Toyota Prius plug-in to cost from £31k

Toyota Prius plug-in will cost £31k

Toyota has announced that the Prius plug-in – due in the UK Spring 2012 – will cost from ‘under’ £31,000.

When we revealed that the US price for the new Toyota Prius plug-in was 36 per cent more than a regular Prius, we did hope that price increase would apply to the UK too.

Because if Toyota were to do the same in the UK, the plug-in Prius would have come in – after the taxpayer very generously chipped in a £5k subsidy for ‘eco’ cars – at a ‘buy’ price in the UK around £2.5k more than the non plug-in Prius. But it’s not happening.

Toyota has revealed that the price of the plug-in Prius will start at ‘under’ £31k. Which probably means £30,995. Which is £10k more than the current starting point for the Prius. Not unexpected, but a shame nonetheless.

Still, even though the plug-in Prius will be £5k more than the starting point for the non plug-in Prius after subsidy, it still represents much batter value than an electric car does.

The Prius has the ability to travel up to 15 miles on electric-only, comes with ridiculously low BIK rates, is exempt from the congestion charge and VED and gets the equivalent (read ‘fairy-tale’) of 134.5mpg with emissions of 49g/km. Which seem to be improved figures since Toyota gave then to us before.

True, the Prius isn’t exactly a driver’s car and its dynamics are safe rather than inspiring, but it is a proper car and, even when the electricity has run out, it can go forever just as long as there’s a petrol station to hand.

And, although Toyota don’t shout about it enough, the plug-in Prius – and the regular Prius, for that matter – emits much lower amounts of the stuff that actually matters – NOx and Particulates – than any eco-diesel.

The Toyota Prius plug-in will go on sale in the UK in early 2012.