Toyota UK Keeps 2010 Prius III Prices at the Same Levels as the Prius II, Starts from £18,370

Prompted by the declining car market and the fact that Honda Insight is already significantly cheaper than the Prius II in the UK (the Insight starts from £15,490), Toyota's British arm decided to play it safe and keep prices for the third generation Prius at the same levels as the outgoing second-gen model. Pricing for the new Prius has been carried over unchanged from the current model for the entry-level T3 and the range topping T Spirit versions that cost £18,370 and £21,210 respectively, while the price of the in-between T4 model has risen by £835, to £19,990. Furthermore, equipment specifications on all three model have been improved.

For example, the entry-level T3 gains head-up display, projecting key vehicle data on to the windscreen in the driver's eyeline, 'touch tracer' multi-function control on the steering wheel, smart entry & start, driver's knee airbag, heated door mirrors and fog lamps.

The T4 benefits from the addition of 17-inch alloy wheels, Bluetooth, eight-speaker audio system and rain-sensing wipers while the T Spirits now features a HDD (hard disk drive) navigation system and music library and an improved intelligent park assist with rear parking camera.

The new Prius III will begin to arrive in UK dealerships towards the end of July - beginning of August.