Road Test
Toyota Prius 1.8 VVT-i T Spirit
Test date 02 July 2009
Price as tested £22,610
For Huge economy potential, complex technology which works, driving satisfaction
AgainstUnprogressive brakes, unreliable park assist, beeps when in reverse gear
Great idea, the Toyota Prius. It’s an easy and very visible route to greenness: a futuristic-looking hybrid with a near-evangelical following among those who would demonstrate their environmental concern. Hollywood celebrities apparently love it.
It’s the closest thing to an anti-car car while still doing the things a car should do. Trouble is, the Prius that everyone knows doesn’t do those things as well as it might. For all its emissions-free stardom in the city (until the battery pack cries enough, at least), it’s no great eco-shakes on the motorway, where the 1.5-litre petrol engine struggles and fuel economy can be worse than a turbodiesel’s. It’s with these snags in mind that Toyota has launched Prius Version 3.0.
The shape is familiar but it’s actually an all-new car, with a more powerful 1.8-litre engine, more efficient electric propulsion and CO2 down from an official rating of 104g/km to just 89g/km.
No other family car of this size produces less of the greenhouse gas, yet prices of the entry T3 and top T Spirit, tested here, are unchanged.
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