INGRAINED in the nation’s psyche as a standard-bearing hybrid, Toyota’s Prius people carrier is now available as something a little larger and with a slightly different remit.

Although the regular Prius is perfectly adequate for most families and has also proved popular with taxi drivers, the company spotted a gap in the market for a seven-seat, sub-100g/km car, particularly for fleet buyers like car hire companies, and the Prius+ is its attempt to fill it.

Even though it works in exactly the same way, the new model doesn’t quite use the same Hybrid Synergy Drive system as the five-seat Prius, because in the latter the under-boot nickel metal hydride (NiMH) battery pack raises the load bay and means a third row of seats is not an option.

For the Prius+, the world’s first seven-seat full hybrid vehicle, the new and impressively compact lithium-ion battery has been cleverly sited in the centre console in the cabin, beneath the arm rest. The boot floor has been lowered and a third row of seats added.

The roof line has been raised while trying to maintain a recognisably Prius shape, and there’s no doubting the practicality on offer. The middle row of three individual seats move forward and back independently, so that each of the three occupants can get more shoulder room, but also so the available space can be balanced between the two rows of rear seats.

The upshot is that you can get seven six-footers in the Prius+, even if the rearmost passengers won’t want to be there for too long and will have to be able to ease themselves into what is a pretty tight spot. Nevertheless the practicality and intelligent management of space is thoroughly impressive, and families with bigger needs will find a lot to like.

The rear seats, which fold flat and create a level load floor, have a one-hand-one-movement operation, so parents with one arm full of child or shopping can still set the seats up just how they need them.

With all the seats up there’s 232 litres of space, which isn’t a great deal. With the third row folded flat there’s a more impressive 784 litres, which is more than enough for most needs. Under the removable boot floor there’s also a useful extra space for oddments.

If the Prius+ majors on practicality, it does very well at in-town driving too, using electric power only as much as possible and keeping urban emissions – and fuel costs – to a minimum.

However, the excellent ride quality from soft, comfortable suspension does mean that handling falls way down its list of abilities. Equally, the constantly variable transmission (CVT) gearbox that’s gives smooth and quiet running at low speeds can allow the car to feel a little strained when accelerating to a greater pace. But despite that, the ride is still very good and fuel economy at a motorway cruise is very impressive for what amounts to a 1.8-litre petrol car.

With hybrids, fuel consumption figures are more dependent on the driving environment than regular petrol or diesel cars. Toyota claims an average figure of 64.8mpg. The best I achieved during a week of town and country driving was just over 60mpg.

This car is not designed for a mass audience. It is built to satisfy a specific set of needs, and those who need a seven-seat MPV with low running costs, oodles of practical touches and unimpeachable reliability will find living with it a delight.

There are several features of the top-trim Excel Plus model that make it better suited as a family carrier than a public taxi. There’s the leather upholstery, for starters, and DVD rear entertainment pack.

Other features are more practical. Whenever the vehicle is being driven the electric motor is always operating. The petrol engine will stop and start at any vehicle speed depending on a variety of conditions in order to maintain the best balance between performance and efficiency.