Toyota Prius Wins 2024 North American Car of Year Award

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
Toyota Prius

Las Vegas (Jiji Press)—Toyota Motor Corp.’s Prius hybrid and Prius Prime plug-in hybrid won the 2024 North American Car of the Year award, it was announced on Monday.

The award, voted on by a jury of automotive journalists from the United States and Canada, went to the Prius for the second time ever, for the first time in 20 years, according to a North American unit of the Japanese automaker.

Frequent compliments about the Prius and Prius Prime from the journalist-jurors revolved around appearance and fuel economy, Toyota said in a statement.

“The Toyota Prius and Prius Prime are not just handsomely styled hatchbacks, they represent the future of the automobile by blending traditional internal combustion with electric drivetrains,” the statement quoted veteran journalist Matt DeLorenzo as saying. “Of particular note is the plug-in version which offers more than 40 miles of pure electric range, allowing most owners to skip regular gas station visits.”