We see a new trim level for the 2025 Toyota Prius: Nightshade. It slots in just beneath the top-of-the-line Limited trim and includes black styling elements.
For the third year of the fifth-generation Prius, Toyota added a Nightshade trim to the mix. Now offered at four levels, Nightshade slots in above the base LE, and mid-level XLE trims, but underneath the top-of-the-line Limited. Toyota builds the Nightshade from the XLE, which means you get heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charger, and rain sensing windshield wipers.
But the Nightshade levels things up a bit as you also get the larger 12.3-in center display, just like the Limited, whereas the LE and XLE make do with an eight-in display. But you do not get the Limited’s power liftback, driver’s seat memory, ventilated front seats, and premium sound system. On the other hand, every Prius gets six usb-c ports and Toyota safety sense 3.0 driving aids.
stand out looks
Nightshade Prius trims standalone in styling, however. You get 19-in wheels, just as the XLE, but Toyota finished them in black. That goes with black badging, shark fin antenna, door handles, and bumper trim. To give it a bit of a bumblebee effect, Toyota will coat the Nightshade in Karashi, a striking bright yellow color. Indeed, Karashi translates to mustard from Japanese, according to Google Translate.
But if you prefer to blend in a bit more, Toyota will instead paint the Nightshade in Midnight black metallic or Wind Chill Pearl paints. You know, black and white.
Otherwise, the Prius largely carries on from its 2023, fifth-generation debut. Its vastly improved styling and major uptick in horsepower stays with us, too. Toyota mounted a 2.0-liter inline-four-cylinder hybrid to motivate things along. It’s part of the fifth-generation Toyota hybrid system family of powertrains.
motoring along
If you get a front-wheel-drive Prius, it delivers 194 horsepower and 152 lb.-ft of torque. That is a 60 percent jump from the outgoing model. Even better, Toyota now sells an all-wheel-drive version of the Prius. For an extra $1400, every trim of Prius gets an additional electric motor mounted on the rear axle to provide four-wheel propulsion. And you get a total of 196 horsepower to play with.
This is quite similar to what the 2025 Toyota Camry offers. The mainstream, midsize sedan is now hybrid only and also offers either front- or all-wheel-drive. If you go with the latter, you get a small bump in power.
I came away quite impressed with the 2023 Toyota Prius Limited I reviewed in the fall of 2023. From a driving enjoyment point of view, the latest Prius engages with the driver much more than before, and you have a little bit of power to available to play around. The 2025 Nightshade seems to add another nice veneer of visual fun to the car. One my son, who LOVES Bumblebee, would immediately endorse.
