IT'S a bit like catching your ageing granny dressed in stilettos or a bikini.

My first sight of new Prius with its sleek, racy profile and sculptured lines looked somewhat, how shall I put itâ¦out of character, bizarre even.

Here was what was once a stuffy people-carrier - favoured by Uber drivers for its economy and load capacity - appearing as swish and sexy as any Audi or Beemer.

The fact that the review car was also decked out with copious racing decals, fresh from its role as a support vehicle at Le Mans in the summer, further skewed the image.

Not only does the 2025 Prius - only available as a plug-in hybrid - have a new, fancy suit of clothes but it's been given a useful power boost which elevates it from 120bhp to 220bhp, sufficient to carve several seconds off its 0 to 62mph time.

Only available as a plug-in hybrid, even drivers with a heavy right foot will squeeze out 50mpg-plus and on one a more gentle run we managed 74mpg. This, together with tax friendly BiK, makes it an appealing choice for a firm's car, or private transport, for that matter.

The 2.0-litre petrol four cylinder engine is supplemented by a 13.6kWh battery that's good for around 53 miles of electric only travel. The suspension and steering have been sharpened up, too, to cope with the extra clout.

The overall effect is impressive. It feels eager and responsive with a decent bit of feedback from the helm. Ride, which was never an issue for criticism, is better still allowing level cornering and plenty of adhesion.

With light controls, an eCVT automatic transmission and good visibility, it's a remarkably easy, undemanding saloon yet it still manages to deliver a good helping of driving satisfaction.

Although the new body is marginally shorter, the wheelbase is a bit longer allowing greater cabin space. It's quite low with a scalloped roofline so you might need to duck down when entering on account of the steeply raked windscreen. But once inside, there's ample headroom and legroom is over-generous.

Th Excel version, driven here, comes with smart synthetic leather upholstery - comfortable and supportive, electric heated front seats and heated steering wheel.

The cabin, itself, is quite minimalist as you might expect from a thoroughly modern car.

Greys and blacks are the order of the day giving it a distinctly sombre feeling. Maybe an opportunity missed.

The switchgear and touchscreen are all well placed and easy enough to use and there's no shortage of cubbies and pockets for oddments.

Less praiseworthy is the size of the hatchback boot which falls well below the size of rival family hatches, although it is on a par with several plug-in hybrids which also house the necessary electric working in the cargo area.

It follows that taxi drivers will no longer be queueing for the keys of a new Prius then!