Our Fleet: Toyota Yaris Hybrid T Spirit - May 2013

The Toyota Yaris Hybrid has continued to be a worthy addition to the Fleet News long-term fleet with another trouble-free month.

Since the last report, it has had its first service, due at 10,000 miles, at Marshall in Peterborough, while average fuel economy has also risen slightly.

It is now returning between 58mpg and 59mpg on each tank of petrol.

This is some way off the official combined figure of 76.3mpg which I attribute partly to the fact that most of the Yaris's mileage is on A-roads and not in more hybrid friendly urban areas, but it's still pretty good for a petrol supermini.

The Yaris's comfort and refinement continue to impress, and a number of recent journeys have shown that it can accommodate four adults on long journeys in reasonable comfort.

The petrol-electric powertrain offers ample power, although the CVT gearbox – which provides seamless progress – gives the perception that the car is slower than it really is.

In a car with a manual or conventional gearbox, the engine revs rise as the car accelerates, but the CVT allows the engine revs to rise first, and holds them there while the car's speed catches up.

This experience is still a bit alien to me as it loses the direct link between engine revs and speed, but the rate the needle on the speedo rises shows then it's got enough acceleration for everyday needs.