EV Reviews

Toyota has turned the game around with its new fuel efficient Prius C. Aiming at keeping prices down, it also costs up to $6000 less than its nearest rival. VALUE For $23,990 the buyer receives the base model that the maker claims returns fuel consumption of 3.9 litres per 100 kilometres on the combined urban / highway cycle. The Prius C comes in two versions of the five-door hatch; the entry-level at $23,990 and the i-Tech top dog for an extra $3000. Standard features include keyless entry and start, automatic air-conditioning, 6.1-inch touch-screen display audio, CD player, Bluetooth audio streaming and phone connectivity, USB port with iPod connectivity, a 3.5-inch colour-screen multi-information display, 15-inch wheels with a full-size spare, cruise control, foglamps, power windows and mirrors, and 60/40 split-fold rear seat. The Prius C i-Tech also gets satellite navigation with live traffic updates, alloy wheels, self-levelling LED headlamps with washers, power retractable exterior mirrors, a larger rear spoiler, premium seat coverings and interior trim. TECHNOLOGY Not surprisingly, performance of the Prius C takes a back seat to fuel economy, the efficient 1.5-litre petrol engine and a 45 kW electric motor combining to put out a combined 74 kW of power. The petrol engine delivers 54 kW of power at 4800 rpm and 111 Nm of torque at 4000 revs. The maker puts fuel consumption of just 3.9 litres/100 km in the combined city / country cycle. Best we managed was 3.3 litres/100 km on the highway and worst was almost twice that around town. A big help is stop/start technology which has the petrol engine switched off when the vehicle is stationary, coasting or braking, and when it is reversing. DESIGN Toyota has brought the Prius into line in the form of a standard hatchback. The Prius C maintains the look of its Yaris sibling up front, but beyond that the ‘C’ is pretty much on its own until it gets to the rear lamp display which harks back to Prius origins. Aerodynamic performance is enhanced by stabilising fins on the tail-lights and side mirror fittings, while front and rear underside covers further boost aerodynamic performance. The windscreen wiper blades are also aerodynamically crafted. SAFETY With active and passive safety features standard in both model grades, the Prius C is designed to achieve a five-star ANCAP safety rating. Active safety includes an electronically controlled braking system to blend regenerative and friction braking. It also has ABS anti-skid braking with electronic brake-force distribution and brake assist, vehicle stability control, traction control and hill-start assist. The Prius C passive safety package has seven airbags, force-limiting and pre-tensioning front seatbelts, outboard rear seatbelts, and seatbelt reminders for the front seats. HYBRID SYSTEM To say the Toyota Prius C has a multi-information display with a range of features designed to encourage and make fuel-efficient driving easy is like calling a modern computer a plug-in abacus. Standard on both grades, Toyota says this grab-bag of functions is designed to help those who are new to hybrid cars get better acquainted with the technology and allows the driver to interact with the car as much or as little as he or she likes. Encyclopedic, its contents include a Hybrid System Indicator, Energy Monitor, Eco Score, Eco Savings, Eco Savings Record and Five-Minute Consumption all presented on a 3.5-inch thin film transistor display flanked by the speedo and warning light array. Each can be accessed in turn by means of a touch-button on the steering-wheel hub. The Hybrid System Indicator, for example, shows how the driver's foot is treating the accelerator pedal. In three zones, ‘Charge’ is when the battery is being recharged from regenerative braking; ‘Eco’ when the vehicle is driven in a fuel-efficient manner; and ‘Power’ when the car is not being driven economically, such as in hard acceleration. The Energy Monitor shows the flow of power between the petrol engine, electric motor, hybrid battery and front wheels. This function also includes the time, a trip meter and average fuel economy. Eco Score compares the driver's fuel-efficiency with the past 100 trips as well as rating driver habits in the areas of ‘Start’, accelerating from a standing start; ‘Cruise’, normal driving; ‘Stop’, regenerating energy during braking. Eco Savings calculates the cost of each trip, based on the price of petrol entered by the driver. Supplementary screens show the price per kilometre and how much fuel and money is being saved against values entered for another car. Eco Savings Record enables fuel consumption and savings to be compared for each of the most recent four months as well as one year ago. The Five-Minute Consumption area includes an instant fuel-economy gauge and also has a bar chart that displays fuel use for the past 30 minutes in five-minute intervals. DRIVING Performance is far from being lethargic, yet is wanting when pushed hard. However, the shortcomings can be forgiven in the face of the deceleration of dough from the owner’s wallet. The front suspension uses a MacPherson strut design, the rear with a tuned torsion beam. Coil spring and shock-absorber characteristics have been tuned to get the best out of handling, turning and ride. The fuel tank and hybrid battery in the Prius C are positioned under the rear seat, so there is ample legroom for all five occupants and a generous 260 litres (to the top of the seat backs) of luggage space in the boot. However, we would baulk at being one of the trio in the back on a long trip with limited shoulder space, and any friendship amongst the kids could be strained in a battle for the single drinkholder there.

