Toyota Prius review: The ugly duckling becomes a beautiful swan

There's no reason for a Prius to look this good, but we're glad it doesThere's no reason for a Prius to look this good, but we're glad it does
There's no reason for a Prius to look this good, but we're glad it does | Toyota
It might be the prettiest Prius ever made, but is it any good? Motoring writer Gareth Butterfield gives his verdict

If you look back throughout the history of the Toyota Prius, it starts to feel like the design of every generation has very much been a function-over-form affair.

Dumpy lines, awkward aerodynamic swooshes, small wheels, oversized headlights, and all the desirability of a gallbladder removal.

They've never lost their usefulness, they'll always be the car that made hybrid technology work and made it stick, but they just weren't very attractive.

It's even lovely from the rearIt's even lovely from the rear
It's even lovely from the rear | Toyota

The new Prius, however, the fifth generation, is something quite different. It's pretty in pictures, but in the flesh, it's bordering on drop-dead gorgeous. Even in the distinctive and probably quite deliberately ironic minicab yellow.

It's actually something most of us have only seen in pictures, too. Because although it's been out since 2002, it's only relatively recently that Toyota has brought it to the UK.

It means we now have the option of buying one of the best looking cars we'll see launched all year, with a plug-in hybrid system that'll do around 50 miles on a full charge, and a claimed fuel efficiency north of 500mpg. Don't read into that too much.

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In fact, the dashing new design is actually slightly less slippery than the previous generations, with a slightly higher drag coefficient. Do we care? Of course not.

This is still a car that unapologetically sets out to munch through miles in the most frugal way possible. It really is still a Prius.

And that's why I perhaps wasn't as disappointed as I might have been to slip into a relatively conventional, if not still slightly quirky, interior.

The interior layout is more conventional than quirky, but it's still not the car's best featureThe interior layout is more conventional than quirky, but it's still not the car's best feature
The interior layout is more conventional than quirky, but it's still not the car's best feature | Toyota

The dashboard layout is bordering on sensible, but the odd shape of the deep steering wheel boss isn't. The driver display is too small, the infotainment screen looks a bit too big as a result, and barring a strip of mood lighting, it's all a bit low rent. Nice to see physical switches for the climate control though, well done Toyota.

That sleek shape and the beefy 13.6kWh battery does eat into interior space somewhat. It's probably a bit bigger on the mild hybrid version, but we're not getting that yet.

It has 284 litres of boot capacity, which is less than the previous Prius, and quite a bit smaller than some of its rivals.

The rear seats have decent legroom, but taller Uber passengers will find the sloping roofline a bit awkward.

The driver's display feels a tad too small, but it's functionalThe driver's display feels a tad too small, but it's functional
The driver's display feels a tad too small, but it's functional | Toyota

But the passenger seats aren't the best place to be in the new Prius, because it's actually surprisingly good to drive. It's quicker than you might think, and better in corners than it strictly needs to be, but sadly all marred by the e-CVT gearbox that plagues any spirited driver with a flailing, coarse engine note and little in the way of forward momentum to match it.

But speed and handling prowess are not what this car is about, of course. It is, after all, still a Prius. I have to keep reminding myself of that every time I look at it.

And the Prius has always been about efficiency. Like I say, ignore the claims of 565mpg, and focus on the fact that, without any electrical assistance, you can probably manage an impressive 60mpg.

The infotainment screen is a vast improvement, but still not perfectThe infotainment screen is a vast improvement, but still not perfect
The infotainment screen is a vast improvement, but still not perfect | Toyota

Obviously, if you've got charge in the battery and you leave the engine in its slumber, that figure will start to get into silly numbers, but as plug-in hybrid systems go, it's one of the best packages out there. It is, after all, still a Prius.

We need to talk about its price, though. A basic Design model starts at a shade over £37,000. And you're looking at £40,000 for the posher Excel model.

It sounds like a lot of money, and I realise it is, but if you start to line it up against other plug-in hybrids it stacks up rather well.

Just be aware of the fact that it's dangerously close to the £40k luxury car tax limit, so adding any options will be an expensive business.

However, after spending a week in the new Prius, I was left wondering what took Toyota so long to bring it here.

It's a brilliantly effective plug-in hybrid, it drives far better than you'd expect, and did I mention its looks? It's a very welcome addition to the UK landscape. I can't wait to hail a ride in one.

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