affordable EV options and inadequate charging infrastructure in the U.S., Toyota made the Prius hybrid the right car for this moment and rightfully earned MotorTrend’s 2024 Car of the Year award in the process.”

With sporty exterior styling, a sleek silhouette, and up to an EPA-estimated 57 MPG combined, this new-generation Prius is made to move you. Available in LE, XLE, or Limited grades, it’s packed with options and technology like the Toyota Audio Multimedia Audio system and comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0.

Powered by the fifth generation Toyota Hybrid System and a 2.0L engine, the has an output of 194 horsepower on the FWD drive model. And for models equipped with the available Electronic On-Demand AWD system, the output climbs to 196 HP.

“We are thrilled Prius is returning to this prestigious podium once again after 20 years,” said David Christ, Toyota Division group vice president and general manager. “Prius has evolved from being the first to becoming legendary. At Toyota, we strive to offer mobility products that fit our customers’ lifestyles and the Prius does this by offering a sleek and sexy style, a dynamic driving experience and innovative technology. We are grateful for this recognition.”

The Prius competed against top contenders in MotorTrend’s annual evaluation of the most competent, desirable, and capable vehicles to debut for the 2024 model year. As part of the evaluation, MotorTrend editors put the Car of the Year contenders to the test both on the street and on the test track to determine a verdict.

Other finalists include the 22024 Tesl Model 3, 2024 Lucid Air, 2024 Hyundai Ionia 6, 2023 BMW M2, and 2023 BMW 7-Series.