The flagship of BMW's 3 Series range will soon be a hybrid, a petrol-electric car with plenty of performance and fuel economy to match. When we hear the term hybrid, it usually conjurs up images of a geekmobile, a car created in the name of fuel economy that no one really wants to drive. The first hybrids might have been like this, but there's another kind of hybrid these days - one that draws on the electric motor to boost performance (rather than just reduce emissions and fuel consumption). Lexus has been one of the pioneers in this area but now the others are starting to follow suit. UNDER THE BONNET The ActiveHybrid 3 features BMW's 225kW/400Nm twin turbo 3.0-litre petrol straight six, together with a 40kW/210Nm electric motor, for a combined system output of 250kW and 450Nm - 25KW more power and 50Nm more torque than the 335i on which it is based. Modulating the delivery of power to the rear wheels is an eight-speed hybrid automatic transmission that has been integrated with the electric motor into the one housing. The 675Wh lithium-ion battery pack is tucked away under the boot. In addition to the conventional 14 volt electrical system, there's also a 317 volt system that powers the aircon system providing cooling for both passengers and the battery. It's the same hybrid powertrain as that in the ActiveHybrid 5. ELECTRIC ONLY You can't plug this car in and charge it. Charging happens as part of normal driving when the engine is not under load. But it can run on electric power only up to a speed of 75 km/h. With a full charge and keeping to a speed of 35km/h, it has a range of up to 4km - not very far but okay for running down to the shops or around the city. THE STATS The battery pack and other hybrid components add 135kg to the weight of the car and boot space is reduced by 90 litres, but the split fold rear seat remains. The car accelerates from 0-100km/h in 5.3 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250km/h. Fuel consumption is 5.9 litres/100km, down from 7.2 litres/100km and it emits 139g/km of CO2. To reduce fuel the system shuts down the engine at traffic lights as well as when braking or cruising up to a speed of 160km/h. THE COMPETITION The Lexus GS450h and soon to be launched Infiniti M35h spring to mind. Neither of them are slouches either, but the Beemer has the edge on both - on paper at least. Both the Lexus and the Infiniti are two tenths slower to 100km/h - at 5.5 seconds. Can't wait until we see them go head to head. THE DRIVE Make no mistake, this car is first and foremost a 335i, with twin turbos and plenty of mumbo. Punch the accelerator and it takes off with a snarl from the twin exhausts. Acceleration is strident, the engine note impressive and it's an exciting car to drive. The Hybrid is all this and more. To quantify this the dash from 0-100km/h in the 335i takes 5.5 seconds while the Hybrid3 takes just 5.3 seconds. But no one drives like this for very long and keeps their licence. Most of the time the vast majority of drivers pedal their car softly and that is where the hybrid system comes into its own. For most of the time it means you can be green. To make the most of the hybrid system you must first put the car into ECO PRO mode, one of several drive modes available. In this mode the car makes more frequent use of full  electric mode for maximum fuel efficiency. The rev counter area includes displays showing the amount of boost being provided by the electric motor during acceleration, as well as energy flow and energy recaptured during braking. Driving in ECO Pro mode this week in Germany we felt the engine turn off frequently at traffic lights, as well as when lifting off the accelerator or just driving slowly with a light application of the throttle. The result after about 120km of driving was 8.2 litres/100km, not outstanding but we weren't really trying - others got in the low 6s.  ECO Pro is designed to work in tandem with the car's satellite navigation system, looking ahead to see where it can deactivate the petrol engine to save fuel. As well as ECO Pro mode, other drive modes include comfort, sport and sport plus. However, if you care more about performance, you can option a quick-shifting sports auto, with a customised selector lever, more aggressive change pattern and wheel mounted paddle shifts. VERDICT Civic duty or devious marketing ploy? It's an intriguing way to entice people to buy and drive more hybrids, in effect giving them a 335i but with a top up in performance. The twin turbo 335i has an enviable reputation as a driver's car - it will be interesting to see what the public makes of this one? The ActiveHybrid 3 joins the ActiveHybrid 5 here in October. The price is expected to be less than $100,000.

