EV Reviews

My mental list of Holdens that attract attention used to have one entry: any HSV. The Holden Volt -- it's sold as a Chevrolet elsewhere -- is the electric car General Motors wouldn't kill for quids because it tells the world, and the Republicans, that of course it cares about the planet and it can do tech wizardry when it wants to. But that was before the Volt, which goes on sale this month as a US-built import and threatens to tilt the brand's entire demographic. Some of the oglers were not wearing blue singlets. However, the threat is more apparent than real. Conversations with the curious go well until you reveal the price: sixty large. “Tell 'em they're dreaming,” sums up the average response. Holden's Volt is expensive but it is the only electric car available here that can recharge itself on the move. As well as almost 200kg of batteries it has a little petrol engine to power a generator when they run out. That makes it a hybrid of sorts, although the engine is not connected to the wheels. GM says it only ever runs on electric power. The reason for the engine is something EV proponents prefer not to call “range anxiety''. That's the fear that you're going to get stranded, and from my experience, it starts the moment you disconnect the recharger. The Volt has a tiny electric-only range -- compared to other EVs -- of about 80km. But you'll get another 500km once the engine fires up, so it's about the same as a standard car.  Under the boot floor is a special connector that you won't want to handle every night when you plug in. It needs to be fixed to a wall. Which means you probably need two of them -- one for home and one to carry. The exterior is a bit more Toyota Prius-shaped than Holden would care to admit, but that's essential in a small hatchback to achieve aerodynamic efficiency. But the cabin presents as modern and premium, with an unusual overlapping dash design capping a centre console housing a large screen and lots of rather randomly scattered touch-sensitive buttons. Distinctive white plastic trim, here and elsewhere, is me-too Apple, and durability might be an issue. In some lights, the button labels can be invisible, and there's a mine's-bigger-than-yours gearshifter. But the Volt gets away with it. The materials are soft where they should be, there are chrome highlights, quality wands and a great wheel. And a blue pulsing power button. Press it, and Star Trek sound effects tell you it's coming to life. The centre console screen plus another in front of the driver become a Times Square of tiny, attention-seeking neon. There's an awful lot going on and the organisation does not lend itself to clarity. But it's mostly useful stuff, with the usual ability to monitor power and fuel use to the ninth degree. However, there are practical limitations including just four seats, with the rear occupants seated under (darkened) glass and nothing between them and a cargo area of modest (300 litre) capacity. The rear glass could do with a wiper and the design compromises rear vision a bit too. The hatch itself is long and heavy. The centre console screen is also helpful because lit screens tell you it's on, and like other EVs it's so quiet it's possible to forget. There's even a special horn with a non-threatening warble to alert sleepy pedestrians. The premium appearance is backed up by a mountain of features, including a lane departure warning system and forward collision alert. You don't have to option this car up. Driving on batteries alone, it's pleasantly quiet and comfortable. Electric motors have plenty of torque so throttle response is immediate and ample for city traffic. On highways it's better than other EVs until the petrol engine starts. Then there's the sound of an angry four-cylinder operating within a narrow rev range. Volume doesn't even move in concert with your right foot. It just drones unpredictably. Its dynamics are not ideal for country roads either -- it's tall, just 4.5m long and a whopping 1721kg. But if short city trips are your thing and you recharge -- from a standard powerpoint -- every night, you might hardly hear the engine. It can be quite a positive experience.

