By NITISH S. RELE – motoringflorida@gmail.com

Last year, we test-drove the fuel-efficient and agile Toyota Prius hybrid Nightshade trim. And for 2026, Toyota dispatched us over the world’s first mass-produced hybrid, but this one a plug-in hybrid (PHEV). Essentially, it means the car can go the first 39 miles on pure electric, thanks to a 13.6 kWh lithium-ion battery and two electric motors, before the gas engine kicks in. Another 500 miles on fuel alone and you are looking at almost 550 miles before needing to plug in or fill gas. The charge port uses a 240-volt system that can take about four hours or a 120-volt consuming nearly 11 hours.

Under the hood of the all-wheel-drive Prius PHEV sits a 2.0-liter inline-4-cylinder engine that puts out a healthy 220 horsepower and 139 pounds-feet of torque. Translation? Zero to 60 mph is possible in just 6.6 seconds. Power routed through the continuously variable transmission gives acceptable performance. Suspension handled by an independent MacPherson strut front and multilink rear does a remarkably good job of smoothening bumps and potholes. The electric power steering returns a weighted direct response to the driver’s input. It operates in normal, sport and eco modes as well as auto EV/HV and EV, which is electric at lower speeds of up to 25 mph.

Making this economical and cool fifth-gen hatchback an attention-grabber is the Karashi (yellow) that comes in the Nightshade edition. It’s a blacked-out ride all the way – dark front grille, badging, bumper, door handles, side window trim, door sills, shark fin antenna and even alloy wheels. A welcome feature is carbon-fiber detail scattered all around the dashboard to give the cabin an inviting look. There is an 8-inch (12.3 is optional) infotainment touchscreen display for audio and phone controls as well as a 7-inch digital gauge cluster. The driver and front passenger are coddled by heated eight-way power and six-way manual synthetic leather seats respectively. A single auto a/c, heated tilt/telescopic steering wheel, push-button start, 60/40 rear seat, six USB-C ports, wireless phone charger/Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and six speakers come at no extra cost.

Dual front airbags, side curtain airbag, four-wheel antilock brakes, stability and traction controls, smart stop technology, blind spot and rear-cross traffic alerts, front/rear parking assists, rearview camera, daytime running lights and tire pressure monitoring system, along with Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 – a pre-collision system to detect pedestrians, lane departure alert with steer assist, lane trace/road sign assists and dynamic cruise control – are standard.

If a pure electric vehicle isn’t your ride of choice because of range anxiety or other concerns, the Prius PHEV certainly deserves attention. It may not be a speedster but a combination of thrift (price wise as well as frugal use of fuel), practicality and fun to drive make this a best buy in our eyes.

PRIUS NIGHTSHADE

Tires: P195/50 R19

Wheelbase: 108.3 inches

Length: 181.1 inches

Width: 70.2 inches

Height: 56.3 inches

Weight: 3,285 pounds

Fuel capacity: 10.5 gallons

Mileage: 48 mpg gas only; 114 MPGe

Base price: $37,795

Price as tested: $40,985

Web site: www.toyota.co