Nissan Leaf is the world’s first purpose-designed, mass-production electric car. Australia has become one of the first countries to receive what is potentially the cleanest car of them all. With a not inconsiderable recommended retail price of $51,500 the Nissan Leaf isn’t for everyone, but Nissan Australia is confident it will sell several hundred every year to companies, governments and private individuals keen to do more than their fair share of minimising carbon dioxide output. Globally, Nissan’s midterm plan is to sell as many as half a million Leafs. Economies of scale will help to lower prices, as will better and cheaper batteries. The cost of the battery packs currently makes up about 25 per cent of the price. The Nissan people we spoke to at the launch of the Leaf are becoming increasingly irritated at the lack of action by Australian governments in supporting electric cars. Assistance could be by direct subsidies, lower registration charges, even simple things like allowing electric cars in transit lanes even when there’s just one occupant. Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV, introduced over a year back, is also a pure-electric car, but is based on an existing petrol model. Though the Leaf can be charged from any normal 10-amp household socket it will take something like 15 to 20 to do so from fully flat. A minimum of a 15-amp setup is suggested. The latter will charge the car from empty in about eight hours and the installation will cost only a few hundred dollars. Origin Energy has teamed with Nissan Australia to provide fast chargers, These can take a Leaf to about 80 per cent of its charge in half an hour. Nissan expects that locations like shopping centres, fast-food outlets and convenience stores will provide electric car charging free of charge. Most electric cars will cost only one to two dollars to charge. McDonald’s, for example, offers free wireless internet to attract customers and may well do the same to get electric car drivers through their doors. Initially there will be 13 specialised Leaf dealerships in Australia, with more to be appointed later. These will be in all capital cities and on the Gold Coast. Major country cities will follow later. Interior space in the Nissan Leaf is good for four adults though there’s restricted foot room under the front seats due to underfloor batteries being installed in that area. What appears to be good knee-room is rather spoiled by this. The boot is deep, but there’s a high barrier containing charging equipment at the back of the boot. The rear seat backrests fold flat to line up with the height of this barrier so some oversize loads simply won’t fit. Careful packing will let you get plenty of normal luggage in there. The Nissan Leaf and other electric cars are chiefly regarded as a way to reduce air pollution, but also having the added advantage of reducing Australia’s reliance on crude oil being imported from countries where supply can be erratic. On the downside, EV’s range is still marginal and Australia currently has some of the dirtiest electricity generation on the planet. Owners will almost certainly opt for clean electricity, indeed typically buyers have probably been doing so for several years. It’s now up to the governments to use the carbon tax to clean up the electricity generation act. We have driven Nissan Leafs in Geneva, Brisbane and now Sydney, the latter being the location for the Australian launch. We have only driven them for about 70 kilometres in total, so aren’t exactly experts. We certainly have a good feel for the vehicle. The Leaf accelerates hard and responds in a most satisfying manner to ‘throttle’ inputs. When the Nissan EV slows down, and even more so when you use the brakes, kinetic energy is sent back into the battery to be used again. There is virtually no noise from the electric motor and it’s not until the Leaf reaches about 40 km/h that you begin to hear tyre noise and the rush of air over the body. Cleverly the outside mirrors have been shaped to push air away from the outside mirrors, so that normal source of wind noise is almost negated. The Leaf has been designed from the ground up as an electric car, with all that means in the way of minimising compromises.

Of all the electric cars I have driven, the Nissan Leaf is the most complete. It looks like a regular compact hatch, its performance is quite spritely, and it rides and handles with none of the compromises of other electric cars. It is virtually silent, which takes some adjustment, but it keeps up with suburban traffic and promises a workable range between charges. It has the best chance of sparking a breakthrough in Australia, although the size of the jolt depends on the pricing - which needs to be around $45,000 - and the number of Leafs available for sale. In contrast, the Mitsubishi iMiEV feels more like an overgrown golf cart than a real car. It might be a ground breaker as the first plug-in battery car sold here by a major maker, but it costs too much, is limited in range and performance, and is really just an electric conversion of a Japanese minicar. The same is true of the Subaru Stella, which only made a fleeting demonstration run in Australia. The Mini E is a good car, with great performance, but it's still only a science experiment and the back seat is totally sacrificed to the battery pack. I've just had a run in the Smart ForTwo in Germany and it's good, but the electric model needs more punch and battery life. It's coming, and the Smart EV is confirmed for Australia, but the baby-box looks means it won't work for everyone and there is always the question of price. I've also tried fully-electric cars from Honda, Renault, Toyota and Volvo, as well as the impressive range-extended GM Volt hybrid - which uses a petrol engine to charge onboard batteries - that will be a winner here as a Holden, provided the price is right. But, for now, you cannot go past the Leaf if you want to plug, charge and go. The landmark Nissan is the best drive of any electric car I know, it's practical and very well built, and Nissan is planning a full-scale push including all the charging advice and hardware needed for a new-age drive. Life with an electric car is not easy. For a start, you must have a plug-in point at home. And not just a regulation drill-saw-vacuum connection in the garage, but something that can deliver real punch. At the other end of your commute there needs to be a similar charger, but those are taking time. Carsguide plans to get a Nissan Leaf on the fleet soon and, through Nissan and ChargePoint, there will soon be a plug-in point wired into a three-phase circuit to my garage. But I'm not sure about sucking up power on the road, because - unlikely petrol stations - the electric automotive grid is still in its infancy. There is talk that some of the roadside assistance organisations, led by the RACV, will have fast-charge emergency trailers for electric owners who get too ambitious and flatten their batteries. But nothing is confirmed. In Europe this week I'm hearing from Toyota about a wired house that is totally adapted to electric cars, including feeding power back to the grid and intelligent charging that can be monitored through an iPhone App. And even solar charging stations, both for home use and like the ones I saw in Detroit last year to provide power to a fleet of GM Volts. But the promises are more like election campaigning than right-now reality, so let's see how we go - and where we go - once the Leaf is online.