Meet the cheapest mass-produced electric car on the road today, the US version of the Holden Barina Spark. When it goes on sale next year it’s expected to cost less than $30,000. But with the US government’s $7500 incentive for electric vehicles and the Californian government’s $3500 rebate, the price will likely dip under $20,000. That’s Toyota Corolla money. The Spark EV’s nose is covered in checkered camouflage because we had a sneak-preview drive ahead of its unveiling at next week’s Los Angeles motor show. But if you imagine the shiny grille treatment of the Holden Volt grafted onto the front of this hatchback you’ll have a pretty good mental picture of how it will look. This is General Motors’ first all-electric car since the ill-fated EV1; the company accused of killing the electric car in a documentary movie has re-invented it. The Spark EV might have cutesy looks but it is the fastest electric hatchback on the road to date. Engineers have also given it sports suspension and wider tyres – the opposite of the skinny rubber favoured by eco cars. It will be built in South Korea and sold in North America at first but Australia is on the distribution “wish list”. “With the Volt, we’ve introduced the notion of electric Holdens . We’re well positioned to take advantage of other GM global EV projects should the right level of market demand become apparent,” says Holden director of external communications, Craig Cheetham. Electric cars still don’t make economic sense, but the Spark EV puts the technology within reach of mass-market buyers for the first time. The petrol-powered Holden Barina Spark starts at $13,990 – so it would take decades to recoup the $15,000 or so price difference in fuel savings from the $30,000 fully electric model. But that’s still a much lower price premium compared to other electric cars such as the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi iMiev which each cost about $50,000 – or about $30,000 more than similarly-sized petrol cars. The cost of electric cars aren’t expected to make another large step down for another five years, the estimate the industry gives for the next change in battery technology. The Spark EV has an electric motor under the bonnet and a 255kg lithium-ion battery pack under the back seats, straddled over the rear wheels. Both are elegant installations. The technologies are borrowed from the Holden Volt plug-in hybrid but are different in design and capacity. The Spark EV’s electric motor has about 100kW of power and a phenomenal 542Nm of torque – just 8Nm less than the V8 in the Holden Special Vehicles GTS sports sedan. And all this in a car that weighs 1346kg – 500kg less than the HSV. By comparison the bigger and heavier Volt has a 111kW and 500Nm electric motor, which makes the Spark EV quicker from 0 to 100km/h (less than 8 seconds). Press the “power” button to start the car and the computer does 1400 diagnostics checks in the time it takes the instruments to light up. Recharging time is 8 hours from empty, but a fast charger can bring the battery pack to 80 per cent full in 20 minutes. General Motors wouldn’t reveal driving range until next week (it said the battery had a capacity of “at least 20kWh”). If it had a 24kWh battery pack a driving range of 100 miles or 160 kilometres would be possible. Most motorists drive less than 80 kilometres to and from work daily. Below the shiny Volt-like grille and hidden behind the bumper are “shutters” that close at high speeds to improve airflow around the front of the car, and open at low speeds to improve cooling. The underbody is almost completely flat to allow it to better slip through the air; even the rear spoiler and side moulds have subtle curves in them to make a clean “break” with the air to reduce turbulence. The interior is largely unchanged from the regular Spark, but the instrument cluster has been replaced with the digital display from the Volt. It looks small (the Spark competes in the city-car segment) and has seatbelts for five – but it can fit four adults in relative comfort. It is yet to be independently tested but there’s no reason to suggest the Spark EV would not get the same 4-star ANCAP safety rating as the petrol-powered model. Six airbags are standard. Last year a Volt battery pack caught fire weeks after a US government crash test because it was not drained properly. But before and since that incident the Volt battery packs have been tested in severe impacts – mounted in cars as well as standalone in laboratory conditions – and none have caught fire on impact. Emergency services are also trained on how to deal with electric car battery packs after a crash. Following cyclone Sandy in New York, 16 electric sedans made by Fisker caught fire – after one became submerged in salt floodwaters for hours and then wind carried flames to 15 others parked alongside on the shipping dock. But the company said it was the Fisker’s 12V battery that caused the initial spark, not the lithium-ion battery pack, when it fed power into the circuit. However a Fisker car’s lithium-ion battery pack did catch fire earlier in the year after the supplier installed faulty cells. Here’s the big surprise. The Spark EV is awesome to drive. It shouldn’t be a surprise, though. This little car has more torque than a Holden Commodore V8 – and only 1.4 per cent less torque than the almighty HSV GTS sports sedan. General Motors has tweaked the electric motor gearing slightly to make peak power arrive at 65km/h – the speed at which most other electric cars tend to taper off -- on the way to a top-speed in excess of the speed limit. It also steers well and handles bumps much better than the regular petrol-powered Spark. That’s because engineers gave the Spark EV a wider “footprint” – by pushing the wheels further out to the extremities of the car. And then they fit wider rubber (15 x 6-inch up front and 15 x 6.5-inch at the rear). You read that right. The rear has wider rubber than the front (just like HSV performance cars do) to handle the weight of the big battery pack in the rear floor. Now, if only Holden could make the regular Spark handle like this.

