Toyota is putting the new Prius petrol-electric hybrid model at the heart of its plans to increase its fleet presence in the UK.

The third-generation Prius made its European debut at Geneva, and will go on sale in the UK in July.

It is now powered by a 1.8-litre petrol engine allied to an electric motor, compared to the current car’s 1.5-litre unit.

The headline figures are 134bhp, 72.4mpg combined fuel economy and CO2 emissions of 89g/km, compared to 65.7mpg and 104g/km in the current model.

Richard Balshaw, general manager at Toyota Fleet, said: “The new generation Prius is an essential element of Toyota’s plans for increased fleet market share this year.

"With around 60% of sales going to fleet users, the new model has been designed with the requirements of fleet managers and drivers very much in mind.

“With the costs associated with running a fleet now under the microscope, there has never been a better time to look at the benefits of hybrids.

“With tax advantages available to companies putting their employees in vehicles below 110g/km, combined with no VED charges and excellent fuel consumption, plus benefit-in-kind taxation savings, running a fleet of Prius can offer significant savings.

“The current generation Prius created awareness of the hybrid potential among fleets, and the new model takes this a significant step further.

Toyota sold just over 9,000 Prius models in the UK last year, with fleet accounting for 55% of registrations.

Although the manufacturer has not revealed sales plans for 2009, it expects the new model to outstrip that 9,000-unit figure in 2010.