As well as providing plenty of performance, the Camry Hybrid provides interior comfort and very good ride and handling. VALUE Importantly, Toyota has reduced the price of Camry Hybrid H to $34,990 - a significant $2000 under the superseded model. The upmarket Camry Hybrid HL carries a recommended retail price of $41,990. This is a $1500 increase, but includes $4500 in equipment gains over the old model. The Hybrid uses about a third less fuel than the petrol powered Camry. Let’s do some financial calculations: if it uses unleaded petrol at $1.50 a litre and is driven 20,000 km a year for three years the fuel saving would be $2340, placing the Camry Hybrid within the same economic ball park as the regular Camry petrol. TECHNOLOGY Arguably the best feature of the new Camry Hybrid is that it feels like a normal car. It has lots of lovely torque right off the line due to the assistance provided by the electric motor that produces full grunt right at the bottom end of the rev range. Which is something that will appeal to Aussie drivers during their unofficial traffic light Grands Prix. OK not many Camry owners drive like that, but who knows, this Hybrid may well lift the enthusiasts’ impression of Toyota’s Camry and increase sales by a substantial amount. There’s a 10-speaker premium audio system including CD/DVD player and live traffic updates along with digital radio. Camry interior is particularly spacious for both front and rear seat passengers. More realistically, the Toyota hybrid has superb acceleration particularly in the critical passing range between 80 km/h and 120 km/h. Thus making of ease of overtaking and therefore added safety. The official combined consumption is 5.2 litres per 100 km (down by 13 per cent on the superseded Hybrid), with a city cycle of 5.7 litres/100 km and highway cycle of just 4.9 litres/100 km. At the heart of the Camry Hybrid is a new 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and high torque electric motor. Power is delivered to the front wheels via an electronic continuously variable transmission. It is a potent, yet seamless, combination. DESIGN Toyota has enlarged the boot and giving the car light towing ability. Though in both of these often-important areas it does lag behind the standard petrol Camry. The outgoing Hybrid Camry (note the reversal of the words in the car’s name) had no tow rating. This new generation has been rated at a modest 300 kg tow rate, enough to get a tinny to the boat ramp or a box trailer to the tip. The Camry petrol has a tow rating of 1300 kg. Boot space has been increased by eight per cent to 421 litres as a result of the hybrid battery being moved slightly forward. There is a large hatch allowing for long items to be placed in the boot, but the seat backrests can’t be folded down. Toyota has deliberately kept styling changes to the Camry Hybrid to a minimum, again to keep the ‘normal’ appearance we spoke of a moment ago. The radiator grille has a chromed upper section and a 'hybrid blue' Toyota badge. The headlights are framed by blue accented extensions. The rear end has a hybrid blue Toyota badge and the upmarket Hybrid HL gets a boot spoiler and chrome garnish. All cars have a power operated driver's seat with lumbar adjustment, the topline HL also gets power controls for the passenger seat. The Camry Hybrid HL has a blind spot monitor in the external mirrors as well as automatically dipping high beam. SAFETY Camry Hybrid gets all the same safety equipment as the petrol model: vehicle stability control, traction control, ABS brakes with brake assist, reversing camera. There is now a driver's knee airbag, taking the SRS airbag count to seven. All five seats have seatbelt warnings. It comes as no surprise it has a five-star Australasian NCAP rating. DRIVING As well as the improved drivetrain, Toyota has also made significant changes to Camry Hybrid aimed at improving fuel consumption and lowering emissions. There are no belt drives on the engine for the water pump, air-conditioning and power steering. These are all now driven electrically, so only consume power when they are in use. There’s an EV button which, if the battery has sufficient charge, allows the Camry Hybrid to be an all-electric car for up to two kilometres. Handy in covered carparks, as there are no exhaust fumes. The steering is much lighter than the current model but still offers good driver feedback. VERDICT Toyota believes its all-new Camry Hybrid for 2012 will make hybrid cars part of the norm in buyers’ minds. After living with one for a week we have certainly come away impressed.