If motorists embraced electric cars as affectionately as mobile phones, Australian freeways would be congested in silence. It may yet happen but compared with mobile phones, it's a long road from creating an electric car to finding ready owners. Apple launched its first iPhone the same time as Chevrolet announced the electric Volt sedan. That was 2007. We're now up to iPhone 5 and Chevy has been making the Volt for less than two years in the US, selling about 15,000 this year to date. The Holden Volt finally gets to Australia next month with a $59,990 price tag. Holden's director of energy and technology, Richard Marshall, admits it's been a long road but says reliability and durability were paramount.” “It has to fit into the way you drive,” he says. “People have to feel confident and comfortable with the technology. New technology suits early adopters and it's those buyers who build the advocacy.” Holden says it already has “very good response” to the car. Is $59,990 too steep for a small car? Undoubtedly, yes. This is a Holden Cruze with a new drivetrain. It seats only four and rear-seat room isn't for big people. But the equipment in the car goes some way to help justify the price. A small way. There is cruise control, sat-nav, lane departure warning, collision alert, an Apple-inspired dash with gloss white panels, upmarket audio, leather and so on. Punch the calculator and at an average of 3.9 litres/100km (it has a small petrol engine to drive a generator to charge the batteries), it would take 52 years to equal the fuel bill of the $25,040 Cruze with a 1.4-litre turbo engine. Even if you never used petrol and kept the electric-only daily drive under 80km, it would take 22.5 years to break even with the petrol Cruze. But - and it's a huge but - you would glow in the knowledge that you are part of a bigger picture to reducing air pollution and only your neighbour who cycles to work is greener. It is a modified Cruze but looks a whole lot better. The shape is close to future-proof, is compact for busy streets and can seat four adults for short trips. The two rear seats are cramped and taller passengers will bounce their heads on the sloping rear glass window. Hard plastics abound and, sadly, cheapen the car. Clearly the big money is in the drivetrain. The dashboard is bright, simple and even attractive until you turn on the ignition key. Then it lights up with a bazillion graphs and letters, numbers and shapes that would make an Airbus 380 pilot shiver. Get used to the complexity of the read-outs and it's all interesting data designed to make you get the most out of the car. Primary school children with a genetic gift for electronics will feel right at home. Where do I start? The 1.4-litre petrol non-turbo engine does not drive the wheels. Simply, it's a generator - a gen-set - that charges the 200kg of lithium-ion batteries. In turn, the batteries run one, or both, of the electric motors through a planetary gear set (automatic) with four driving modes - pure electric, high-speed, range extension and normal. Every time the car brakes or coasts, the rolling wheels power one of the electric motors which changes into a generator. You plug this car into a normal 6amp or 10amp household socket overnight and it should be fully charged in the morning with a respective 10 hour and six hour recharge time. It'll also warm up its electrical circuit and in winter, even turn on the cabin's heater and the heaters in the front seats. It will cost about $2.50 every time you charge the batteries - equivalent to a fridge. If you don't charge up, don't worry - the car will turn on its engine and create electricity to power the electric motors and, at the same time, start recharging the batteries. It doesn't need a fast-charge plug because it has its onboard gen-set as a charger. There are also heaps of electronic features on the dashboard.  Volt gets a five-star crash rating, has eight airbags and all the high-end electronic brake and chassis aids. But it also adds a front and rear park sensors, rear camera, collision alert (though not autonomous) and a lane-change warning system. Puncture sealant replaces a spare wheel. The childish chant to breakdown issues: “Silence is golden when you drive a second-hand Holden” now takes on a new, less derogatory meaning. The Volt is beautifully quiet, rolls confidently without feeling like a golf cart and just feels like a really quiet car. There are four modes for the drivetrain but the normal mode is perfect for suburban and city driving while the high-speed, or sport, mode will make you the king of traffic-light acceleration. It is surprisingly quick and the lack of noise - it's more a hushed whoosh like starting an electric fan - masks how fast the car is going. It's fodder for speeding tickets. Ride comfort is good, though there is some low-speed jiggling caused by the suspension coping with a hefty 1720kg dry weight and irregular road surfaces. Steering is better than some electric systems though it can't hide the car's weight and its tendency to understeer into corners. No biggie - this isn't a sports car. I had to overlook most of the instrument features because it was distractive to the art of driving. When the engine finally turned on - I had run the batteries down after more than 60km - there is a muted rumble, but no more than a conventional car.