For 2021, the Prius has been outfitted with some notable upgrades and enhancements to align with other Toyota models. Toyota Safety Sense (TSS) has been adopted, bringing with it an array of safety aids in the form of a Pre-Crash System (PCS), Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC), Automatic High Beam (AHB), Blind Spot Monitor (BSM) plus Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA) and Lane Trace Assist (LTA).

The Adaptive Cruise Control and Blind Spot Monitor functions can be reached quickly via dedicated steering switches – allowing the driver to activate/de-activate and adjust sensitivity levels.

The obligatory ABS, EBD, Brake Assist and VSC functions are included too.

Step inside and you’ll se that the touchscreen infotainment system has been updated to include Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, while also benefitting from a higher-resolution display. There’s also the Heads-Up Display (HUD), Reverse Camera, high-definition Multi-Information Display, seat heaters with electric lumbar support and wireless (cellphone) charging. Dual-zone climate control, rain-sensing wipers and an auto-dimming rear-view mirror ramp up the convenience quotient.

The core USB, Aux and Bluetooth functionality remains – while playing through a high-quality six-speaker setup. Toyota Connect is fitted as standard – offering in-car Wi-Fi connectivity with a complimentary 15Gb of data – and telematics interface with the MyToyota app.

The 2021 Toyota Prius 1.8 is priced at R566 400.

Meet the fourth generation of the Prius, Toyota’s weird, shoe-shaped showcase of efficiency that helped launch hybrid petrol-electric drivetrains into the spotlight a decade and a half ago. But the company seems to be taking a distinctly different approach with this one: “It’s not just about MPG anymore,” the local press release reads, noting an evolutionary ten percent expected boost in fuel economy is expected on the main non-plug-in models. Instead, Toyota is shifting the focus to design and technology, waxing poetic about the car’s “athletic shape,” better driving dynamics, and Toyota Safety Sense — a package that includes things like automatic pedestrian avoidance and full-speed dynamic cruise (meaning the car will manage your speed for you, going all the way to a full stop in a traffic jam). Whether these features will make it to SA is yet to be known.

I’d take some issue with Toyota’s use of “athletic” to describe this car’s appearance. The basic shape is the same as the outgoing model, although the 2016 Prius is the first global production car to make use of Toyota’s new shared platform — Toyota’s New Global Architecture, or TNGA — and the company touts TNGA’s lower center of gravity for better handling. I suppose there’s a glancing blow at athleticism there.

You can definitely see shades of the hydrogen-powered Mirai in this car’s aggressive angles, which isn’t necessarily a good thing — no one would accuse the Mirai of being a pretty car. And interestingly, the Mirai has taken Prius’ spot as Toyota’s most forward-looking eco-friendly hero vehicle, which could theoretically give the Prius room to lay off the bizarre design and blend into traffic a little better. No dice, though: if you buy this car, you’re going to stand out, unless you’re rolling through a neighborhood that’s full of them. (Given the Prius’ local popularity, that’s out of the question.)

Either way, a new Prius is sure to cost a lot less than a Tesla (or even the Mirai) — it’s just going to take a little while to get used to that face.

Look for it on sale “sometime next year,” Toyota says.