NOW we have a low-emission, low fuel consumption hybrid car that makes sense. Almost amazing sense, when you consider that the latest Toyota Prius is priced lower at entry level than the original, yet offers more of everything including passenger space, fuel economy and performance. The Toyota petrol-electric hybrid is a thoroughly useable car of the future that is not about to scare anybody with its functionality and general on-road get up and go. If the fuel economy figures in real-world use prove slightly less than staggeringly good, they are still much better than anything else with the Prius’ levels of performance and are accompanied by equal reductions in exhaust emissions. It’s a taste of the future and it’s available at your local Toyota dealer right now.
![](/assets/contents/6f5076a0800d171840d32681a5183661f1e018cc.jpg)
Toyota Prius sedan
Released: October 2001
Ended: October 2003
Family Tree: PriusTOYOTA'S original Prius, a four-door sedan model designated NHW11R, went on sale locally in October 2001 - seven months after Honda's two-door Insight was released as Australia's first petrol-electric vehicle. A single-specification model, it bettered Insight considerably for both price and practicality, offering 53kW/115Nm for $39,990. The second-generation Prius replaced it in November 2003. A five-door hatch codenamed NHW20R, Prius II pricing starts at $36,990 and stretches to $45,090 for the i-Tech version tested here. Both variants again feature an electrically-assisted 1.5-litre four-cylinder, this time producing 57kW/115Nm.
Facebook Twitter Instagram