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one? What is it? Toyota needed to make a more affordable Prius and this is the result - a Yaris-based Prius. It uses the same hybrid technology, refined and lightened as well as featuring a cleverly designed body that has Tardis-like qualities. How much? The base is $23,990, the i-Tech is $26,990. We drove the latter and would recommend it for the extra dosh because it looks better and scores more kit. What are competitors? Possibly premium light cars such as the new Peugeot 208, Polo, Fabia, none of which can match the Prius C for fuel economy, possibly performance. What's under the bonnet? There's a version of the Prius powertrain with a 1.5-litre twin cam petrol engine and an electric assist motor. The petrol donk is good for 74kW so with the extra boost, Prius C is quite handy in the get go stakes. Transmission is by CVT but there's a paddle shift to stir things up when needed. Battery is still a nickel metal hydride jobbie and not the newer lithium ion. How does it go? Surprisingly well, better than we thought that's for sure. Even out on the freeway there's no need for concern as Prius C has strong roll on acceleration and blasts up hills without a hiccup. All while sipping fuel lightly. Is it economical? Toyota claims 3.0 litres/100km on the combined cycle, a bit better around town, yes, better around town thanks to engine stop/start and other technology that comes into its own in traffic. Is it green? Yes, five stars Is it safe? Yes, five stars. Is it comfortable? Yes, the higher grade i-Tech has better upholstery than the other car plus a host of comfort-related goodies such as automatic air conditioning, power operated ancillaries, keyless entry and start, large touch screen controller, SUNA traffic bulletin satnav, Bluetooth phone and audio, reverse camera and other stuff. It's well equipped for the money. What's it like to drive? Really good. We have a somewhat prejudiced view of hybrid cars but this one is impressive. It is zippy and nippy, easy to park and well specified. Add frugal into the equation and it's all good. The ride is comfort/sporty and it is practical as well as cute. Is it value for money? Yes, big tick and much better buying than a "real" Prius. Would we buy one? As a second car you bet.  

The Holden Volt offers drivers to perfect reasoning for never queuing at a service station again. Even better, owning one of these means you won't be topping up the annual profits of already highly profit-able oil companies. Built in the United States, the Holden Volt has a recommended price of $59,990, plus on-road charges and will be subject to Holden’s capped service fees. The charging is as easy as topping up a mobile phone; by plugging it into a conventional domestic 10 Amp power point for six to ten hours, costing as little as $2.50. A 15 Amp connection brings the full charge time down to four hours. The lithium-ion battery, developed in conjunction with the LG Chemical Company, can also gain charge from regenerative braking in which energy lost while the brakes are applied is converted to electricity stored in the battery. Occupants are cradled in four deep and highly supportive leather upholstered seats (heated at the front) and benefit from electronic climate control air-conditioning, while the driver has access to keyless entry and engine start, front and rear park assist and rear-view camera. He or she can also activate the pedestrian-friendly alert system. A sophisticated infotainment system makes use of two dashboard-mounted 7-inch full colour LCD screens which deal with satellite navigation, Bluetooth, USB with iPod connectivity, a 30GB disk drive and DVD player. Many of these functions can be operated through voice recognition. The cabin is lined with top quality plastic material (weight is the enemy, remember), while Bose Energy Efficient Series speakers use 50 per cent less energy than comparable Bose systems, yet sound remains 100 per cent crystal clear. The centre stack control panel is touch operated; while the screen directly in front of the driver is used to display info on speed, battery and fuel levels, tyre pressure and trip computers. Holden Volt is an electric vehicle that does away with ‘range anxiety’ that’s suffered by some who drive pure electric cars. That’s because it has two sources of energy – a battery that allows an electric motor alone to drive the car up to 87 kilometres and a petrol generator that can produce electricity to keep the vehicle moving for up to 600 kilometres on a single charge and a full