Prius: Roomy interior? Say no more...

This is the Prius, Toyota's ground-breaking and fuel-saving hybrid car. Some people pronounce it Pre-us, some Pry-us. Depends where you come from and how you hold your tongue.

Either way, from the outside looking in, the car doesn't have a lot going for it. It looks boring. But from the inside looking out ... well, that's when the Prius really shines, according to raunchy Penthouse magazine in Japan. The car has just won the publication's Car Of The Year To Have Sex In award. The judges particularly liked the spacious front seat area more than the car's environmentally friendly, petrol-electric method of propulsion, which has won it so many other awards. Who the judges were and how they arrived at their decision wasn't revealed, but they enthusiastically declared the car the "mobile love hotel for the 21st century."

The award might lead to a whole new method of car comparisons. It has already led to a competition for catchphrases, like: Toyota Prius - try-us, you'll like-us; or Toyota Prius - it's all rhythym and shoes; or Toyota Prius - room with a phew! for two; or Toyota Prius - built for comfort, not for speed. There are others. There will no doubt be more if the car goes on sale in New Zealand. - Alastair Sloane