2021 Toyota Prius Anniversary Edition Celebrates 20 Years of Fuel Sipping
Toyota will build 2,020 Anniversary Edition Prii, as part of the 2021 model year, to celebrate two decades of the game-changing hybrid.
Toyota revealed a special edition of its Prius hybrid on Monday. Dubbed the Prius 2020 Edition, the new model commemorates 20 years of the milestone fuel miser in America.
Rather confusingly, the 2020 Edition will be available on the 2021 Prius. That’s because the first generation Prius arrived on these shores in 2000, as a 2001 model. Since then, Americans have bought over 1.9 million of the model over the course of its four generations. The global tally is even more impressive, at over 6 million since 1997—when the Prius went on sale in its native Japan.
The 2020 Edition is based on the front-drive XLE trim, with the same mechanical specs. That translates to 121 combined system horsepower, with 105 lb-ft from the gas engine and 120 lb-ft from the electric motor. Think of it as the Prius’ own spin on the Nightshade trim found elsewhere in the Toyota family. It swaps the two-tone 17-inch wheels of the XLE for fully black items. Toyota has also dipped the badges, mirror housings, and interior headlight components in black outside, plus the interior vents and shift knob. Special 2020 Edition badging adorns the key fob and floor mats. Exterior color options consist of Supersonic Red or Wind Chill Pearl, the latter being a new choice for the Prius.
SEE ALSO: 2020 Toyota Prius AWD-e ReviewStandard XLE features include SofTex-trimmed seating, with heated front perches and eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. The steering wheel is also heated. A 7.0-inch touchscreen is standard, with Wireless charging and Apple CarPlay included as well as—finally—Android Auto.
The biggest tech update for the 2021 Prius is the addition of Toyota Safety Sense 2.0. The suite of driving aids includes automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, dynamic cruise control, cyclist detection, lane departure alert, auto high beams, and road sign assist. A parking assist, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross-traffic alert are all also included on the 2020 Edition.
Along with showing off the new Prius, Toyota announced it would be debuting two all-new hybrids next Monday, May 18. The Japanese brand will be hosting a live stream for the debut at 11:00 EST, which you can watch here.
The 2021 Toyota Prius 2020 Edition will go on sale later this year, with only 2,020 examples available. We expect pricing to be revealed some time this summer, sitting very slightly above the 2020 Prius XLE’s sticker of $29,330, including destination.
Kyle began his automotive obsession before he even started school, courtesy of a remote control Porsche and various LEGO sets. He later studied advertising and graphic design at Humber College, which led him to writing about cars (both real and digital). He is now a proud member of the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC), where he was the Journalist of the Year runner-up for 2021.
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