I had to use the car club car today and the Leaf I had been using for the last couple of years has gone on its merry way. I thought it would be a new model Leaf to replace it, but when I booked the car it came up as a Prius plug in.

So a quick review based on my 90 minutes with it.

No problem unplugging from the charging point – similar to the Leaf, same connections, just a button to press to unlock it from the car.

Fisr issue - How to start?

Pressed brake pedal and starter button, nothing. Found quick guide and you have to present the key fob to the starter button first. It then started.

Disappointed no heated windscreen like the Leaf, so it was out with the scraper. Then demist the car which meant engine running.

First thing was how far I felt from the windscreen. The A pillars are very large and possibly intrusive and no way of seeing the front of the bonnet. There looked to be plenty of rear seat leg room, not sure about headroom as the roof does slope. Split rear screen,, so just like my old A2 no rear wiper.

A whole bank of information on the screen on the top of the dash including speedo, trip meters, driving mode etc etc. In addition large satnav screen which also doubles as reversing camera screen, audio info, vehicle power source graphic and a host of other stuff I didn’t have time to play with! DAB radio as standard - |I managed to navigate the radio quite quickly. Also has heads up display – not sure if it adds to the car. The clock was wrong, no idea how to change it. Surprised it didn’t just sync with the satnav – even our forfour does that.

Running on petrol at first it was the usual CVT petrol style driving – lots of engine noise, but the car was peppy enough. I then found the EV and city mode button and went to purely electric power and it acted just like the Leaf – ample torque – too much on a damp surface when leaving one junction (!), range was 30 miles from fully charged. It also has regenerative braking to recharge batteries when slowing. Needless to say whisper quiet on electric and even on petrol only very noisy when accelerating hard. Good ride too and light steering - possibly too light - no doubt there's a setting for it somewhere!

Plenty of kit: radar cruise, brake assist, lane departure warning (one to turn off if I knew how), reversing sensors and cameras, there are ample other buttons and warning symbols available!

Over 15 miles and about an hour the computer stated 160mpg – only need for petrol was when defrosting and on one stretch of road which has a 60 limit and petrol cut in to aid acceleration. Once back in the 30mph zone the petrol shut off. Electric range was at 12 miles after my trip. Using engine braking system I did manage to recharge on a 2 mile downhill stretch of road from 10 miles back to 12.

So far so good. Now the bad.

For a five seater and potentially a family car, the biggest let down was the boot. Those batteries have to go somewhere and they are between the rear wheels. As a result there is only about 8 inches depth from boot floor to luggage cover – the steeply raked boot door also robs space.

There is a false floor, which I didn’t look under. It probably has the tyre inflation kit and maybe some cubby holes under there. However if you want to get the family and three suitcases for the summer holiday in there you may have a problem.

Having those lights low on the corners of the rear bumpers will also result in some expensive repairs from innocuous bumps which most cars will survive with little more than a minor paint scratch – they are at the perfect height for corners of shopping trolleys.

The speed limit indicator was absolute rubbish – giving me false speeds all the time including a 20 limit on a 40 limit three lane main road, a 40 on a stretch which has been 30 for at least 10 years and NSL for a 30 which has been in place at least 5 years!

All in all a great concept which for town use and short hops is ideal if you want to save fuel – no wonder Prius are so popular with cabbies – but you need to spend a lot buying one to save a few quid in petrol. However you will never get away from the inadequate boot space for a family sized car.