Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid business car test review
Car review: Sam Hardy
What is it?
A Toyota Prius with a bigger battery pack that allows a range of around 15 miles on electric power alone. The battery pack can be plugged into the mains and re-charged in just 90 minutes. Combined with the standard 1.8-litre petrol engine, Toyota is aiming for 135mpg and CO2 emissions of just 49g/km. Before it goes on sale this year, Business Car Manager had a go in a prototype to see what you can expect.
Fancy company car tax at 5%? See our Prius low-down
What’s hot?
- In town, the Prius Plug-In is effectively an electric car. And very nippy it is too
- You have to press the throttle very hard to get the engine to cut in at all…
- You can use EV (eletric) mode at up to 50mph (up from the standard car’s 30mph) so the odd bit of A-road is possible
- Once the charge runs out it behaves just like a normal Prius…
- …and Toyota reckons a 600 mile range is achievable with the engine working too
- Like the standard car it’s easy to drive and see out of…
- …plus it’s exempt from road tax and congestion charge
- And there’s exceptionally low company car tax of just 5%
- Qualifies for 100% first year writing down allowances if you prefer to buy your company cars
What’s not?
- As ever, if you accelerate hard the engine and CVT box make a rough noise
- It’s not a fun car to drive with light steering and inert handling
- The bigger batteries encroach on boot space a bit
- It costs £33,000 (although there is a £5,000 government EV grant)
- The ride can crash a bit over potholes
- You’ll need somewhere to charge it
- The regenerative brakes can be a bit grabby
- Expensive to lease
Business Car Manager Road Test Verdict
The Toyota Prius Plug-In does everything the standard car does, but is even more efficient. If your daily commute is less than 15 miles or your business mileage is mostly city-based, it makes a lot of sense. It doesn’t take too long to charge either so you could feasibly never use the petrol engine if you’re doing just short journeys.
The Prius Plug-in Hybrid is expensive though – even with that government grant – and the vast majority of business users will still be better off with a VW Golf Bluemotion, which is £7,500 cheaper and costs very little to run. And in terms of company car finance, much cheaper too.
Toyota Prius Plug-In Hybrid – the low down
| P11D Value: | £32,840 |
| Monthly business rental (ex VAT): | From £513 (3yrs/30,000 miles) |
| Tax Bands 2011/12 to 2013/14: | 5%, 5%, 5% |
| Benefit in kind 2011/12 to 2013/14: | £1,642, £1,642, £1,642 |
| Engine: | 1.8 litre 4 cyl petrol-electric hybrid |
| CO2 Emissions: | 49g/km |
| Power/torque: | 81PS/naNm |
| 0-62mph/top speed: | n/asecs/n/amph |
| Economy (official): | 134.5mpg |
| Economy (based on flat battery): | 78.5mpg |