tank (35.2 litres) of premium (95 RON) fuel. The latter, a 1.4-litre petrol motor, extends the range by maintaining a charge in the battery to power the wheels until the battery can be externally charged or the Volt refuelled. The petrol engine doesn’t power the wheels directly. Apart from all of the above the Volt is a conventional car with the ability to carry up to four occupants in quiet comfort, something highlighted on an inner city drive program for the motoring media in Sydney that we thoroughly enjoyed. Based on the Holden Cruze platform, the quality of fit and finish inside and out is high. The Holden Volt rolls on 17-inch alloy wheels and features projector headlamps, LED daytime running lights and an integrated rear spoiler. There is no engine compartment cooling through a radiator grille. That is achieved by directing a flow of air under the bonnet from underneath the vehicle. Safety is paramount, with the Volt calling on a cohort of hi-tech systems to take care of people both inside and outside the vehicle. Occupants are protected in the event of a crash by high-strength steel body crush zones and eight airbags. Electronic stability and traction control look to preventing these ‘unscheduled incidents’ together with the latest technology such as lane departure warnings which alert the driver to wandering out of a lane without signalling. Front sensors can be set to one of three distances from a vehicle ahead. If the Volt edges too close, an alarm will sound. There is also a driver activated alert that warns pedestrians of the almost-silent car approaching at low speed. In the absence of a traditional transmission, electric propulsion, delivered seamlessly through the front wheels, gives the vehicle instant maximum torque off the mark resulting in quick and immediate acceleration. An extra level of interaction is on tap, showing a moving ball efficiency gauge that if kept in the centre of the scale shows the vehicle is being driven to optimal efficiency. The touch screen atop the centre console displays real-time information on energy use and power flow, plus advanced efficiency feedback based on driving style, climate settings and energy usage. Drivers can take advantage of three driving modes – Normal, Sport and Hold – at the press of a steering wheel-mounted button. Sport enhances Normal mode to give an exhilarating driving experience courtesy of added response times and heightened feedback. ‘Hold’ conserves battery power, drawing an electric charge from the petrol generator to drive the wheels.

New technology comes at a price. And at $35,990, the hybrid version of the Civic is the most expensive by a country kilometre. That's $5000 more than the big ticket Sport (everyone likes a sport) but is the extra dosh worth it? It's powered by a combination of petrol and electric motors. The 1.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine is the primary source of power, assisted when necessary by a 17kW electric motor. Together, they produce 82kW of power at 5500 revs and 172Nm of torque between 1000 and 3500 revs. You can't plug it in. The battery recharges itself as you're going along. It's a new Lithium-Ion (Li-Ion) number that's lighter and more powerful than the nickel-metal hydrid (NiMH) battery that it replaces. Okay. In a word. There's enough there to satisfy undemanding drivers, but those buyers attracted by this car will be more interested in the technology and fuel consumption. The electric motor is designed to provide extra oomph during acceleration, but once you're up and running it cuts out as the system goes into charge mode. Drive is to the front wheels through a CVT continuously variable auto with its characteristic slur. To the inexperienced it might sound like the car is getting ready to blow up - but of course it's not. It uses a claimed 4.4 litres of fuel per 100km, slightly more than the Toyota Prius at 3.9 litres/100km. We've been getting 6.0 litres/100km. The Civic gets a full five stars for crash safety, with a long list of standard safety gear including six airbags, next-generation Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA), an anti-lock braking system (ABS) with Brake Assist and a new Motion Adaptive Electric Power Steering. It's a biggish small car that doesn't compromise on space. The seats are comfortable and the instruments all large and easy to read/use. The styling however is conservative, apart from the large digital speedo set above the other dials. The new Multi-Information Display (i-MID) is pretty cool, but unlike the Insight it misses out on satnav which is not available as an option either (different buyers we're told). Bluetooth is standard along with a USB Audio Interface for music players. The Prius of course and perhaps Honda's own cheaper Insight which is slightly smaller but boasts more goodies. You might also like to look at some of the incredibly fuel efficient diesels too. Electric cars at this stage are too expensive.

