Like a confused teenager, the Toyota Prius C seems to be searching for its identity. Last year, Toyota’s littlest hybrid received a minor update that included the addition of a racy lower body kit; this year, the Prius C adopts a more SUV-like look.
Marked by a new front end that includes redesigned headlights and a reshaped hood, the 2018 Prius C’s mug adds crossover-like design features such as silver accents on the front and rear fascias that mimic skid plates and black wheel arches that appear to convey a more off-road-ready attitude. Additionally, there’s a lightly revised interior that includes a refreshed center stack and an updated steering wheel.

In spite of the 2018 Prius C’s new look, the model’s gasoline-electric powertrain is left unchanged. All Prius C models once again utilize a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine and two AC motor/generators that produce a combined 99 horsepower. The larger motor/generator is geared directly to the final-drive differential to provide propulsion and to generate electricity during deceleration. The smaller AC unit collaborates with the combustion engine through a planetary gearset to power the wheels with electronically controlled drive ratios, often called an electronic CVT. In our testing, this powertrain dragged a 2015 Prius C from zero to 60 mph in a lengthy 10.9 seconds. Although the top-of-the-line Prius C Four’s cost of entry holds steady at $25,850, the rest of the Prius C lineup see...