Which is your cup of (electrified) tea: Toyota Prius or Camry Hybrid?

While we do have to do a bit of waiting to see fully electric Toyota cars, the Japanese carmaker is still competing in the automotive race to greener motoring.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

The Prius and Camry Hybrid feature electric motors that assist the engines in propulsion in order to decrease fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

The Prius and Camry Hybrid can reportedly net 23 and 22kpl, as claimed by the manufacturer.

Toyota specializes in hybrid powertrains and is considered to pioneer the tech, having launched its Hybrid Synergy Drive for mass-produced cars in 1997. And based on a recent announcement, more Toyota cars will continue to be hybrid-powered.

In essence, the hybrid drive uses an internal combustion engine (ICE), a battery, and electric motor — either altogether or separately — to help propel the car and power its electrical system.

The end result of the advanced powertrain is reduced CO2 emissions and increased fuel efficiency, as the ICE no longer relies too heavily in its own steam for propulsion duties.

Given the reliability of and benefits brought by Toyota hybrid cars, the vehicles have been a commercial success. This is more evident in more prosperous nations, where the governments are (enviably) more supportive of green vehicles and their eco-friendly benefits, offering buyers of such cars tax breaks and incentives.

The good news is that Toyota Motor Philippines is offering greener transport to consumers of this archipelago — particularly with the Prius compact hatchback and its latest model, the Camry Hybrid midsize sedan. Both models could appeal to quite a different set of consumers.

The Prius — the granddaddy of Toyota hybrids — appears be more apt for families and younger buyers. The Prius is made unique by its sleek sheetmetal and trendy interior trimmings. Its hatchback rear and shape is sure to offer more practicality than, say, a traditional sedan. Families won't be short on space in this car.

The Camry — now with hybrid power in the country for the first time — is just that traditional sedan. For years, the Camry has been synonymous with maturity with its subdued styling, and a symbol of success with its premium image and interior. The latest version stays true to all these qualities, so the Camry should continue to be the ride of choice of company execs.

While the Prius and Camry Hybrid are dissimilar in image, there's little to separate them in terms of price. The two models' SRP is differentiated by P4,000, with the premium carried by the compact hatch. That's only a small amount for someone shopping in the P2-million range.

And, of course, there's the hybrid-electric power plant that beats under the hood of the Prius and Camry Hybrid.

In the case of the Prius, it uses a 1.8-liter engine, electric motor, and a nickel-metal hydride battery which all help to achieve a manufacturer-claimed 23kpl. Part of the Prius' eco-friendly arsenal is an electronically controlled continuous variable transmission (CVT), which features an Eco mode to allow for efficient driving.

Meanwhile, the Camry Hybrid's tech specs consists of a 2.5-liter engine and CVT, which all result to an estimated 22kpl. Like its compact sibling, the Camry Hybrid features and EV mode, which allows the car to travel for a certain distance and speed on electric power only, after which point the gas engine takes over propulsion.

The spec sheets of the Prius and Camry Hybrid show that they're the better hybrid bets at the moment.