Toyota has launched the third model in its expanded Prius petrol-electric hybrid range with the Prius V compact people mover joining the Prius C small hatch and the original Prius hatch. We must admit to having a change of perceptions about hybrids following the arrival of these new models as well as the Lexus GS450h and Honda hybrids we reported on recently. When the earliest hybrids arrived in Australia in the form of the Honda Insight (in Mar 2001) and the Toyota Prius (in October 2001) they were consistently criticised along three lines: their high price, their gawky looks and the discrepancy between their official fuel consumption figures and the ones that we were recording in real-life driving. VALUE A dozen years on and the price premium is still there although gradually reducing; the styling has become more mainstream as buyers no longer see the need to boast about their environmental credentials; and the actual fuel usage numbers now seem much closer to the theoretical ones than before. Just as the Toyota Prius C, launched earlier this year, was a breakthrough hybrid in terms of price, the all-new Prius V is the first seven-seat hybrid and arguably the most versatile, hence the ‘V’ in the name. Pricing of the Toyota Prius V is a very competitive $35,990, especially good value when compared with Toyota’s previous compact seven-seat people mover, the petrol-powered and only marginally larger Avensis Verso, originally sold for around $10,000 more than this hybrid. DESIGN Although there is a clear styling line between the three Prius models, the Prius V is larger in all dimensions than the standard Prius allowing three rows of seats in a two-three-two configuration. All but the driver’s seat can be folded to expand storage space from a very restrictive 180 litres with all seats in place, to 485 litres with the third row folded flat with up to 1020 litres with the centre and front passenger seats also folded. The optimised space in the Prius V is also helped significantly, firstly by the use, for the first time in a Toyota hybrid, of the more compact lithium-ion batteries, and secondly by their placement in a stacked formation underneath the centre console. Even though the interior space of the Prius v has been optimised it is still a relatively compact car and so, with all seven seats in place, seating has to be managed. As is generally the case in seven-seaters the rear pair is best left for children – not a problem for the little’uns as the further they can get away from the front seat adults the better they like it. Even then leg room is limited especially when the centre row seats are extended back. As a five-seater though, there are few problems with good headroom in all seats and good luggage space. Interestingly, Toyota anticipates around 30 per cent of Prius V sales being used as light delivery vehicles of the Volkswagen Caddy type but with the option of increasing seating one-by-one, all seven seats being of the bucket variety. Concave door trim and a wide rear hatch opening also adds to interior space. TECHNOLOGY Standard safety equipment in the new Prius hybrid includes seven airbags, stability and traction control, ABS brakes with brake assist and reversing camera. Other features include climate-control air conditioning, USB and Auxiliary sockets, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming and a 6.1-inch touch screen multimedia monitor. While Prius V does have the instrument panel in the centre of the dashboard the problem of the driver having to move his eyes away from the straight-ahead position is offset by having an adjustable head-up display that projects various functions onto the bottom of the windscreen. These can include vehicle speed, air conditioning temperature, fuel consumption and other features through Toyota’s Touch Tracer system. ENGINE Power for the Prius V comes from the combination of a 1.8-litre 73 kW/142 Nm Atkinson Cycle petrol engine and a 60 kW/207 Nm 650-volt electric motor. Combined power is up 100 kW. (The petrol and electric motors don’t generate their maximum power at the same time, so it’s not correct to simply add 73 kW to 60 kW.) The official emission figure of the Prius V is 101 grams per kilometre. DRIVING The biggest Prius has the solid, refined feel that we’ve come to expect from Toyota and it cruised effortlessly enough on the open road, although the route chosen did avoid any serious hills and we only had two occupants. We’ll be able to give it a more rigorous workout when we do our usual weekly test. As fuel prices rise, more and more buyers are factoring in fuel economy to their criteria. So increasingly, when we’re testing new cars, our attention is drawn to the ‘L/100km’ numbers on the instrument panel rather than the ‘km/h’ or ‘rpm’ figures. It certainly was so in our 200-kilometre test drive of the Prius V from the centre of Sydney, through the suburbs and down towards the Southern Highlands, then back to Sydney Airport. We got some real surprises with actual figures that were only marginally above the 4.4 litres per 100 kilometres of the official Australian standard test and achieved without any serious attempt at economy driving although the fact that we stopped at traffic lights about 30 times before leaving the city prevented us from gaining much momentum and using battery power frequently. But that will be a fact of life for the majority of Prius v buyers, especially those with commercial usage. This also helps explains why both the city cycle official test and our actual test showed up as lower in both cases than the highway cycle figures, the opposite of what would normally happen. On the outward leg of our 200 km round trip we recorded 5.1 L/100 km while on the return stage, predominantly on motorway running we dropped down to 4.7 litres despite the fact that we were cruising at freeway speeds of around 110 km/h. VERDICT Although Toyota Australia doesn’t see the Prius V as competing against the standard Prius, now priced at $33,990, we’re not so sure. For just $2000 more there are significant advantages in interior space, two extra seats with versatile seating arrangements, functionality and higher driving position, many of the attractions that are fuelling the current boom in SUV sales.

