Toyota Prius Cross Unofficially Mixes Hybrid With E-Four AWD, but Do We Need It?

That is no wonder since the hybrid revolution kicked off at Toyota in December 1997 – no less than a quarter of a century ago – and the quirky Prius has remained highly fashionable ever since. First as a classic four-door subcompact class sedan, between 1997 and 2003, then as a compact five-door liftback – and the legends surrounding its quirkiness are even bigger than its real-world efficiency by orders of magnitude.

Naturally, the off-beat styling also ensured that all Toyota Prius cars are easy to recognize across all corners of the planet, and even with the latest iteration they have not entirely renounced treading across uncharted waters. Anyway, the iconic shape has been kept and thoroughly updated, while the North American pricing ($27,450) is not bad at all for a 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid with almost 200 ponies on board. By the way, one can also select a lot of options – such as the upcoming Prius Prime with 220 hp and a plug-in hybrid powertrain, or even AWD with the regular Prius.

Speaking of all-wheel drive, maybe Toyota should have thought about a better separation between variants rather than just allowing all trims (LE, XLE, and Limited) to be fitted with the electronic on-demand All-Wheel Drive system and calling it a good sales day. For example, how about giving it a bit more of a rugged flair to go along nicely with the added inclement weather capabilities? Oh, well, if the OEM does not want to do anything, some people may feel inclined to take matters into their hands – or, rather, at the tip of their CGI brushes, as is the case here.

So, let us travel a little across the parallel universe of the imaginative realm of virtual automotive artists. Once there, the good folks over at the AutoYa info channel on YouTube dreamt about the CGI looks of the unannounced Toyota Prius Cross with E-Four all-wheel drive. That is an interesting proposition, complete with traditional front- and rear three-quarters angles, a quick peek inside the virtual interior, as well as a bunch of ritzy colors for choice. But does anyone really need a Prius Cross when there are already the Yaris Cross, Corolla Cross, RAV4, and even the larger Crown crossover-sedan?

Frankly, maybe people would be better off with a bigger, more practical, dedicated crossover SUV. And coincidence or not, Dimas Ramadhan, the virtual automotive artist behind the Digimods DESIGN channel on YouTube, has also recently cooked up an unofficial Toyota proposition. This time, it is a proper CUV, aka the imagined 2024 Highlander XSE, which seems ready for a fourth-gen CGI refresh – albeit only if it is allowed to steal some Tundra and Sequoia mojo!