Such comments are only partially true, depending on which Prius you are looking at. The first generation Prius, introduced for the 2001 model year, had a zero-to-60-mph time of a leisurely 13 ...

Ten years ago if you had told a Toyota engineer or executive that the Prius would be entering its third generation as a vehicle ... the Prius is still a hybrid first and a mid-sized sedan second.

The all-new 2023 Toyota Prius marks a notable leap from its fourth-generation predecessor, with the introduction of a more powerful engine, an elegantly redesigned exterior, plus an updated interior.

Though that first generation set the Prius concept in motion, the second generation arrived as a more serious standalone model and became, without a doubt, the most influential hybrid in history.