Toyota are the masters when it comes down to hybrid cars and for all the models they make there is a hybrid version.

Hybrids comprise two engines: one petrol, one electric. They work together to deliver smooth power and responsive torque, as and when you need it.

Should you need any extra performance – for instance, when you're overtaking – simply press the power button and enjoy an immediate reply.

Going uphill and engines power the vehicle to deliver maximum performance. Deceleration and Braking: The system recycles kinetic energy to charge the battery.

When you are overtaking both engines power the vehicle to deliver maximum performance and at a standstill both engines are automatically switched off so no energy is wasted when idling.

I’ve been driving their latest Yaris which is the Toyota supermini and I had the one with the hybrid powertrain.

If you want the standard model then prices start at £12,500. Should you want the hybrid then the price comes out £16,000 and if you want the top of the range then you’ll have to cough up £20,000. But all in all, that’s not a bad price.

The Yaris Hybrid is the only supermini with hybrid power and it is perhaps one of the easiest cars to drive on the market.

There is a new 1.5 litre model which is matched with a very efficient electric engine which will give you almost 80 miles to the gallon and emissions of 82g/km.

The top speed is just over the 100 mile an hour mark and 0-62mph is just under 12 seconds.

The electric motor is extremely good and that means the performance at low speed is excellent.

It’s no secret that, on most cars, driving in the city increases fuel costs because hybrids don't behave like most cars. For a start, they recycle energy and have two engines working in harmony to deliver figures as impressively low as three litres of petrol consumed per 100km.

But there is a noticeable return on mpg which can be further reduced when driving in Eco Mode. But simply select electric EV-mode, go easy on the pedal and you won’t use a single drop of a juice when accelerating up to 25mph.

When you are driving in town the Yaris is both quiet and easy to manoeuvre and when you are driving at low speed only on electric power is excellent.

And Toyota have made it event better with plenty of changes to the hybrid range with more sound-deadening material and updates for the chassis which improve the ride and the handling.

Like all Toyotas the Yaris is well built and it will last for a good while but should you have any problems Toyota are the best among the manufacturers for sorting them out quickly and efficiently.

All Toyotas now get the safety sense as standard, which adds a pre-collision system, lane departure warning and auto high beams. The Icon specification, a top-seller in the UK, adds some new 15-inch alloys and that 4.2-inch TFT screen behind the steering wheel, plus a seven inch display on the dash and a reversing camera.

Toyota has a five year 100,000 mile warranty and servicing is every 10,000 miles. Free AA cover for one year is included in the deal.