Review - Toyota Prius V

The standard Prius is a highly-capable car for a family of five, but the recipe for the Prius V is to provide that all-around practicality and flexibility for families looking to move seven people. 

Considering the fact that the entry-level Prius V undercuts the standard Prius by around $8,000, is the Prius V a perfect way to step into the world of hybrid power at a cut price? Let’s find out. 

Starting Price: $37,590

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Toyota Prius V (i-TECH HYBRID) Specifications

For more details and other variants, check Toyota Prius V car page.

How Much Does It Cost?

The Toyota Prius V range is available in two variants, with prices kicking off from $37,590 for the base-model Prius V auto, and the range-topping Prius V i-Tech auto priced from $45,380. Keep in mind that these prices are subject to change, and do not include on-road costs. 

How Much Can Online Auto Save You? 

Using OnlineAuto’s car services, you could save by sourcing one of our car specialists to help you find the best value model for you.

What Features Does the Toyota Prius V Have?

The entry-level Toyota Prius V comes riding on a set of 16-inch aerodynamic alloys, and receives automatic halogen headlights as standard, fog lamps and LED daytime running lamps, a mix of fabric and leatherette upholstery, active cruise control, a heads-up display, reversing camera, climate control, smart entry and start, a 6.1-inch infotainment system with DAB+ radio, satellite navigation, bluetooth and USB inputs, as well as voice recognition, paired to an eight-speaker JBL sound system, with rear privacy glass and side sunshades for the rear of the cabin, and a host of safety equipment. 

Opting for the range-topping Prius V i-Tech variant adds automatic Bi-LED headlights, a panoramic sunroof, heated front seats, leatherette upholstery, intelligent park assistance and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror. 

Toyota Prius V Range Features: 

• 16-inch aerodynamic alloys 

• Automatic halogen headlights 

• Fabric/leatherette upholstery 

• Active cruise control 

• Reversing camera 

• Head-up display 

• 6.1-inch infotainment system with DAB+ and sat-nav 

• Bi-LED headlights (i-Tech variant)

• Panoramic sunroof (i-Tech variant)

• Heated front seats (i-Tech variant)

• Leatherette upholstery (i-Tech variant)

• Intelligent parking assistance (i-Tech variant)

Toyota Prius V Colours

Is it Comfortable to Drive? 

As an extremely close relative, if not identical twin to the standard Prius, the Prius V benefits from a comfortable ride quality and smooth, economical hybrid engine that offers impressive economy numbers. All up, there’s 100kW of power from the electric motor, with the 1.8-litre petrol engine acting as an on-board electricity generator that tops up the battery when needed. In real-world driving conditions, this means that while the Prius V isn’t as lively as a number of EVs, you do benefit from the instant hit of torque from the electric motor, which gets you up to speed with a smooth delivery of power. 

As a daily drive, the Prius V is a comfortable family commuter that is extremely user-friendly and approachable for new drivers. The steering has been designed to be light as a feather, which makes low speed turns and squeezing into car parks an easy process and translates to a straight-foward and welcoming commuter around town. On longer journeys, the Prius V is insanely quiet, with Toyota paying a lot of attention to reducing noise, vibration and harshness entering the cabin. This means that long trips are a comfortable and quiet affair, and allows the driver to stay focussed on the road ahead. Combined with a silky-smooth power delivery, the Prius V is a great car for long trips, and has the benefits of electric power combined with the convenience of refilling the petrol tank. 

While it might not excite, the driving qualities of the Prius V undoubtedly deliver in the areas that matter most to Australian families. It remains a quality offering from a manufacturer with decades of experience in the area of affordable and reliable family vehicles. The Prius V is a pleasure to drive, and while its proportions are larger than the standard Prius, it remains user-friendly and easy to pilot for drivers lacking confidence. 

Is it Practical and Spacious? 

