The Prius is also about space inside. Passenger room is up eight percent to 96.3 cubic feet, close to the Toyota Camry’s 101.8. Kneeroom and legroom in back are darn near vast. This is a hatchback; the split-back rear seat folds easily to flat, so cargo flexibility is terrific. Total interior volume is 112.4 cubic feet.

From the driver’s seat, the windshield is well forward and steeply sloped. The electro-green instruments live in a slot way out there just under the windshield wipers. Forget having an intimate relationship with the Prius. What you get instead is Spaceship Toyota, and the unique starting ritual adds to the novelty. If you opt for the “Smart Entry and Smart Start,” leave the key in your pocket. The car smells you coming and unlocks the driver’s door as you lift the handle. Inside, put your foot on the brake, push a black button labeled “Power,” and the slot full of green digits comes alive. Look for “READY.” If the 1497cc four is still warm from a previous trip, don’t expect it to start. Just snick the odd little dashboard toggle toward D (R is the only other choice) and toe the accelerator. You’re off, and the engine will join the party when it feels good and ready.

The engine is off a lot during metro driving. No problem in summer; the A/C is now motor driven. But it does guzzle juice from the 202-volt nickel-metal hydride traction battery, so you can’t park in the sun more than a few minutes before the engine must get to work recharging (there’s also a small 12-volt battery in the trunk that exists to keep the computer brain alive when the car is unused and to power up its thinking circuits when you return).

This car sends exciting signals. We like the triggerfish-on-wheels mood of the slick, wedgy body. The coefficient of drag is only 0.26, Toyota says. You’ll notice subtle aero fairings under the wheel wells and rear bumper. And Toyota’s hybrid machinery is way out there on the technomagic yardstick. This is an exotic machine.

But it acts like an appliance. The steering is off-putting in its robotic feel. The cockpit sounds are minimal and noninvolving. The power-flow animation on the dash CRT struggles to make a simple point—chasing big mpg numbers is fun. Let’s go for the record! Warner Bros. could do wonders here.

Since the original Prius launch in Japan in 1997, Toyota has sold more than 150,000 units. More important, in the previous generation’s final moments, Toyota says it finished recovering its investment and then produced a few profitable cars. That, more than anything, confirms that gas-electric hybrids are going to be mainstream.

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