TOYOTA PRIUS (From Warrington Guardian)

TOYOTA PRIUS

PRIUS, the second generation hybrid car introduced last month by Toyota, is one of those cars that is so different that you have to spend 10 minutes sorting out all the switches when you initially take the wheel - and you are fearing the worst.

But at the end of the test week it had become one of those cars that I simply didn't want to give back.

If Prius is the way forward for the motor industry then I for one will have no qualms.

Prius provides truly astonishing fuel efficiency but not at the cost of performance thanks to what's called Hybrid Synergy Drive which uses a 1.5 litre petrol engine and an electric motor that's as powerful as a conventional 1.2 litre petrol unit.

Together, they give the car the pulling power equivalent to that of a V6 diesel.

The "key" is simply a little piece of plastic that's inserted into an aperture in the fascia. If you press on the the starter and the clutch pedal the engine comes to life - but you only know it because the fascia lights come on; the operation is silent until you rev.

As you move away, a digital display indicates if the power is coming from the battery or the engine along with the charge level - and you also have a reassurance that the wheels are turning too!

If one prefers, a manual switch allows sole use of the battery for up to one and a quarter miles while driving at 30 mph.

Conventional cars waste energy every time the brakes are applied but in Prius this is fed back into the battery to maintain the charge.

When Prius is stopped at traffic lights the petrol power is automatically switched off - but it swings straight back into action if you need a fast take-off.

The car went on sale in Japan only in September but the order book already exceeds 20,000 units - more than six times the demand expected.

Building on the original, which sold in excess of 130,000 units worldwide, new Prius has been given a larger five-door body style, a spacious and comfortable passenger cabin with five seats and a versatile luggage space.

Fuel consumption during the test period averaged a stunning 66 mpg and government figures credit the car with more than 50 mpg around town. I'm told that in Japan, Prius has achieved just over 100 mpg by running the car at below 50 miles an hour.

There's also the bonus of ultra clean emissions with the battery power taking away the worst of them when starting from cold. Particulate emissions are virtually non-existent, hydrogen and oxygen "fall out" is more than 80 per cent less than levels to be permitted in new cars sold in Europe from next year and NOx emissions are 100 per cent less than those that will be allowed for diesels.

Yet performance isn't impaired - the zero to 60 mph acceleration yardstick can be achieved in under 11 seconds and the top speed is 106 mph.

It gets even better: all this advanced technology is guaranteed for eight years or 100,000 miles and major services are 20,000 miles apart.

Prius is available in this country in three grades called T3, T4 and T Spirit and prices are £17,495, £18,295 and £19,995 respectively but those figures can each be reduced by £1,000 thanks to the Powershift grant from Energy Savings Trust.

All of the grades feature eight airbags, ABS brakes supported by Electronic Brakeforce Distribution, Brake Assist, Electronic Traction Control and Vehicle Stability Control Plus.

T4 adds a an audio system with a six-disc CD autochanger linked to nine speakers, cruise control and fog lamps while the T Spirit that was supplied for test adds a Bluetooth telephone interface and a DVD-based full-map satellite navigation with voice recognition and touch screen controls.

When the system is tuned to react to the driver's voice, a simple word such as "restaurant" will produce a list of them in the neighbourhood and to which a route can be automatically programmed.

The electric climate control standard on all versions operates independently of the engine - and that's another fuel saver.

No less than 16 functions can be controlled from the steering wheel.

The higher than average positioning of the seats promotes ease of access and egress all round and also provides the driver with great visibility. At the back, the seats can be folded flat and the squab has a 60:40 split to enhance versatility.

Fact File

Car: Toyota Prius

Configuration: Five door hatchback

Engine: 1.5 litre DOHC 16 valve

Maximum power: 76hp at 5,000 revs

Electric motor: 500 volts

Maximum power: 67hp between 1,200 and 1,540 revs

Battery: Sealed nickel, 201 volts

Top speed: 106 mph

Steering: Electric powered rack and pinion

Brakes: Disc all round, ABS, EBD, BA, TC

Wheels: 16 inch

Fuel tank: 45 litres

Insurance group:

Length: 15ft

Verdict: Motorists needn't be the bad guys anymore. It was privilege to drive Prius - nothing less than the most innovative car I have experienced in more than 40 years