Streets ahead: The Toyota Prius

It has two power sources, room for five people, does 0-60 faster your average saloon and it even helps us look after the planet. Introducing the Toyota Prius

If the engine is running at low efficiency - say when you are in a traffic jam or at the traffic lights - then the Prius will operate exclusively on power generated by the electric motor. And, when more power is required, it will draw from both the highly efficient petrol engine and the electric motor at the same time - the Prius automatically knows what to do.

But while you are doing your bit for the environment, the Prius has lots of special and enjoyable treats in store for you. There's the exceptionally smooth and silent ride (all down to that electric motor again). Then there's its power and agility: this is a car that goes from 0-62 in less than 11 seconds. Or how about the ways in which the Prius can save you money: it's exempt from the London Congestion Charge; maintenance and repair costs are low; you get an eight-year/100,000-mile warranty; and its lightness adds to the superb fuel efficiency - with the Prius you get figures of up to 65.7mpg combined fuel consumption.

It all adds up to a car that's for drivers, whether you need a vehicle for use in the city or for travelling long distances across country. Though it has an electric motor, it never needs to be plugged in - the batteries are recharged via the petrol engine, and by recovering kinetic energy during breaking and deceleration. But you don't need to give that a single thought. And the electric motor doesn't just benefit the environment - it makes the car faster and smoother than an equivalent vehicle with a 1.8-litre petrol engine.

No surprise, then, that more than 280,000 Prius have been sold to forward-thinking people since 1997. Today there are three grades of Prius available: the T3, T4 and the T Spirit, each a joy to drive.

But more than all that, the Prius is a car that says something about you, that marks you out as someone who is always one step ahead. From the stylish sharp design to the innovative gadgets (the T Spirit model has Bluetooth telephone interface and DVD-based full-map satellite navigation with voice recognition and touch-screen controls), it's the intelligent car for tomorrow - but available today.

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