2026 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid

The Toyota Prius name has been around for a quarter-century now, but not everyone knows it has a plug-in variant that’s even more efficient than the regular version (reviewed separately). The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid (PHEV) is capable of traveling up to 44 miles on electricity alone, and even with a depleted battery, it still gets up to 52 mpg in mixed driving. To our pleasant surprise, a lively driving experience augmented by the electric motor makes driving the Prius PHEV as enjoyable as its low fuel costs. Further enhancing its value proposition, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is America’s most affordable PHEV and has excellent resale value.

We’ve spent hundreds of hours driving and evaluating this generation of PHEV cars, including the Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

Following the lead of the regular Prius, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid introduces a Nightshade Edition for the 2026 model year. It’s essentially an appearance package for the XSE trim with moody black trim and black 19-inch wheels.

The 2026 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid starts at $34,970, including the mandatory delivery fee. The top XSE Premium model kicks off at $41,665.

The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is the only PHEV car from a non-luxury brand. The only other PHEV in this price range is the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid, an SUV-like vehicle that also starts in the mid-$30K range. The next size up in plug-in hybrid SUVs consists of the PHEV versions of the Kia Sportage, Hyundai Tucson, Mitsubishi Outlander, Dodge Hornet, and Toyota RAV4, and they tend to start at over $40K.

Before buying a Prius Plug-in Hybrid, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay. Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid resale value is excellent for the segment. Recouping more money when selling a vehicle can mean a bigger down payment and lower monthly payments on the next one.

The 2026 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is powered by a 220-horsepower hybrid 4-cylinder engine matched with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive (FWD). This makes the Prius PHEV more fun to drive than you might imagine, with a quick zero to 60 mph time of about six seconds. It’s responsive in city driving between traffic lights and even has decent highway passing muscle.

We’ve found that it’s similarly lively using just the electric motor. So, if drivers want to stay in EV mode as much as possible, the Prius Plug-in Hybrid can still deliver an enjoyable experience. A button on the center console enables EV mode or an automatic mode that engages the combustion engine as needed. We appreciate this system’s simplicity.

There’s comfort and composure in equal measure, and the car feels nicely poised. We’d be happy to run commutes and longer trips alike in the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. A more confident initial bite on the brake pedal would be welcome, though.

The cabin is mostly quiet, with just some tire noise coming up while driving over rough surfaces. That’s to be expected since these are special tires with low rolling resistance that contribute to overall fuel economy.

When checking the rearview mirror, the slope of the back window creates a small aperture, so outward vision isn’t great. The top XSE Premium trim offers the option of a digital rearview mirror for a much clearer and wider view behind. It’s a shame it’s not available with lower trims, but at least blind-spot monitoring is standard.

Fuel Economy and Range

In the base SE trim, the amazingly efficient Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid goes up to 44 miles on a full charge. With a depleted battery, it returns 52 combined mpg. In the XSE, Nightshade, and XSE Premium trims, those numbers drop to 39 miles of all-electric range and 48 combined mpg with an empty battery. The EPA estimates that the difference in monthly fuel costs is only about $4, so don’t feel bad about springing for one of the upper trims.

The electric range, efficiency ratings, and fuel costs of the Toyota Prius PHEV are all better than the Kia Niro Plug-in Hybrid. The Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid is simply one of the most efficient vehicles with a gas engine that money can buy.

Toyota used to lean into the weirdness of the Prius by putting all of the gauges in the middle of the dashboard. With the most recent generation, we’re grateful that the driver information display is now in front of the driver. It’s a little thing, but existing Prius owners upgrading to the newest generation will appreciate it.

Elsewhere, there are clean lines and pleasing shapes. The infotainment touchscreen is a generous size, while the aerodynamic exterior results in reasonable levels of wind noise in the cabin. The only real downside is an underpadded center armrest. Since this is pricier than the average compact hybrid, we expect a little more from the interior quality.

Rear passenger space in the Prius PHEV remains the same as the regular Prius — a bit tight for average-sized adults, but not unbearable. The hatchback style is useful for carrying larger items, and there’s 20.3 cubic feet of luggage space behind the rear seats — easily enough for three sets of golf clubs.

If cargo-carrying is a serious consideration, check out the more SUV-like Kia Niro PHEV, which has 54.6 cubic feet when the rear seats are folded. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid only has 26.7 cubic feet.

With this latest generation, the Prius makes an entirely different statement than earlier models. It’s now sleek, modern, and decidedly cool, especially with the new Nightshade Edition available.

44-mile electric range
The ability to travel up to 44 miles on electricity alone means the average American can potentially go weeks without burning any gas. Just plug in overnight and you’ll have enough juice for daily driving duties, while the gas engine is there for when you need to go farther.

Infotainment systems
Excellent tech throughout the Prius Plug-in Hybrid lineup includes wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto as standard, six USB-C ports, and decent-sized touchscreens. Voice control, wireless phone charging, and over-the-air updates are also available.

Proactive Driving Assist
A welcome standard feature, this predictive system provides gentle braking and steering assistance in everyday driving, and helps keep you a safe distance from pedestrians, bicyclists, and other vehicles ahead of yours. The system can be toggled on or off.

Traffic Jam Assist
This is available with a Drive Connect trial or subscription. At speeds up to 25 mph, the system can operate the throttle, brakes, and steering — as long as the driver is still concentrating on the road ahead.

Digital Key
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid allows access and functions like remote locking/unlocking by recognizing an authorized phone. This is optional in the XSE and Nightshade and standard in the XSE Premium.

Solar glass roof
Solar panels in the roof help charge the battery when the Prius Plug-in Hybrid is parked, or add extra power to run things like climate control while on the move. This is another option for the XSE Premium model.

A 2.0-liter 4-cylinder gasoline engine is augmented by an electric motor to send a total of 220 horsepower to the front wheels. The Prius Plug-in Hybrid can travel up to 44 miles on electricity alone and a whopping 600 miles when the battery and gas tank are both full. These range ratings decrease a bit in the XSE, Nightshade, and XSE Premium trims: 39-mile all-electric range, 550-mile total range.

Charging the battery takes about four hours using a 240-volt supply or 11 hours on a diet of 120 volts from a typical household outlet. That means you can get by without having an expensive Level 2 charging unit installed in your garage; just use the regular outlet, and you’ll usually have enough electric power for gas-free daily driving duties.

3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty

Toyota has a new-car warranty of three years or 36,000 miles, whichever happens first. Powertrains are covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This is all typical for the mainstream category. The warranty for hybrid-related components is eight years or 100,000 miles. And the hybrid battery is covered for 10 years or 150,000 miles. Two years or 25,000 miles of free routine maintenance is also included.

Safety Ratings

This generation of Prius Plug-in Hybrid has received the top 5-Star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It also gets the top “Good” rating in the Crashworthiness categories of Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) testing. Standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking and pedestrian/cyclist/motorcyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, plus front cross-traffic alert and intersection assistance.