There are few cars that scream "commuter" more than the Toyota Prius, and now the plug-in version of the Toyota Prius has just gotten a black-trim Nightshade edition. Does that mean the blackout factory trim trend is over? Or does the stylish new Prius have the automotive style now to pull it off?
If you're thinking that the Prius already offers a Nightshade trim, then one, good for you on that automotive memory, and two, sort of. The standard Prius does get Nightshade, yes. Toyota announced that several months ago for model year 2025. But the plug-in model, the car formerly known as the Prius Prime, does not. Or at least did not.
For the Prius PHEV, Nightshade means what it normally does for Toyota. It starts with black accents, including black badges and door sills as well as black door handles, and black bumper trim. But on the new Prius, much of the trim is painted black anyway. So it doesn't have quite the same chrome-scrapping impact that it might.
There is one significant difference: new 19-inch wheels. The wheels are also painted black, and that might be the most noticeable part of the package. Toyota will offer the Nightshade package with black or white paint, as well as the yellow Karashi shade, which is a Nightshade package exclusive.
For 2026, the Toyota Prius PHEV is largely carried over from last year. The 220-horsepower electric motor and 2.0-liter engine combination are the same. It has an estimated 44 miles of electric range before the gas kicks in (40 miles for XSE and up), and it can deliver up to 52 mpg when the gas engine is in use.
The starting price tag has carried over from 2025 as well. The 2026 Toyota Prius plug-in starts from $33,775 for the SE grade with 17-inch alloy wheels, an 8.0-inch center screen, and manually adjustable seats. The XSE starts from $37,025, $400 more than last year, and an XSE Premium will set you back $40,470, which is also the same price as it was in 2025. The new Nightshade slots in just above XSE. It will cost you $37,795 plus Toyota's $1,195 destination fee.
Expect the 2026 Toyota Prius plug-in, in both Nightshade and more colorful trim grades, to hit dealers in the US starting later this summer.
