In other markets, the Gen 5 (2023+) Prius has the same deep cargo floor across all trims. Here in the U.S., though, that deeper cargo area is reserved for the LE. I wonder if it might be possible to trim the top of the foam storage insert in the higher trims (including the PHEV, since its battery is now under the car) to lower the cargo floor and recover some of that lost depth. Has anyone looked into this?
If looks isn't a concern, just pull the foam out and put something down the protect the floor and cable for AWD in those models. The parts from the LE can also be swapped in. Such has been down for the spare tire. That works for the hybrid. It is different for the PHEV. The car's charger is under there and to the side. A totally flat floor like in the hybrid isn't possible. Neither is adding a factory spare assembly.
Can't be done to the PHEV. Because the battery is under the car, the sheet metal floor is raised higher in the PHEVs. Plus the HV charger is mounted to the cargo floor(also the solar roof components if equipped). Part of the job of the foam in the PHEVs is to cover/protect those components. If you've already got your PHEV, pull up the foam floor and look at how thick the foam is over the charger portion. That's what you've got to work with. As for the XLE, HEV Nightshade, and LTD, you can go with the lower floor if you really want, but you're going to have some minor issues if you do it only by modifying existing components. The first thing is that you're going to lose the flat floor when the rear seats are folded down. That may not be important for you, but it's something to note. Second is that your deck floor(the carpeted fiberboard that functions as the floor) is not going to sit properly. Because the floor is uneven in the low-floor LE, that deck board has an extra crease to account for it. The high-floor deck board in all the other cars doesn't have that crease, so they won't fit properly. Finally, the tall foam deck boxes in the XLE, HEV Nightshade, and LTD aren't meant to be cut down. You might have unexpected problems if you try. If you cut from the bottom part, you're going to have a tough time maintaining the shape of the floor pan so it sits properly. If you cut from the top, you might encounter voids that will cause the remaining parts of the box to lose structural stability. They're not solid blocks of foam; if you flip them over, they look like aggressive mountain ranges with high and low spots. And it's not like you're adding six inches or more to the cargo depth. You'd be adding two inches of depth to the rear part of the cargo area, maybe two and a half. You need to ask yourself if that couple of inches will actually affect your life. Maybe it will, and the project would be worthwhile for you, but I question if it's worth it for the vast majority of people. I suspect the flat floor in the rest of the lineup is more beneficial in the long run for most owners.
