All-new Toyota Prius wins the Carbuyer Best Plug-in Hybrid award
The Toyota Prius’s headline-making return to the UK market has been given added impact with another significant honour: the all-new model has been named Best Plug-in Hybrid in the Carbuyer Awards.
In making its decision, Carbuyer recognised that for many drivers today, buying a plug-in hybrid makes more sense than an all-electric vehicle – an opinion that supports Toyota’s multipath technology strategy for delivering sustained and sustainable emissions reductions.
But it isn’t just Toyota’s market-leading technology that sealed Prius’s success, as Carbuyer Editor Paul Barker explained: “The Toyota Prius has been transformed with space-age styling and a better driving experience than ever before, so it’s no longer a car you pick just with your head.
“It’s still a hybrid, but now a plug-in with a larger battery for an electric-only range of up to 53 miles. With 223bhp from its petrol and electric motors, it’s also far more spirited than before. Don’t blindly buy an EV without considering a hybrid like the Prius first – for some buyers it will make even more sense.”
The new Prius has a dual DNA at its heart with its combination of true electric vehicle (EV) performance and the convenience of hybrid technology. Its 13.6kWh battery enables electric driving for up to 53 miles – sufficient to cover most routine daily journeys. When battery charge is depleted, Prius operates as a self-charging hybrid, with greater efficiency benefits than other plug-in hybrids which default to their petrol engine.
The new model introduces sharp styling, agile handling and more powerful performance to Prius’s traditional attributes of fuel economy and low tailpipe emissions. The spacious cabin combines quality and practicality with a clean and simple lay-out and the driver’s expansive forward view is anchored by a fully digital combimeter. Other technical highlights include the most up-to-date package of Toyota Safety Sense active safety and driver assistance systems and a powerful multimedia system with cloud-based navigation, seamless smartphone integration and an on-board voice agent.
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