The Toyota Prius is a modern car when it was launched in Europe at the circle of the 21st century. It is a genuine fusion vehicle that combined a 1.5 liter engine with an electric motor.
The Prius became an instant hit with persons keen to show the world that "green" issues played a big part in their lives - and of course the combination of technologies, with the engine helping to charge the battery, meant no leads and plugs were required.

The latest mark three version of Toyota's "green machine" has moved its environmental credentials up a notch or two since 2000 - and that's seen CO2 emissions drop from the first model's 120g/km to a free-road-tax-level 89g/km in the all-new Prius, thanks to the Japanese firm's next generation Hybrid Synergy Drive.


A new, lightweight 1.8-litre petrol engine replaces the 1.5-litre of the previous generation Prius. Total system power output has been increased to 134bhp, yet fuel consumption has been further reduced to 72.4mpg, and combined with that low CO2 figure, Toyota says the Prius is unmatched in the economy stakes by any other family car on the market.

Prices range from £18,390 to £21,230 and the extra performance means the newcomer is a far more relaxed motorway cruiser - and if you do need to get somewhere quickly then the refined Prius will happily cruise quietly in the fast lane.


The car's auto-only transmission is supplemented by three "on-demand" drive modes which the driver can select to increase efficiency, performance and fuel economy.

From start-up and at speeds less than 44mph, Prius automatically operates in EV mode, using electric motor power alone. The petrol engine is only introduced under hard acceleration to boost system power. The driver can also use a switch to activate EV mode manually, meaning Prius owners can drive around town with minimal noise, zero CO2 and no emissions, and at speeds of up to 31mph, for up to 1.24 miles, according to the level of battery charge.