The Prius V is billed as Toyota’s seven-seat alternative for buyers looking at the standard Prius, but in need of extra space and practicality to keep up with large families. As a result, the cabin of the Prius V is a relatively straight-forward design exercise, but one downside here is that in the absence of any significant updates in recent years, the cabin has begun to look dated compared to its modern rivals, especially when you take a look at the technology on offer. 

The front of the cabin offers the driver and front passenger a spacious, comfortable set of seats with a huge amount of headroom. While the seats are mounted quite low, there is still a great amount of visibility out through the large windscreen, and a relatively simple and uncomplicated array of buttons meeting the 6.1-inch infotainment system. In terms of practicality, the driver and front passenger receive large door bins either side of the cabin, as well as a centre console for loose items and a set of cup holders. All up, it’s a straight-forward and typically-Toyota approach to a cabin design that prioritises practicality over design flare. 

Moving to the rear of the Prius V’s cabin, there’s a comfortable bench seat that offers extremely decent legroom, even for tall adults. There is more than enough legroom on offer in the rear of the cabin to keep everyone happy, combined with some sun shades mounted on the windows to make summer road trips a little bit more bearable. The seats in the second row of the cabin also benefit from a sliding design that allows passengers in the second-row to slide back for added legroom, or forward to give those in the third row of the cabin some more space. On that note, seats in the third-row of the cabin can comfortably accommodate young children, but anyone over the size of a teenager will struggle to find enough legroom to get comfortable. 

In terms of luggage space in the boot of the Prius V, with the third-row standing, there is 180L of cargo storage on offer, which is enough for a trip to the supermarket or a couple of medium-sized objects. This expands to a significantly more practical 485L of boot space with the third-row folded down. For parents, the Prius V has an easily-accessible set of three ISOFIX anchor and top tether points for child seats. 

Is it Safe? 

The Prius V has received ANCAP’s maximum five star safety rating, where it received an overall score of 35.48 out of a potential 37. As standard, the Prius V comes packaged with seven airbags, including curtain airbags for the second and third row of seats, meaning those in the rear-most of the cabin are protected. This is in addition to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane departure alerts and an active cruise control system. It’s worth noting that the Prius V lacks features like rear cross-traffic alerts and blind spot monitoring that some of its key rivals include as standard on their vehicles. 

Is it Fuel Efficient?

As a hybrid, the Prius V excels over the competition when it comes to fuel economy. Toyota officially rates the Prius V’s economy at 4.4L per 100km, which is an impressive figure for a vehicle capable of moving seven people. Real-world driving conditions will likely see these figures jump above 5L per 100, but this is still well-ahead of the fuel economy on offer from the majority of seven-seat family movers. 

Our Verdict: Is the Prius V Worth it? 

The Prius V is a car that undoubtedly hits the most important design briefs of moving seven people in comfort in an economical package, however, it’s beginning to look and feel outdated compared to its rivals. For buyers looking for a practical, quiet and reliable seven-seater, the Prius V remains an attractive option, however, it’s lacking when it comes to overall flare, technology and some key safety features that are packaged as standard on some of its competitors. 

Overall, though, the Prius V is well-deserving of a spot on your shortlist for a seven seat family-mover, and on that note, if you’re in the market for a new car, you can get a free quote and see how much OnlineAuto can save you on your next car, or call us on 1300 719 925

Five Specs You Need to Know

1. Five-year, unlimited KM warranty 

2. 4.4L per 100km fuel economy 

3. Three rows of seating for seven people 

4. Five star ANCAP safety rating 

5. 180L of boot space with third-row standing; 485L with rear seats folded

Pros 

• Outstanding fuel economy 

• Clever hybrid engine technology 

• Smooth, quiet engine performance 

• Toyota reliability 

Cons

• Small, dated infotainment system 

• Some older interior trim pieces 

• Lacks the overall flair of the standard Prius 

OnlineAuto Rating: 8/10

Toyota Prius V Competition