Since it was launched in India in 2010, a mere 167 units of the Toyota Prius have been sold in the country. That perhaps explains why the Prius attracts attention wherever you take it to. “I simply love the Prius. But I think German luxury cars are better value-for-money,” says a young executive I meet at the tony Cyber Hub in Gurgaon. He has recently bought the Audi A3 sedan. “However, the exclusivity the Prius offers is priceless,” he smiles.

To auto enthusiasts, the Prius doesn’t need much introduction—it is a pioneer in hybrid technology and the first mass-production hybrid vehicle in the world. More than delivering excellent fuel-efficiency and low carbon emissions, the car has introduced futuristic design and able driving performance for a hybrid.

To the environmentally-conscious, Prius is a Latin word meaning “to go before”—according to Toyota, the name was chosen because the Prius was launched before environmental awareness became a mainstream social issue. (In fact, the Prius went on sale a day before the Kyoto Protocol was adopted, on December 11, 1997.)

So, what is a hybrid? A hybrid vehicle uses both the internal combustion engine and an electric motor to propel a car. The electric motor is there to achieve both better fuel economy and better performance. Modern hybrids use technologies such as regenerative braking (rather than wasting it as heat energy) that convert the vehicle’s kinetic energy into electric energy, which, in turn, charges the batteries.

The Prius comes across as the most identifiable designs on the street. The bold bumper with a tiny grille (the car’s engine cooling requirements are low) make for a clean front. Looked at from the side, you’ll see the focus is on reducing air resistance that contributes to better performance and fuel-efficiency. The rear spoiler integrated into the high hatch sets it apart from any other hatchback on the roads—yes, the Prius is technically a hatchback—and the large tail lamp cluster (it uses LED lamps) adds to the difference. The design itself has a lot of technology riding behind itself.

The drive, as expected, is unlike most cars, and the experience begins right from the time you step inside. From standstill until you gradually reach 40 kmph, there is absolutely no sound from the car—the reason, it runs exclusively on the electric motor (the noiselessness takes some getting used to). Press the accelerator hard and the petrol motor comes to life and, with the already running electric motor, gives you the performance of a 2.4-litre class car even though this is a 1.8-litre engine. Nearing a traffic junction, press the brakes and the regenerative brake system takes over, turning the car’s kinetic energy into electric energy. Stop at a traffic junction and the petrol motor automatically shuts off but the electric remains on, thereby ensuring the car’s AC is running, without unnecessary fuel consumption and emissions associated with idling. Park the car in the sun, go for a coffee, come back and find it cool (again, without any emissions!) because the solar ventilation system fitted on the roof generates a little amount of electricity and uses it to ventilate the cabin. Oh, so much for technology! (The Prius is also available without the solar ventilation system.)

The space on the inside is generous and the fit and finish is good. The information display is on the centre console but the really futuristic part is the head-up display—it projects driving information on the lower windshield glass directly in front of the driver, minimising eye movement. The car doesn’t look very big on the outside but that is because of Toyota’s “minimum exterior, maximum interior” design philosophy. The use of a high hatch ensures more flexibility; after all, you need some space to store the batteries also! Just underneath the rear luggage storage flooring is the space for the batteries.

The engine in the Prius is the 1.8-litre 2ZR-FXE Toyota VVT-i and, along with the electric motor, it produces an output of 100 kW—not much but good enough for a car this size and weight. The Prius weighs just 1,385 kg.

The car gets front and rear crumple zones, active headrests that contribute to reduction of neck impact in the event of an accident and SRS airbags—driver, front passenger, driver knee, side airbags and curtain-shield airbags.

For R38 lakh, the Prius doesn’t come cheap. In day-to-day traffic conditions, you don’t get that good a fuel-efficiency to offset your high buying costs either. But what you get for this amount is exclusivity, the feeling of setting a benchmark for the future and, most importantly, a clean consciousness of driving a vehicle that does its bit for the earth. To some, that does matter. To most others, such as the young executive I met, Toyota should figure out a way for assembling it in India.

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