Toyota Prius Hatchback (04-09) - Review

Plenty of room on board for four adults; five is a squeeze. The seats are a good shape and comfortable on long trips. It's quiet on the road with wind and road noise well suppressed. The engine can kick up a din when it's being pushed hard.

The boot is large and has a wide opening, making it ideal for carrying large and awkwardly-shaped loads. There's no evidence of battery packs or hybrid mechanicals intruding into the load area. The seats split and fold for added load area. The glovebox is large and splits in two places for extra room. There are also large door bins, cupholders in the back and a handy sunglasses holder.

Driver has a clear view of the road, with a centrally-mounted digital display readout. The steering wheel has buttons for the stereo, heated rear windscreen and air con, meaning that the driver doesn't need to take their hands off the wheel. It takes a while to adapt to the sequence for keyless starting and there are some unfamiliar functions on the gear lever. Aside from this, visibility is good, even out of the rear with its heavily raked screen and the driving position is comfortable. Touch screen system that controls the air con and stereo (amongst other functions) is very easy to use and even comes with voice recognition on some models.