We review the Toyota Prius from price to economy and all its features
MANY cars are not worthy of a special edition – but the Prius definitely is.
Toyota have sold more than two million since they gambled on leading the hybrid revolution ten years ago and won.
Happy birthday ... Toyota's Prius is 10
It has been a remarkable story of continued success for a clever car that, in truth, may not be quite as clever or as green as it seems.
Cynics argue that the Prius has been a marketing masterclass but that the CO2 emissions make less impressive reading when the cars are powered by electricity from coal-fired power stations and the claimed mpg figures were never quite achieved in real-world conditions.
Whatever the merits, the tenth anniversary edition is here, with Toyota claiming even better CO2 and economy figures up by ten per cent at 72mpg.
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Driving the Prius hard on motorways and in town, the best I got was 62mpg and the lowest was 47mpg – good, but not outstanding.
As for driving enjoyment, the Prius is fine for silent cruising but even with a power increase to 134bhp, the 1.8litre feels strained and buzzy when you push it hard.
But the 14 per cent reduction in emissions to 89g/km will pay instant dividends in road tax.
As for the rest of the special edition package, it’s almost bling in a hybrid kind of way – black or white paint-job and special grey alloys – but somehow it doesn’t quite feel right.
A price tag of £23,370 for that version will be a true test of just how green you really want to be.