Four generations since the first hybrid car from Toyota, the new-generation Prius offers even more economy. This latest Prius is a far cry from the first model and this modern and stylish vehicle can hold its own against mainstream cars.

The Prius message is a strong one. Their claims for cleaner driving over diesel-powered cars has some merit; it’s just that the pump running costs look higher in the short-term.

At 70g/km, this new Prius brings CO2 emission levels to a new low for Toyota. That’s possibly the lowest CO2 rating of any car, other than a full electric model. This has become a big selling point of the hybrid story, and for Toyota it involves a petrol engine mated to an electric hybrid-drive system.

The big appeal for me after over 700km behind the Prius wheel is the smoothness of the drive. No other car can deliver that seamless transfer from electric to petrol engine drive – that’s the Toyota lead factor.

Toyota claims that smooth driving comes from a new and lighter hybrid-drive system. It’s impressively smooth if you want it to be, while you will hear the 1.8-litre engine when you push it hard enough. For relaxed driving without the anxiety that some electric car drivers experience, this Prius is a great option.

The car’s suspension has been improved and it handles smaller rural roads with ease. There’s a good driving feel to the car and you get a hushed atmosphere as it takes off from start in an almost silent electric mode.

The external is stylish and distinctive. The front skirting is a shade low for the challenges of rural roads, but I didn’t experience any issues.

On the inside, the new Prius has a modern look. There was an abundance of white gloss that gave it a sanitary look and that didn’t fully appeal to me. There is a neat, wireless phone charging kit included but I failed to get it to work properly.

The instrument readouts are mounted centrally below the windscreen, with digital displays that were reasonable easy to adjust. The car comes with a heads-up display that gives a speed and information display on the windscreen. I drove with economy in mind and that setting can be seen from the large screen.

It also doubles as a screen for the reversing camera. This is a must as Toyota has incorporated an odd-looking cross bar in the rear windscreen of the boot. This made road visibility poor.

Beneath that, there is a large screen for radio, satnav and all other functions, with the heating controls in a somewhat older-style control layout just beneath that again. There are lots of controls on the steering wheel, so keeping your eye on the road should not be an issue.

Comfort

Toyota claims to have reduced the steering column angle from 24 to 20 degrees, and lowered the driver’s hip point by 59mm to give a more natural driving position. I found that I was comfortable within minutes and never needed to make any other seat position changes.

This new Prius comes with an economy rating of 33km/litre (3.0l/100km or 94mpg), which is hugely impressive. I was satisfied enough to get about one-third less in terms of economy and that still gave me a range of over 900km from the small 43-litre capacity fuel tank.

I’ve looked at the three-year ownership costs of the Prius based on current resale values and it comes out ahead many midrange diesel cars. That’s partly because of the low levels of depreciation involved and also due to lower running costs, primarily fuel costs.

That’s the message that Toyota would like us to hear and, in practice for me, the Prius delivered accordingly. The entry price is €31,450 or £23,295 in Northern Ireland, which is also only marginally more expensive than the model that it replaces.

The car feels solidly put together and there are loads of safety features included with the new Toyota Safety Sense system. Toyota expects the new Prius to get a five-star rating in the Euro NCAP crash test results; the previous one did in 2009.

There is more boot space than before due to the use of a more compact hybrid battery system. A temporary spare wheel is available but it wasn’t in the car I drove.

The new Prius is a diesel car competitor, but not when it comes to towing ability. Range is not an issue and comfort is guaranteed – as is smoothness of driving. You can opt for a less expensive hybrid with the Toyota Auris, with almost equivalent performance, or the more expensive plug-in hybrid Volkswagen Golf GTE.

The Prius story has been told over 18 years and the running costs speak for the Prius as much as the smoothness of the drive.