Toyota Prius drive by Steve Rogers
Take a look at this beauty and thank your lucky stars we have the chance to buy it.
Toyota called time on Prius a couple of years ago because hardly anyone here was buying it, and as a punishment the UK was not going to get the sleek new model.
But they changed their minds and two years after its launch Prius Mk5 arrived on our shores.
Yes, this really is a Prius, and what a transformation. They haven’t just tinkered, this is a Six Million Dollar man makeover with a stunning rakish body, and a new engine which is nearly twice as quick off the line as the sluggish old model.
The body silhouette is beautiful with a swept back windscreen and roofline; the A pillar must be angled at about 40 degrees which is not without its problems. It is thick and can obscure the driver’s view while the low roofline means stooping low to get in. This is not a car for people with back trouble.
Taxi drivers will take the hump because the new car has gone up market. This Prius is unlikely to be wearing their livery, apart from which the boot is way too small.
What we have now is one model. A plug-in hybrid with a 13.6kWh battery which has a useful all electric range of up to 53 miles and I came close to the max. That sort of range will suit a lot of daily commutes and can be topped up from zero in just over four hours using a home charger.
Mate the electric motor with the 2-litre petrol engine and Prius has a healthy 220bhp, so there is a fair amount of punch off the line. It’s same old, same old, when accelerating hard through the CVT gearbox - the engine gets noisy.
Economy is eye popping according to the official figure of 430-565mpg although in reality it is a bit of nonsense. Not that there is any reason to be downhearted. Over 600 miles of mixed driving returned just over 60mpg and that is excellent. On a 150 mile drive through the hills and mountains of mid Wales I ran out of electric power after 49 miles and my car was on 19in rims, the 17in wheels give a little more, so another good result.
Prius is also a lovely car to drive, a road hugger, with nicely weighted, direct steering.
Having done such a great job on the body I expected a bolder dashboard layout. While there is not much wow factor It is very functional with a big central touchscreen backed up by a banks of neatly laid out switches for heating, along with controls for the heated and cooling ventilated front seats.
The interesting area is the driver’s digital display. It is positioned above the steering wheel almost at the base of the windscreen. Peugeot pioneered this approach 10 years ago with the 308 but it was difficult to see the speedometer. This is much better with a big digital speedo and suited my driving position. But it is not a one size fits all solution and some drivers might struggle.
At first I was bothered about the rear vision, It is not that good out of the rear window which has no wiper and takes a while to clear using the heated elements. Side vision is non-existent but the rear camera has good definition, when not covered in road grime, and satisfied my needs particularly with the safety net of rear cross traffic braking. An improvement would be a 360 degree surround system.
There are only two models, Design and Excel with a 40 grand price tag. It sounds a lot but not out of step with other plug-in hybrids.
So what are we to make of the new Prius? Think about it, forget it, or buy it? I would definitely buy it.
Fast facts
Prius Excel Plug-in hybrid
£39,955 (Design £37,315)
2-litre petrol + electric motor 220bhp
0-62mph 6.8secs; 110mph
430-565mpg
12g/km. VED: Zero
Insurance group 31
Boot 284 litres
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