Don't try to tell Toyota this is a people mover. It might have a third row of seats and it might seat seven people, but the marketing people rejected that description from the get go  because nobody wants to drive a mum bus do they? Of course that does not stop us calling Toyota's new seven-seat hybrid Prius V a people mover, albeit a fairly compact one. It's priced from $35,990 with a more expensive and better equipped model due later in the year. PRIUS WHO? These days there's three Priuses: Prius, Prius C and now Prius V. We're told there won't be anymore but it still leaves the door open for something a bit sportier and more dynamic. Just about everyone knows what a Prius is, now in its third generation here. Prius is Toyota's answer to the looming fuel and climate change crisis. It's a hybrid car with petrol and electric motors that still takes petrol but is far more economical than a standard car. The Prius C (for city, compact and clever), launched a few weeks ago, is a smaller, cheaper hatch powered by the original 1.5-litre powertrain. Launched this week the new Prius V (for versatility) is the largest of the three with a third row of seats and seating for seven people. It's powered by essentially the same 1.8-litre hybrid powertrain and CVT transmission as the Prius  but with a few differences. SO WHAT'S DIFFERENT? Apart from the fact it seats seven, the big difference is that this time around they've opted for a lithium-ion battery. Mounted vertically beneath the centre console between the front seats, it's 50 per cent smaller and 7kg lighter but has the same capacity.The batteries in Prius and Prius C are of the older nickel metal-hydride variety. The goal with the larger V was to reduce the car's overall weight, in order to provide a satisfactory level of performance. The lithium-ion battery, resin fuel tank, aluminium bonnet and aluminium bumper reinforcements have helped bring down the weight to 1565kg  135kg heavier than the Prius. The V also has lower gearing to compensate for the extra weight, which is reflected in slightly higher fuel consumption figures. FUEL CONSUMPTION Prius sets the pace with 3.9 litres/100km which is one of the lowest fuel use figures around. Prius C also uses 3.9 litres/100km. Prius V, in comparison, is rated at 4.4 litres/100km, which is still excellent for a car this size. During a run down from Sydney to Thirlmere on the NSW south coast, we got figures of 5.3 and 4.1 litres/100km over the course of about 200km. However, hybrids which reclaim energy from braking tend to excel in urban environments where the car is continually stopping and starting. Incidentally the Prius takes premium 95RON unleaded, not standard petrol. With a higher fuel consumption than its siblings, it will be interesting to see whether the Prius V scores a five-star rating from the Government's Green Vehicle Guide. At the moment the reigning champion for low fuel consumption in this country is Ford's diesel Fiesta Econetic hatch which uses just 3.6 litres/100km. THE THIRD ROW It's a 135mm longer than a Prius and has an 80mm longer wheelbase. The third row of seats fold into the floor when not in use providing a reasonable amount of luggage space. But there's not much room left over when the seats are in use. In terms of size and legroom, think small children only. We note the lack of airconditioning vents in the rear of the car, both for second and third row occupants. A central outlet in the dash is supposed to carry air all the way down to the back. Anyone who has ever spent any period of time in a third row of seats will attest to the fact that air and plenty of it is essential  otherwise you could have some carsick passengers. HOW'S IT GO? The system has a combined output of 100kW, but its difficult to put a figure on the combined torque output of the petrol and electric motors, rated at 142 and 207Nm respectively. There weren't too many hills on our drive route.We spent most of our time on the Hume Highway dodging speed, red light and so called safety cameras of which there an abundance. Unfortunately the V is not equipped with GPS and even the more expensive model with satellite navigation will not provide speed camera warnings when it arrives. The car goes well enough with two adults aboard, but we worry about the level of performance with all the seats occupied? PORPOISE FREE The Prius V introduces a new anti-bounce technology that will gradually roll out to other models. It's called pitch and bounce control and is supposed to stop the car porpoising on undulating roads. This is where some cars have a tendency to rock from front to back in a wave like motion. Not a good look for those sitting in the rear. SAFETY It gets seven airbags and a full complement of electronic wizardry including a reversing camera, hill-start assist, stability and traction control, and anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. It hasn't been tested yet, but Toyota has engineered the car to score a full five stars for safety. Time will tell. The spare by the way is a space saver. GOODIES Heads up display is standard which projects a holographic image of the car's speed and other information into the lower area of the windscreen. You also get climate air, six-speaker audio, Bluetooth and a USB input for iPods and other music players. Standard features include daytime runners, fog lights, 16-inch alloys, cruise control, auto lights, smart entry/push button start, rear side sunshades and driver's seat lumbar adjustment. VERDICT If you want something to get from A to B, that doesn't use much fuel and like the utility of a wagon or need the extra seats, then the Prius V could fit the bill. There's a lot of technology thrown in to justify the price, but more demanding drivers may be turned off by the performance (or perceived lack of it). We'd certainly recommend taking it for a good test drive before making any hasty decisions, especially loaded up with a few kids in the back.

