The 2023 Toyota Prius has bagged the Japan Car of the Year (JCOTY) award for 2023-2024, making it the third time a Prius has won the accolade. The Prius takes over the mantle from the 2021-2022 winner, the (E13) Nissan Note.

Chosen from a field of 34 models, the 2023 Prius edged the BMW X1 and Honda ZR-V which finished in second and third place respectively.

The fifth generation made its debut at the tail end of 2022, for the first time featuring a new 2.0-litre variant (in addition to the longstanding 1.8-litre (full) hybrid), which is available either as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) or a regular hybrid.

Though essentially sticking with its hybrid-powertrain roots, the fifth-gen Prius was essentially reinvented from the ground up to be a stylish and emotional product, that is not only efficient but loved by its customers.

Additionally, to build on the concept of ‘real’ sustainability, the 2023 Prius is also designed to remain evergreen after years of service; introducing the Upgrade Ready Design platform which enables selected components of the car to be refreshed and updated as technology progresses.

These innovations and the car’s dynamic performance were duly acknowledged in awarding the 2023 Prius this year's JCOTY award.

Alas, the Toyota Prius remains a forbidden fruit in Malaysia, despite the third generation’s brief sales period in Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand.

However, Toyota’s hybrid strategy for the ASEAN region is centered around models such as Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid and hybrid variants of the Vios, Veloz, Innova Zenix, and Yaris Cross.