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If you’ve ever booked a private hire vehicle in a big UK city, you’ve probably had some experience of the Toyota Prius+. It’s a wonder Toyota took so long to get around to a more practical version of its popular Prius, but sold between 2011 and 2021, the Prius+ took all the benefits of the frugal hybrid hatchback and added extra practicality.
That 2021 date will tip you off that the Prius+ is no longer offered in the current Toyota range. Instead, Toyota has filled that gap in part with crossovers like the C-HR and RAV4 hybrids. The Prius+ is still very popular as a used buy though both for families, and for those who carry passengers and luggage for a living.
There aren’t a great many cars like it on the roads either, with most MPV-style vehicles typically offering petrol and diesel power. Of these, cars like the Ford S-Max, Mazda 5 and Renault Scenic were closest to the Prius+ in spirit.
The hybrid Toyota Prius has become a part of the motoring landscape. Launched in Japan in 1997, the Prius has since evolved over five generations and more than five million sales, and gone from a curious niche car beloved by green-leaning celebrities and parodied on South Park, to a hugely popular and influential vehicle.
In 2011, Toyota added two more vehicles under the Prius banner: a supermini called the Prius C or Aqua depending on the market, and the Prius V, sold in the UK as the Prius+. With the same hybrid engine as the regular Prius but more space and the option of seven seats, it considerably expanded the model’s appeal.
Toyota carried across the tried and trusted Prius powertrain wholesale for the Prius+. All models got the same 1.8-litre, four-cylinder engine, tuned to work with electric assistance through a power-splitting device, which blended petrol and electric power before it hit the road. As a regular hybrid rather than a plug-in, it was less about going any real distance on electric power, and more about deploying what EV range it did have (usually just over a mile) to best effect, reducing the time the engine spent burning fuel.
Very effective it is too. While performance is modest (certainly if you fill the Prius+ with people and cargo), Toyota claimed up to 48.7mpg combined under the current WLTP fuel economy testing standards. Drive predominantly around town, and you’d likely see that and more if you have a light right foot.
Increased dimensions over the standard Prius of the time worked wonders for interior space, which Toyota used primarily to offer an extra pair of seats in the back. They’re better for kids than adults (some conventional, and slightly larger MPVs of the era were more spacious) but it’s extra utility that the regular Prius didn’t have, and few hybrids even today offer three rows.
The Prius+ isn’t a vehicle you’d drive for the experience, but with a logical dashboard layout, practical and comfortable interior, and the promise of excellent reliability, it still makes a lot of sense. If hybrid power isn’t a necessity then contemporary rivals like the dynamic Ford S-Max, stylish Renault Scenic and Citroen C4 Spacetourer, and the sliding-door-equipped Mazda 5 are all worthy alternatives, powered by either petrol or diesel.
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There’s no real wrong answer as to which Toyota Prius+ is the best. Performance and economy is similar in all (in the real world at least) thanks to the availability of just a single engine, and while age has an effect on how much you’ll pay in tax, you may be willing to pay the extra for the lower mileage and better condition that a later car is likely to be in.
Of the later Icon and Excel trim levels, there’s not much on the Excel’s specification list that necessarily warrants paying more, though the heated seats will be a welcome feature in winter. Instead, we’d recommend finding the best car available in your budget, and perhaps shop around on Heycar for a colour that suits your tastes.
Toyota Prius+ trim levels changed only slightly over the time the car was on sale in the UK. There was no specified trim level to start with, but Toyota later introduced T4 and T-Spirit lines, and then Icon and Excel variants, and it’s the latter pair we’ve detailed below. Icon served as the entry-level model while Excel offered more equipment, though all Prius+ come with basic amenities like air conditioning.
The Toyota Prius+’s dimensions are:
The Toyota Prius+’s boot size is:
Pre-2017 Prius+ models benefit from their economy being calculated on the more generous NEDC procedure, which resulted in a CO2 figure below 100g/km, and means these models enjoy zero-rate VED, or ‘road tax’. Later models do attract some tax, with CO2 emissions of 132-135g/km resulting in a first-year ‘alternative fuel’ rate of £245, and £170 a year thereafter.
Depending on your personal circumstances, Toyota Prius+ insurance costs shouldn’t be too high. The model sits in groups 11-14 depending on the year and specification, which is relatively low in the 1-50 scale.
Read our full Toyota Prius+ review