It's all too easy to poke fun at the Prius. And I should know. Having emptied the bile ducts over the years, however, it's probably only fair to dip one's lid in the direction of one of the most successful visual marketing exercises since the Coke bottle and Levis' 501s. The Prius is every bit as synonymous with hybrid cars as those other symbols are with soft drink and jeans. Except the Prius isn't cool. Oh, no. Never that. Nor is it especially practical, not in the way of the bigger, newer and actually very good Camry Hybrid, which now not only has boot space but can tow too. But then the Camry looks like a Camry, as opposed to an instantly recognisable advertisement for the eco virtue of those within. Which is where the Prius V comes in. The V denotes not "five", but stands for "versatile". Substantially bigger than the familar Prius, it seats seven. At least it has seven seats, enough to shift half the kid's footy or netball teams without making an outsize carbon footprint. VALUE Any form of seven-seater looks good at $35,990, the sticker price of the entry level V. It looks all the better for being only a grand over the standard Prius, though the top spec i-tech Prius is still wildly overpriced at $46K. Expect the V i-Tech to go over that when it arrives by year's end, replete with leather, sun roof, sat-nav and such like.  The package at hand lacks for little, with fruit including display-screen, auto air-con, 16-inch alloys, head-up display, keyless entry and ignition and the now unavoidable daytime running lights. In a market otherwise almost burdened by choice, people movers are the only thing not found in abundance. This, of course, is the only hybrid. The V looks handsome against such rivals as there are, though Kia's hard-breathing Rondo starts under $30K as do a few SUVs with a third row of seats. Getting rid of it might prove difficult. As a number of private and fleet owners have found to their considerable cost, the used Prius market belongs to the buyer. TECHNOLOGY You don't need me to expound yet again the almost miraculous fuel saving of the petrol/electric hybrid powertrain. Suffice, that under optimum conditions the combined 1.8-litre Atkinson cycle petrol engine and 60kW electric motor are capable of returning 4.4 litres of premium unleaded fuel per 100km. Only after a freeway stretch on our introductory drive did consumption rise, and then to a hardly outrageous 5.7. As with the Prius, there are three drive modes: EV allows for deathly-quiet running on electric motor power alone for up to 2km; Eco dampens throttle response and limits power consumption from the air-con; Power does what it suggests without scandalising Bob Brown. Unlike the Prius, the V model debuts a space-saving lithium-ion battery pack, which resides under the centre console between the two front pews. It's this which has made the third row of seating feasible. DESIGN Even without the aid of new battery gubbins, the Prius has been expanded damn cleverly. The V is substantially longer, wider, higher and heavier while remaining recogniseably of the now three model line up (including the tiny $24K Prius C). The seven-seat format consists of three independent sliding, reclining and split-folding second-row seats and a 50:50 split-folding third tier. Each row is elevated above that in front. With seven up there's 80 litres of cargo space, thrid row flat there's 485  or four full size golf bags. Don't know about full size adults in the back row, though. Despite claims to the contrary, it's kids only. SAFETY Though not yet crash tested, it's difficult to see the V failing to realise the number of ANCAP stars its model name implies. Kit includes seven airbags, reversing camera, hill-start assist, stability and traction control, and anti-skid brakes with brake assist and electronic brakeforce distribution. It's all there. DRIVING Well, you can't have everything. At least you can't have your Prius with anything other than an utterly anodyne drive. You'll get a more involving experience on XBox. And comparable steering feel. Even with two on board, the V starts to labour on longer hills. When carrying seven, well ... be good to stay out of the overtaking lane, won't you?  All of which is, of course, quite beside the point. No one's asking this to take corner quickly or even half capably, which is just as well. The V will, however, do precisely what it says on the tin, and that's move five and two half people prodigious distances between visits to the bowser. Clincially capable then. VERDICT If the small and medium Prius strike you as a bit pointless, here's one that makes sense in practice as well as on paper. Toyota Prius V Price: 35,990 Warranty: 3 years/100,000km Resale: 52 per cent Service interval: 6 months/10,000km Safety raing: Untested Engine: 1.8-litre 4-cyl petrol/electric hybrid, 100kW  Transmission: continuously variable auto  Fuel economy: 4.4L/100km, 101g/km CO2  Dimensions: 4.6m (L), 1.8m (W), 1.6m (H)  Weight: 1505kg  Spare: Temporary

Hybrids have come a long way in a short time. Take Honda's petrol-electric CR-Z as an example. Honda has sold more than 800,000 hybrids since the first generation Insight was launched in Japan in November 1999, with 200,000 sold last year, a 30 per cent increase on 2010. The Insight was launched in Australia in 2001, making it the first petrol-electric hybrid sold here. Now we have the first bonafide hybrid sports car. There are three models to choose from: the $34,990 six-speed Sport manual, the $37,290 Sport CVT auto and the $40,790 Luxury CVT.  