The 2019 Toyota Prius receives a few changes for the new model year, including a new all-wheel-drive version, the AWD-e, as the biggest addition.
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The 2019 Toyota Prius sees a few changes for the new model year, the biggest of which is a newly available all-wheel drive system, which is a first for the hybrid.
Now the all-wheel drive powertrain will be available on the mid-level trims of the Prius; that would be LE and XLE models. Now there's a few key differences between the all-wheel drive Prius and the front-wheel drive Prius and it starts with an added electric motor to the rear. Now Toyota says that this will help to drive the rear wheels in two situations, that will be from launches and also to add stability at speeds of up to 43 miles an hour. Now, Carly had a chance to drive the all-wheel drive Prius in snowy conditions last month and he said that the system works as advertised. Now, there's one final difference for the all-wheel drive model and that is it gets a nickel metal high drive battery pack rather than a lithium ion battery pack. And Toyota says that's because it works better in cold weather. Front wheel drive versions of the Prius top out at 56 combined mpg, but on the all-wheel drive that's 50. So you're talking about a 10% loss in fuel economy. The full Prius line, including the all-wheel drive versions get some slight interior updates for 2019 as well. No more white trim on the console here. It's all turned black, which is a change for the better we think. And some of the controls, such as for the seat heaters, have been moved to make them easier to access. It used to be that if you wanted something hyper efficient and you lived where it snows, you'd be out in the cold. But now Toyota's given you an all-wheel drive Prius and though it is slightly less efficient, it's still much more efficient than anything else you can get with all-wheel drive. All-wheel drive will cost you an extra $1,400 on LE models and an extra $1,000 on XLE models. So that means that people who live in the snow and are looking for something hyper efficient won't be left out in the cold anymore. Along with the entire Prius line, the 2019 Prius all-wheel drive goes on sale this month.
