2025 MY changes?

I would be very surprised if there are any noticeable changes at all for 2025. There will probably be a handful of inconsequential changes, but those won't be seen by the buyer(very, very minor wiring changes, a couple updated parts that are already being used on late-2024 models, etc.).

I'm more than happy to end up being wrong, but the car has barely been in full production for 1.5 years* at fairly low volumes. I don't see Toyota spending money to change noticeable things until the 2026 model year at the very earliest(more likely 2027 for any kind of refresh).


*I believe pre-production started in Dec 2022, but things didn't get into full swing until early March 2023

 

There also isn't anything to really fix. Most midcycle changes are cosmetic, and the response to the gen5 looks has been far better than the gen4's. Nor is there something like the gen4 Prime's rear seat that no one liked.

Maybe some features will get shuffled between trims, or perhaps the US will get the yellow for the Prime. That's the most to expect.

 

I’d be all in for two zone A/C!

 

That would actually be an easy add for the Prime, at least. Toyota is already making the needed part for the European market. Less likely for the HEV as that would need a new part that Toyota doesn't currently make.

 

Is the hybrid HVAC system that different from the Prime that parts aren't interchangeable?

 

Yep. Some parts are interchangeable, but this one is not.

The PHEV AC box has 3 coils inside, while the HEV only has 2. The HEV has the standard heater core(engine coolant) and evaporator coil(AC refrigerant), but the PHEV box has an additional condenser coil(AC refrigerant) for when the heat pump is generating cabin heat. Since the AC box is also where all the servos and dampers are to control where the cabin air is routed, the HEV and PHEV boxes are not interchangeable.

To visualize what parts I'm talking about, here's a CarCareNut video of him working on an AC box and blower out of a Lexus. The blower assemblies(the right half of the whole unit) are the same in both the HEV and PHEV, but the AC boxes(left side) are different. The Prius version looks pretty similar to the Lexus one on the table, except the Prius one is made out of a slightly translucent white plastic instead of the black plastic in the Lexus.

He also walks over to the car in the video to show how far you need to go to get the AC box assembly out. It's why upgrading a non-European PHEV to dual zone after purchase isn't really feasible. The box itself will run maybe two grand, then more for a new dash control unit(both of those likely imported from Europe). Then there's extra wiring to add, the three days of shop labor if you're going to have it done by a professional, the cost of evacuating and recharging the AC refrigerant, and the cost of at least partially draining and refilling the engine coolant.

You're looking at a mid-high four figure job at that point. And there's no way to know if the USA main body ECU can even recognize and operate the dual zone unit until the car is mostly put back together. If the shop gets to that point and discovers the modifications don't work, a person might be paying for three more days of labor to swap it all back out. Now you're pushing $10k for absolutely no gain. It's just not worth the risk.

 

Ah, I had not considered the heat pump could mean a difference in the venting.

With TNGA, I suspect there is fair chance Toyota already has a dual climate AC box that will fit the gen5 hybrid. Software is a question mark, but it would be more cost effective for Toyota do develop the code for dual, and install that in every model.

Returning to the OT, there are some here that watch the Japanese auto sites. Those would be the places to find anything about any changes happening.