Over a decade ago Honda brought the first ever mass-produced hybrid to Australia early in 2001. The Honda Insight was something out of the ordinary not only in its petrol-electric powertrain, but also in its radical styling. Sales have been slow for the Insight and its original near-$50,000 price tagin 2001 didn't help either - you could get into a mid-range Honda Civic for less than half of that. Honda quickly learned its lesson, so from 2004 began to import Civic hybrids rather than Insights. These have been moderately successful in the sales race over the years. In its strong push towards clean, green vehicles Honda now sells three hybrids in Australia: the Civic which is the subject of this test, the sporting CR-Z that picked up Wheels magazine’s car of the year award in 2011, and new Honda Insight. The latter being considerably more mainstream than the model that held that name 10 years back, though with a good dash of individuality. With the new model Civic hybrid for 2012 Honda is making a strong sales and marketing push. Amongst other methods it gave several motoring journalists the opportunity to live with a Civic hybrid for six months. We are now halfway through that period and are thoroughly enjoying the experience. The Civic hybrid loses a little boot space to house its battery but is better than many older generation hybrids. As the battery sits upright behind the rear seat here’s no fold-down facility to let you carry extra long items within the car. Interior space is fine for four adults, with room in the centre-rear for another without too much discomfort. Despite the sleek appearance of the body headroom in the Civic is fine. There’s a big emphasis on in-car entertainment and communication in the all-new Civic, with a screen in the right-centre of the dash devoted to phone, iPod and audio systems. These are controlled by buttons on the steering wheel to minimise - but obviously not eliminate - driver distraction. Owners of turbo-diesel cars, particularly those built in Europe, will point out that they can achieve similarly low fuel figures. However there’s a lot more to saving fuel when it comes to trimming the danger vehicles can cause to the air we breathe. Diesels put out significantly more CO2 than petrol-hybrids; as an example the Honda Civic hybrid is rated at 104 grams per kilometre in the Green Vehicle Guide, whereas diesel cars of this size typically push out 150 to 160 grams - a huge difference. Having covered almost 2000 km to date, we have found the Honda Civic hybrid using fuel in the range of 5.6 to 6.2 litres per hundred kilometres in commuter driving in town. This can be pulled down to the high fours on motorways while still flowing along easily with the traffic. A mixture of city and country driving usually had the fuel meter sitting in the low to mid fives. Major changes have been made to the electric motor and it is now powered by a lithium-ion battery in place of the nickel-metal-hydride of the previous model. This gives the Civic hybrid added torque off the line and it has plenty of performance for day-to-day driving. The petrol engine stops completely once the speed gets below about 10 km/h. It restarts as soon as you want to move off again. Because the ‘starter motor’ is the same one that helps drive the car, restarting is significantly smoother than that of a normal four-cylinder engine with a stop-start feature. The driver can select between economy and performance in several ways. As in many recent Hondas (not just hybrids) you can push an ‘Econ’ button to go for minimum fuel consumption. We found that using this can trim as much as five per cent off the routine fuel use. On the downside it really does deaden the feel of the engine and we weren’t all that keen on it. There’s also a Sports mode if you really wanting to pedal along hard and it certainly adds a fair bit of oomph to the performance. In reality we seldom felt any need for this as the hybrid isn’t that sort of car.