Standard equipment includes six airbags, stability control, traction control, brake assist, 16-inch alloy wheels with a temporary spare, climate control, a multi-function display, a six-speaker single-CD audio with MP3, iPod and Bluetooth connections, auto stop and day lights. The Luxury adds paddle shifts, leather trim, heated front seats, sunroof, satellite navigation with traffic updates, a DVD player and Bluetooth. Like Honda's hybrid Insight and hybrid Civic, the CR-Z is petrol-powered with electric assist. It pairs a 1.5-litre engine with an electric motor to deliver a combined 91kW and 174Nm (167Nm in the automatic). While that might not sound exceptional, the two motors work remarkably well together, delivering strong punch from just 1000rpm. The petrol engine even sounds enthusiastic, revving eagerly to 6500rpm when prompted. Fuel consumption on the combined cycle is 5.0l/100km in the manual and 4.7l/100km in the CVT. On test the manual returned 5.4l/100km and the CVT 5.1l/100km, the manual, being taller geared, spinning at 2400rpm at 100km/h in top gear, about 500rpm less than the CVT. While not super fast, the CR-Z is quick and agile, helped by outstanding chassis dynamics, pin-sharp steering, a light weight and a slippery shape. With such taut handling, you don't expect the ride to be so good, but it soaks up bumps and broken edges without getting ruffled, due in part to the sensible sized tyres.  The six-speed manual is a gem, with an ideal spread of ratios, a quick and slick gear shift and a progressive clutch. The optional constantly variable transmission is one of the best around, effectively masking much of the slurring characteristic of many CVTs and offering seven selectable shift points. Even the stop-start system when idling is one of the least intrusive available. There are three driving modes depending on the driver's mood and road conditions. Sport is for when you want to have a fling, Normal is for commuting and Econ is for helping to save the planet. In Normal, power delivery is smooth and surprisingly flexible, with the manual pulling easily from low speeds in the taller gears and loping along in hilly terrain. Selecting Econ softens throttle response and eases off the airconditioning. Pushing Sport brings an instant change, sharpening the throttle and the steering response and increasing the assistance from the electric motor. The savvy low-slung two-door hatch is a sports car, a cruiser and a fuel miser, all in one. It is the first hybrid to land here that is genuinely fun and engaging to drive and so well engineered that it has earned car-of-the-year awards in Britain, Japan and Australia. There are a few gripes. The split rear window distorts trailing traffic, rear vision to the sides is poor, tyre noise on coarse-chip surfaces is intrusive and the rear seat is a token gesture with next to zero leg room.

Living with a hybrid isn't like sharing your life with a Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It's more like the Olsen twins - amusing, predictable, benign and needing very little in the way of sustenance. In fact, Toyota's Camry Hybrid is so easy to live with you'd wonder why people buy the petrol version. Unlike the Prius, the Camry Hybrid doesn't throw technological curve balls at the owner and demand some new skills to operate. Driving it is just pressing the start button and selecting gear - no funny gearshifter, no weirdo dashboard and no verbal fallout from passing motorists. Making hybrids affordable is the trick to increasing sales. Toyota has launched the Prius C - a ripper hatchback at $23,990 - and now upgrades the new and improved Aussie-built Camry Hybrid. Prices start at $34,990 - down $2000 on the old model - but the $41,490 Luxury version tested here rises $1500 but gets $4500 more equipment. The base H has excellent equipment levels but the Luxury adds stuff usually reserved for exxy Euro cars - blind spot monitor, auto high beam and sonar parking among the features. It uses one-third less fuel than the petrol Camry and costs $130 for each of the five services for the first four years or 75,000km. Beat that! If I see one more "cardigan'' tag applied to this car I will, seriously, puke. Those critics would go ga-ga if the Toyota badge was replaced with the BMW roundel. The new car is well proportioned and attractive - difficult design lines to master in a large car - and matches external subtlty with a spacious and efficient cabin that is simple and elegant. The Luxury gets leather and lots of electronic fruit but it's subtle there's no design overkill. The Hybrid boot is smaller than the petrol Camry but there's sufficient room for holiday luggage while the load-through hatch makes it a more flexible hauler than before. The Toyota Hybrids have an engine and two side-by-side electric motors. They work together or separate depending on demand. Though the driver can specify electric-only mode (which only goes for about 2km), there's no choice - or need - to switch to all-engine power. The engine is the same capacity as the petrol Camry but uses different combustion timing that better suits its hook-up with the electric motor. All power goes through a CVT automatic. There's brake regeneration - one electric motor acts as a generator when the car is coasting or braking and the energy goes back into the storage batteries. The petrol engine has no belts to drive ancilliaries - the water pump, airconditioner and power steering are driven by electric motors. All up, the car weighs 45kg less than before. And for the first time, the Camry Hybrid can tow - though only up to 300kg. Camry Hybrid picks up the safety features of the petrol Camry, with a five-star crash rating and seven airbags. The package also includes stability and traction control, ABS brakes with brake assist, hill-start assist, seatbelt warnings for the five seats and a reversing camera with the image on a 150mm touch-screen. The Luxury adds blind spot monitors in each mirror and automatic high beam. The spare is full-size. As I indicate, there's no special training needed for punting one of these. It's a Camry with the only initial offputting feature being the way it drives off silently on its electric motor. Toyota Australia has put a lot of work into the suspension, retuning it to improve handling. It now drives as well as any of its six-cylinder, rear drive competitors and, probably thanks to the extra weight in the rear courtesy of the batteries, feels a bit better planted than the petrol Camry. It is very comfortable, both in suspension suppleness and in the softer seats, and makes long distances quite enjoyable. I don't like the foot-operated park brake - it attacks my shin when I get in the car and is more difficult to gauge than a hand-operated lever - and question why the Camry should be so big. Seriously, all the technology would be even greater in a Corolla. But that's all I can complain about.