AS I was happily pootling along it came to me in a flash who the Toyota Auris Hybrid reminded me of - England's 1966 World Cup hero Martin Peters.

Why? Well, for two good reasons. Firstly the midfield legend was famous for being ahead of his time in the way he played the game - and compared to the way most of the motoring world powers cars the Auris Hybrid is definitely futuristic.

Secondly, Mr Peters was famous for ghosting unnoticed into the penalty box to score one of his trademark goals and frankly I lost count of the amount of times the Auris - using just its electric motor - was able to ghost up silently behind the unwary making them jump when they realised a car was passing close by.

Pressing the starter button in the Auris results in nothing other than illuminating the dash -  you'd never know it was ready to go.

But ready to go it is. Put the car in Drive and it moves off with only a muted whirr from the electric motor entering the cabin before the petrol power unit kicks in. The whole process is fuel efficient with the energy saved when braking recharging the nickel-metal hydride battery.

The rev counter on the dashboard is replaced with a natty gauge which shows whether the car is regenerating power, using electricity or calling on the engine's extra reserves. There's also a little eco light which flashes on to reinforce the green is good message.

The Auris is powered by Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive that found fame in the Prius - but unlike its big brother the Auris is built in Burnaston, Derbyshire, rather than being shipped in from Japan - further reducing its carbon tyre print.

The Auris Hybrid is slightly tweaked compared to the standard model with changes including LED daytime running lights, a new grille, a more aerodynamic front bumper and a larger tailgate-mounted spoiler. It also rides 5mm lower than a normal Auris.

The centre console is revised featuring the same gearknob as the Prius, plus buttons to manually select electric-only, Eco or Power modes and operate the electric handbrake.

The Auris offers some impressive statistics - the best achieved using the 15-inch alloy wheels where carbon dioxide emissions are just 89g/km and fuel economy is in excess of 74mpg. Go for the sharper looking 17-inch set of wheels and emissions rise to 93g/km which still qualifies the car for the exemption from road tax while fuel economy just north of 70mpg is anything but shabby.

The addition of the battery doesn't reduce boot space too much so there's still enough room to accommodate bags of shopping, while the rear seats fold when larger items need to be accommodated.

Good visibility makes negotiating busy urban streets a cinch. Toyota claims that the car will travel 1.2 miles in electric-only mode, and the quiet way it does this makes city driving relaxing.

On the motorway, the Auris Hybrid is a refined, comfortable cruiser but on inclines the motor needs plenty of throttle resulting in a thrashy engine note as the unit powers through the CVT gearbox.

On the plus side the Auris handles well and there is plenty of grip while most bumps and humps in the road are absorbed.

The Auris Hybrid's price-tag of £20,000-plus will be an issue for some who may view it as a bit of an expensive commitment to the environment.