Sleek Toyota Prius hybrid is coming to the UK after all

• Toyota will now offer Prius for sale in UK
• Toyota initially felt demand could be satisfied by other hybrid models
• UK pricing and spec yet to be determined

Toyota has reversed its decision not to offer the latest fifth-generation Prius for sale in the UK, a spokesman for the company confirmed today.

The car has been offered in other parts of the world since the spring after being unveiled last November. However, it wasn’t offered in the UK initially, with falling demand for the outgoing Prius cited as the reason, as customers' buying habits shifted to SUV models.

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With most of Toyota’s other models now offering a petrol-electric hybrid drivetrain, models such as the C-HR SUV, Corolla hatchback and Touring Sports estate were encroaching on Prius sales in recent years. As such, Toyota felt that demand for the Prius could be satisfied by these models instead.

However, Toyota has now U-turned on that decision, meaning that the mid-size hybrid family car will be offered for sale in the UK. This will likely be music to the ears of the UK’s private hire industry, with whom the Prius has been popular for many years due to its mix of efficiency, practicality and legendary reliability.

It’s not yet clear exactly when Prius sales will begin in the UK, and prices and specs are still yet to be confirmed. In other parts of Europe, prices range from around €45,000 to €50,000, which if echoed here, would put the car at between £39,000 and £43,000. That would make it considerably more expensive than the similarly-sized Corolla hybrid, which starts at just over £30,000.

The sleekly-styled Prius is available in both ‘self-charging’ hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) forms in other markets, delivering official fuel economy figures of up to 217mpg and CO2 emissions from 29g/km. While the Prius has previously held a reputation for favouring economy over performance, the new model also boasts an impressive turn of speed, with the 220bhp PHEV accelerating from 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds.

Read our in-depth review of the outgoing Toyota Prius, or check out our rundown of the best hybrid cars on sale