Safety of this standard is not achieved by adding safety features to a car after it has been designed. With the Prius, as with other Toyota cars, safeity is from the start a main design criteria.

As each electronic draft for the bodyshell was arrived at, it underwent sophisticated computer crash test simulations. Hundreds were carried out before the designers achieved the optimum balance between low weight and crash protection.

Along with computerised crash test simulations, the Toyota Prius was also put through an intensive programme of 125 real crash tests. Few other manufacturers go to such lengths with a new model.

Toyota looks for ‘real world’ safety concerns, such as collisions between vehicles of different weights and sizes. These are the most common types of accident in Europe. For your protection, the Prius was tested against the far larger Toyota Land Cruiser in front, rear and side impact situations.

As you’d expect, the Toyota Prius also comes with a high level of safety equipment as standard: eight airbags; Toyota’s unique dual-stage seatbelt warning system; knee protection panel; Whiplash Injury Lessening seat design; centrally-mounted hybrid battery and Circuit Break Sensor; plus a plastic multiplex fuel tank that can survive a 50 km/h rear impact.

• By-wire Electronically Controlled Braking providing optimal braking performance;
• Unique Electric Traction Control that’s so quick drivers often don’t even notice its intervention;
• Vehicle Stability Control Plus, the world’s most innovative stability control system.