Back in black: Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition is ‘unexpectedly bold'

MANILA: Toyota has unveiled the 2022 Prius Nightshade Edition which features an unexpectedly bold style highlighted by striking black exterior trim, wheels, and badges.

The Toyota Prius Nightshade Edition is available in FWD and AWD-e variants. It comes in three color variants: Midnight Black Metallic, Super White, and Silver Metallic. The sedan is equipped with black headlight accents, mirror caps, door handles, color keyed rear deck spoiler, and shark fin antenna. The FWD variant comes with 17-inch five-spoke alloy wheels, while the AWD-e variant gets 15-inch alloy wheels.

Prius is the first hybrid model to have a Nightshade Edition. It joins 10 other Toyota models that give customers a way to express themselves through unique details.

In 1997, the Toyota Prius made its debut as the world’s first mass production hybrid car. Since then, Toyota has sold over six million Prius units worldwide. It is best known for its sleek look and well-equipped cabin.

The 2022 Prius Nightshade Edition is powered by a combination of a 1.8-liter four-cylinder Atkinson-cycle gasoline engine and two motor-generators through an electronically controlled planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Based on US Department of Energy data as of March 11, 2021, the Prius is the industry’s most fuel-efficient internal combustion AWD-e hybrid model. The Prius AWD-e is rated at an EPA estimated 51 city/47 highway/49 combined MPG. The AWD-e system supplies power to the rear wheels to easily pull away from a stop, while recognizing when all-wheel-drive performance is not necessary to provide great fuel economy.

Meanwhile, the FWD variant of the Nightshade Edition is rated at an EPA-estimated 54 city/50 highway/52 combined MPG.

The Prius features an iconic shape that pushes the boundaries of interior space, making EPA classify it as a midsize car. The front-wheel-drive variant features a unique liftback design, providing 50.7 cu. ft. of cargo space with rear seatbacks folded down.

The standard Softex-trimmed, heated, power adjustable front seats provide customizable comfort to both driver and front passenger. The Nightshade package also comes with a Softex-trimmed heated steering wheel, semi-gloss black center console, chrome accent interior door handles, extended Softex-trimmed seatback pockets, and the 60:40 split fold-down rear seats with center armrest.

The Prius Nightshade is also equipped with a standard seven-inch touchscreen display and six-speaker JBL sound system. It can be linked to a smartphone via Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, or Amazon Alexa. It also includes a three-month SiriusXM All Access trial subscription, a one-year Toyota Safety Connect trial, a 10-year Service Connect trial, and Wi-Fi Connect with up to 2 GB within three-month trial.

The cabin is also equipped with an auxiliary audio jack, one USB 2.0 port with iPod connectivity, two 2.1-amp USB charge ports, a Qi wireless phone charging tray, and one 12V power outlet. Other technology features on the Prius Nightshade are advanced voice recognition, Bluetooth connectivity, Siri Eyes Free, and an integrated backup camera display. The vehicle can be accessed with a three-door smart key system and push button start.

The Nightshade Edition also features the signature Prius central screen interface. It is also equipped with a 4.2-inch color dual multi-information display with customizable screens that show energy an monitor and hybrid system indicator with eco score, eco savings record, drive monitor, eco wallet, and eco diary features, as well as climate control, driver support systems, audio system content, and navigation system.

The Prius Nightshade comes with Toyota’s Star Safety System, which includes enhanced vehicle stability control (VSC), traction control (TRAC), anti-lock brake system (ABS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), brake assist (BA), and smart stop technology (SST).

The vehicle is also equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.0, which includes a pre-collision system with low-light pedestrian detection, full-speed range dynamic radar cruise control, bicyclist detection, lane departure alert, automatic high beams, and road sign assist.

Photos from Toyota

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