Hybrid Prius slips into 4wd mode

ON the face of it this looks like a totally pointless car. I mean, who would want a four-wheeldrive Toyota Prius?

Perhaps there’s an answer to that one – an Uber driver who is based in the north of England or Scotland where global warming has yet to stop the snow in winter.

Toyota obviously thinks there’s reason enough because it has built this Prius AWD-I, the first allwheel-drive version of its iconic hybrid hatchback.

It’s quite an interesting machine and quite a lot of thought has gone into its design.

Converting a hybrid vehicle like the Prius to 4wd is easier than doing so on a conventional car because you can fit an electric motor to the previously undriven axle rather than having to build a special transmission and so on.

Which is exactly what Toyota has done with this car. Up front you have the front-wheel-drive Prius’s

1.8-litre petrol engine and

CVT transmission, complete with electric motor sandwiched between the two. At the back there’s a 7bhp electric motor to drive the rear wheels. Doesn’t sound very much but it’s enough to do the job in Toyota Prius AWD-I four-door hatchback

Price: £28,970

Engine: 1.8-litre four-cylinder 121bhp, plus two electric motors

0-62mph: 10.9sec

Fuel consumption: 64.7mpg

Co2 emissions: 85g/km

slippery conditions. The standard Prius uses a lithium ion battery but Toyota has fitted a nickel metal hybrid one to the AWD-I. This battery is older tech but has better performance in cold conditions. Which rather backs up my earlier theory about it being just the car for the northern climes Uber driver.

Because the electric motor is compact and doesn’t need a

Isuzu has launched a special edition of its D Max called the Blade+. It’s based on the Blade double cab version and adds a Mountain Top roller cover with black sports bar, a front skirt, 19in gun metal alloy wheels, a front camera, tailgate assist and Blade+ decals and puddle lamps. Inside you get leather upholstery and wireless phone charging. You’ve a choice of manual or automatic gearbox with prices from £29,999 plus VAT for the former and £30,999 for the auto. They’re on sale now.