We turn the spotlight on the car world's newest and brightest stars as we ask the questions to which you want the answers. But there's only one question that really needs answering -- would you buy one? What is it? Most people know what a Prius is, but few know the hybrid now comes in three different sizes. Prius C is the smallest and cheapest of them and by virtue of that fact the most accessible. How much? The base model is priced from $23,990 plus on-road costs. Another $3000 buys you the up market i-Tech, which adds leather, satnav and alloys. What are competitors? Nothing really in this size. The nearest is the Honda Insight. As the target is fuel economy however you could look at something with a diesel engine like the VW Polo or perhaps Suzuki's little Alto which is also very economical. What's under the bonnet? A 1.5-litre petrol engine teamed with an electric motor that delivers a combined 74kW of power. How does it go? Surprisingly well. Cruises easily on the freeway and has enough punch for the cut and thrust of city driving. In fact, it thrives on city driving where braking regenerates power for later use. Is it economical? Claimed fuel consumption is 3.9 litres/100km. We were getting 4.4 after 570km with 140 to go according to the trip computer. Not bad for a car with a 36-litre fuel tank. Is it green? Gets a full five stars from the Govt's Green Guide as does its siblings, producing just 90g/km of CO2 Is it safe? It's been designed to get five stars but hasn't been crash tested yet. Comes with seven airbags, as well as a reversing camera, vehicle stability and traction control, anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution, and hill-start assist. Is it comfortable? Surprisingly comfortable too. It's one of the first things we noticed when we got into the car. What's it like to drive? Grows on you. The CVT transmission is annoying, but you get used to it. Is it value for money? As a cut price hybrid yes. As a high priced Yaris no. Though based on the Yaris it has a longer interior and more leg and hiproom front and back. Standard kit includes keyless entry and start, cruise, automatic airconditioning and a 6.1-inch touchscreen display. Bluetooth with audio streaming is also standard along with USB port with iPod connectivity. Packs a full-size spare too. Would we buy one? If we lived in the city yes. It's small, manoeuvrable and easily parked and uses very little fuel. Would also be very appealing as a commuter.

One car passed me on the congested freeway this week and was distinguished not by its colour or brand, but its two occupants. Single-occupant vehicles dominant the sad and lonely road to work each morning. So why are we obsessed with SUVs and other multi-seat wagons? Perhaps it's all in the letter “v” - the one denoting Toyota's extended Prius that seats seven people and, says the company, stands for “versatility”. The hybrid wagon is indeed versatile and correctly claims to be fuel efficient, quiet (mostly), roomy and as good for the planet as it is for Toyota's bottom line. But will commuters become passengers? VALUE No contest here - this is very good value. The $35,990 single-spec Prius V gets a chocka-block list of goodies including head-up instrument display, sunshades on side windows, Bluetooth with a six-speaker iPod/USB audio, alloy wheels, climate air-conditioning and a reversing camera. Prius V does everything its $52,490 Tarago sister will do but uses about half as much fuel. Capped price servicing is $130 each for up to six services in the first three years or 60,000km. DESIGN It's sold as a ground-up design but clearly hasn't stretched the designer's abilities, ending up just like a longer version of a standard Prius despite not sharing one body panel. Getting three seat rows in side is achieved by a 180mm longer wheelbase, 135mm longer body, an extra 100mm in height and 30mm in width. There's a decent boot even with three rows up. Toyota says actual cabin room is bigger than the 135mm body stretch implies, thanks to a new and relocated battery. Space-age dashboard design carries over, as does the Playstation gearshift toggle and - questioningly - the archaic foot-operated park brake. The cabin is muted in colour, sensible in design and very flexible, with a trio of flip-fold centre-row seats on runners plus rear seats that tuck into the cargo floor. TECHNOLOGY If you understand hybrids - a petrol engine that automatically works with an electric motor - then this is a no brainer. It's all Prius with a 1.8-litre engine and two motors, though the new bits include the more compact and lighter (saves 7kg over the old metal-hydride sparker) lithium-ion batteries for the first time in a Toyota. The bonnet is aluminium while other pressed parts are a mix of steel strengths, LED running lights and the head-up display (HUD) is standard while the electric motor will automatically counter any floating feeling in the body (read: car sickness). Regenerative braking is enhanced with electronics that smoothly sync it to the conventional brake system. SAFETY The V is likely to get a five-star rating, offering seven airbags, electronic aids and ISO-fix child restraint points in the centre row. It also gets a reverse camera and whiplash-injury protection front seats and leg impact absorbing pads in the driver and front-passenger foot wells. The electronically-controlled brake system that integrates the conventional brakes with the regenerative brakes is probably worth a mention, but the space-saver spare - in a wheel well capable of taking a full-size spare - is not. DRIVING There's no mistaking this as a Prius, from the silent start-up to the late rumble as the engine steps into the leisurely acceleration and the lifeless low-speed steering feel. But it doesn't feel as big as, say, the Tarago, and actually can even feel nimble through the corners. As speed increases, steering feel returns so by 100km/h it's nicely - if not artificially - weighted. The ride swings from comfy to weird, as the unusual torque-sensing ride control widgets counteract the boat-like body sway and pitch. It does it by applying subtle power or brake inputs to the wheels; hence the driver can feel a gentle - if not strange - push-pull tugging on the chassis. Power delivery is soft and occasionally drove me mad so I switched in the “Power” mode. And it was so much better I kept it on, knowing fuel consumption may suffer but that my dignity wouldn't be questioned at the traffic lights. VERDICT A big green bus for big green families. Likeable but some rivals - the Citroen, for example - are more satisfying to drive.

