IMPROVEMENTS to safety and onboard technology have been announced by Toyota on its latest Prius plug-in hybrid models.

The changes include the introduction of a lane trace assistant to the car's safety set up and enhanced connectivity features such as full smartphone access and access to Toyota's MyT app which can be used to log driving data.

The upgraded Prius plug-in is now priced from £32,645 for a Business Edition model and £34,745 for the car in Excel grade.

Lane Trace Assist operates with the car's adaptive cruise control, helping the driver keep the car centred in its traffic lane.

Using the forward-facing camera and millimetre-wave radar, it monitors lane markings on the road surface. If it detects any unintended deviations, it will provides gentle steering inputs to keep the car to its correct course, both on straight roads and through curves.

On the connectivity front, the Prius is now compatible with both Apple and Android devices while the new app also allows for an eCall system to provide an automatic alert to the emergency services in the event of a serious impact.

Other features in the app include information about Toyota, service alerts, "find my car" vehicle location, journey planning and coaching on how to achieve the best eco-driving performance.

MyT also logs driving data, so information about mileage, speed and performance from previous journeys can be accessed and analysed.

The Prius plug-in has an electric-only range of up to 34 miles and can be recharged fully in around two hours from a fast charger. A recharge from a domestic supply takes some three hours.

The full hybrid powertrain has a total power output of 120bhp and can achieve nought to 60mph acceleration in 11.1 seconds. Top speed is 101mph. Combined cycle fuel consumption is 188.32 - 235.4mpg with CO2 emissions of 28 - 34g/km.