Toyota says it has proof positive that the new full-hybrid Prius can not only achieve its claimed fuel consumption figures, it can do even better.

Results from the FleetWorld MPG Marathon, Britain?s leading independent test of fuel economy, show the Prius "sipping" petrol at a rate of 3.36l/100km, a 16-percent improvement on the official combined cycle figure of 3.9l/100km (For South Africa this figure is 4.1l/100km).

This exceptional score was achieved by the driving team of Andrew Andersz and Richard Seymour, who piloted the Prius over a 520km route with roads encountered by motorists every day.

Toyota says: "The real-world driving conditions showed beyond doubt that Prius can deliver excellent economy on the open road, as well as in urban areas where its ability to run on electric motor power alone comes into play".

New Prius, which recently went on sale, is not only exceptionally fuel efficient, it also achieves the lowest CO2 emissions of any family car, at just 89g/km (94g/km for South Africa).

It is also more powerful than its predecessor. Its highly efficient 1.8-litre petrol engine, "Hybrid Synergy Drive" powertrain and improved aerodynamics all play a key role in its cleaner and more fuel-frugal performance, with its drag coefficient trimmed to a best-in-class 0.25.

The MPG Marathon, which took place over two on the 30th September and 1st October, also saw the Toyota iQ and Yaris models (which are sadly not yet available in South Africa) in action.

The one-litre petrol iQ finished with an average 3.58l/100km and the 1.4 D-4D diesel Yaris achieved 3.27l/100km.