PLUGS RETHINK

It may look radically different from before, but is the latest Toyota Prius a cut above its refreshed plug-in hybrid rival from Volkswagen?

Toyota Prius. This is the name that immediately pops into many people's minds when you mention the word 'hybrid', and it's undoubtedly become the car most closely associated with combining petrol and electric power to maximise fuel efficiency.

The rakish styling and more natural proportions of this new, fifth-generation version make it far more visually appealing than its predecessor, and because it shares its underpinnings with Toyota's Corolla (our reigning Family Car of the Year), it should be far better to drive as well. The other big news is that this Prius is now available only as a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in the UK (whereas the old model had a regular hybrid option as well), so officially you can travel for up to 44 miles on battery power alone.

The Prius might seem like the favourite in a battle of the hybrids, but it has fearsome competition in the shape of the latest Volkswagen Golf. The current iteration has just received a mid-life update that includes a huge battery upgrade for the plug-in eHybrid model we're testing here, from 10.4kWh to 19.7kWh (usable capacity). As a result, the Golf's official electric range is twice as long as the Prius's (at up to 88 miles). The Prius, then, won't have things all its own way.

DRIVING

Performance, ride, handling, refinement

Our contenders can get up to speed at a very similar rate when driving in hybrid mode, using both the engine and electric motor to sprint from 0-60mph in 6.9sec. The Prius responds more keenly when you need a sudden burst of acceleration, but the 30-70mph times are virtually identical as well.

The Golf's stronger electric motor means it's far more effortless when you're running on battery power alone, requiring a gentler squeeze of the accelerator to pick up speed. That said, it feels more lethargic when the battery has been depleted and the car is running solely on petrol power.