With hybrid sales continuing to spark little more than a fleeting interest, you've got to hand it to Toyota despite the obstacles its commitment to hybrids is unswerving. This year it has tripled its Prius model line-up by adding the Yaris-sized Prius C in late March and seven-seat Prius V a month ago. The Prius C appears to have hit a sweet spot, chalking up 652 sales in two months.  Toyota is confident the Prius C will advance the cause by aiming it at Gen Y singles, couples and, at a stretch, young families, who it believes will be more prepared to pay for the technology. VALUE And the interest has rubbed off. Mainstream Prius sales are up almost 70 per cent so far this year to 443, no doubt helped by a $1000 price cut in late March and a return to full supply out of Japan. There are two models, the base model at $23,990 and the i-Tech at $26,990. This makes them the cheapest hybrids available at up to $6000 less than the larger Honda Insight.  Within the Toyota ranks, the Prius C automatic costs about $4600 more than a 1.5-litre Yaris automatic five-door hatch with comparable power output. Standard features include seven airbags, stability and traction control, brake assist, a reversing camera, keyless entry and start, automatic air-conditioning, 6.1-inch touch-screen display audio, CD player, Bluetooth, USB and iPod connection, a 3.5-inch information display, cruise control, fog lights and power windows and mirrors. The i-Tech adds satellite navigation with live traffic updates. The hybrid has some more features than the Yaris but is burdened by a lower retained value, partly due to the cost of replacing the battery pack. TECHNOLOGY The C's hybrid system is similar to the Prius, and delivers a peak output of 74kW from the combination of a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor driving through a constantly variable transmission. It will travel for short distances (up to 2km) in electric mode and comes with a clever trip computer that encourages economical driving. Fuel use is a frugal 3.9l/100km on the combined cycle or 2.4l/100km less than the Yaris. But at a petrol price average of $1.50 a litre, that's about the price of a cup of coffee for every 100km travelled. At that rate it would take more than eight years to recover the price premium if you drive 15,000km a year. DESIGN The C is shorter, lower and narrower than Prius but has more leg room and hip room than a Yaris. It will seat five at a squeeze and has the battery pack and fuel tank under the rear seat, so the boot is a decent size and accommodates a full-sized spare wheel. The interior is disappointing. The cabin has a budget car feel with a cheap finish and hard plastics. The main instruments are poorly placed in the centre of the dash like the old Yaris, not in front of the driver like the new Yaris. DRIVING Performance is brisk and linear under full throttle but like most hybrids, the driving experience is far from involving, due mainly to shudder when the petrol engine cuts in and the drone of the CVT under load. It also requires constant throttle adjustment to maintain cruising speeds on the open road. Handling is competent and secure at normal speeds and the ride is comfortable enough on smooth surfaces, but there is some suspension thump over rough edges and the tyres react to coarse chip surfaces. The electric power steering is light but remote and the disc/drum brakes are confident if a touch aggressive in pedal feel. VERDICT Unless you're motivated by the environmental benefits, there is still no great incentive to switch to a hybrid.