SPECIFICATIONS	Toyota Prius 1.8 Hybrid	Toyota Camry 2.5 V HEV
Overall Length (mm)	4,540	4,885
Overall Width (mm)	1,760	1,840
Overall Height (mm)	1,740	1,445
Minimum Ground Clearance (mm)	141	140
Seating Capacity	Five	Five
Engine Model	2ZR-FXE	A25A-FXS
Engine Type	Hybrid Synergy Drive, Variable Valve Timing - Intelligent, 4 Cylinder In Line DOHC, 16 Valve	16-Valve DOHC, Four-cylinder, In-line, VVT-iE (Intake), VVT-i (Exhaust)
Displacement (cc)	1,798	2,487
Maximum Power Output (ps/rpm)	99/5,200	178/5,700
Maximum Torque (Nm/rpm)	142/3,600	221/3,600-5,200
Motor Generator Max. Power Output (ps)	20	120
Total System Max. Power Output (ps)	99	211
Fuel Type	Gasoline	Gasoline
Fuel Tank Capacity (L)	40	50
Transmission	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)	Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT)
Suspension	Front: MacPherson Strut Rear: Double Wishbone	Front: MacPherson Strut Rear: Double Wishbone
Brakes	Front: Ventilated Disc Rear: Solid Disc	Front: Ventilated Disc Rear: Solid Disc
Tires and Wheels	195/65/R16	235/45 R18 Alloy
Spare Tire	Ground Tire	Ground Tire
Headlamps	LED	Bi-beam LED
Headlamp Leveling	Automatic	Automatic
Daytime Running Lights	LED	LED
Clearance Lamp	With	With
Front Fog Lamps	LED	LED
Outside Rear View Mirror	Power Adjust with Turn Signal	Power Adjust, Auto-Retract, Reverse, and Memory with Turn Signal
Windshield Wiper	Manual	Rain-Sensing
Rear Window Defogger	With	With
Rear Combination Lamp	LED	LED with Black Accents
Door Belt Molding	Body color	Chrome
Hoodlift Assist	With	With
Antenna	Fin-Type	Printed Type (Rear Window Glass)
Moonroof	Without	Tilt and Slide + Jam Protect
Seat Material	Leather	Smooth Leather
Seat Adjustment	Driver: Six-Way Manual Adjust, Front Passenger: Four-Way Manual Adjust Rear: 60:40 Split Folding	Driver: Eight-way Power Adjust, Memory, and Lumbar Support Front Passenger: Eight-way Power Adjust Rear: Power Recline and Trunk Through
Instrument Panel and Center Cluster	With LED Illumination	With LED Illumination
Multi-Information Display	4.2-inch Thin-film Transistor (TFT)	Seven-inch Thin-film Transistor (TFT)
Economy Meter	Eco Meter and Hybrid System	Eco Meter and Hybrid System
Head Up Display (HUD)	Without	With
Steering Type	Electric Power Steering	Electric Power Steering
Steering Column	Tilt and Telescopic	Tilt and Telescopic (Power and Memory)
Steering Wheel Material	Leather	Leather
Steering Wheel Controls	Audio, Multi-Information Display, Phone,	Audio, Multi-Information Display, Phone, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, and Lane Departure Alert
Inside Rear View Mirror	Manual Dimming	Auto-Dimming
Sun Visors	Driver and Front Passenger; with Mirror and Lamp	Driver and Front Passenger; with Mirror and Lamp
Parking Brake	Electronic Parking Brake	Electronic Parking Brake
Door Trim	Soft Touch	Soft Touch Molded Trim with Leather
Cup Holder	Front: Two Rear: Two	Front: Two Rear: Two
Bottle Holder	Front: Two Rear: Two	Front: Two Rear: Two
Rear Sunshade	Without	Back: Power Rear Door: Manual
Room Lamp	With	With
Front Personal Lamp	With	LED
Rear Personal Lamp	With	LED
Door Courtesy Lamp	Without	Front and Rear
Inside Door Handle Lamp	Without	With
Foot Lamp	With	With
Luggage Room Lamp	With	With
Illuminated Entry System	Without	Room Lamp, Key Illumination, Inside Door Handle, and Foot Lamp
Keyless Entry	Smart Entry	Smart Entry
Ignition System	Push Start System	Push Start System
Drive Mode Select	Eco, Normal, and Sport	Eco, Normal, and Sport
EV Mode	With	With
Power Windows	Auto + Jam Protect	Auto + Jam Protect
Power Door Locks	Speed Sensing	Speed Sensing
Air Conditioning System	Dual-Zone Automatic	Three-zone Automatic with Rear Seat Control Panel
Rear A/C Vent Duct	With	With
Light Control System	Standard	Automatic + Follow me Home
Cruise Control	With	Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
Audio System	Seven-inch Display Audio with CD Tuner / MP3 / Bluetooth / USB, 10 JBL Speakers	Nine-inch Display Audio
Connectivity	CD Tuner / MP3 / Bluetooth / USB, 10 JBL Speakers	Apple Carplay, Android Auto, Smart Device Link, and Miracast
Audio System Function	AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB	AM/FM Radio, Bluetooth, and USB
Speakers	10-Speaker JBL	Nine-speaker JBL
Wireless Charger	Without	With
Rear USB Charger	Without	Two
12V Accessory Outlet	One	One
Pre-Collision System (PCS)	Without	With
Automatic High Beam (AHB)	Without	With
Lane Tracing Assist (LTA)	Without	With
Lane Departure Alert (LDA)	Without	With
Blind Spot Monitor (BSM)	Without	With
Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA)	Without	With
SRS Airbags	Driver, Front Passenger, Front Side, Curtain Side, and Driver’s Knee	Driver, Front Passenger, Front Side, Curtain Side, and Driver’s Knee
Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)	With	With
Vehicle Stability Control (VSC)	With	With
Hill-Start Assist Control (HSA)	With	With
Seatbelts	Front: Three-point ELR with Pretensioner and Force Limiter Rear: Three-point ELR (x3)	Front: Three-point ELR with Pretensioner and Force Limiter Rear: Three-point ELR (x3)
Seatbelt Reminder	Lamp and Buzzer	Lamp and Buzzer
Child Restraint System	Isofix (x2) and Tether Anchor (x2)	Isofix (x2) and Tether Anchor (x2)
High Mount Stop Lamp	LED	LED
Emergency Brake Signal	With	With
Toyota Vehicle Security System	Immobilizer and Alarm	Immobilizer and Alarm
Camera	Without	Panoramic View Monitor
Clearance and Back Sonar	Rear: Two	Front: Four Rear: Four
Available Body Colors	Silver Metallic, Emotional Red, Metallic Gray, Attitude Black, Dark Blue Mica Metallic,White Pearl	Platinum White Pearl Mica, Metal Stream Metallic, and Attitude Black Mica
PRICE	P2.339 million (P2.354 million White Pearl)	P2.335 million

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines and Roy Robles