2005 European Car of the Year: Toyota Prius

2005 European Car of the Year: Toyota Prius

I still remember seeing Toyota Prius in some auto magazine few years back. It was a concept vehicle then but now that same car is making big news. It is currently the cleanest family car on sale today with emission figures of just 104g/km. It combines the power of a 1.5-litre petrol engine with a powerful electric motor. The car uses the electric motor for speeds up to 50kmph thus generating absolutely no pollution. Above that, the petrol engine kicks in for the extra power.

Moreover, the electric motor charges itself during accelerating and braking thus avoiding the need for manual recharging. The car has been so popular that it now functions as a personal vehicle for around 1.2 lakh people worldwide.

The latest in the series of rewards for this smart car comes in the form of 2005 European Car of the Year. The car was chosen as the winner from a list of seven finalists and beat the competition comprehensively. It gathered 406 points as compared to Citroën C4 (267), Ford Focus (228), and Vauxhall Astra (180). Other cars in the consideration were Renault Modus, Peugeot 407 and BMW 1-series.

This award goes on to show that hybrid car has a good future.