THE Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive system of Toyota Prius has been awarded two category wins in the International Engine of the Year Awards 2005. The revolutionary Hybrid Synergy Drive system won in the 1.4 to 1.8-litre category and also took first place in the 'Best Fuel Economy' category - thanks to it's application in the Toyota Prius with outstanding fuel consumption of 65.7mpg (EC mode, combined).

The awards were collected by Mr Jon Williams, Toyota's European marketing director, and Mr Colin Hensley, general manager of the R&D external affairs and communication division, during a special awards ceremony that took place in Stuttgart early this month.

Mr Thierry Dombreval, Toyota Motor Marketing Europe's executive vice-president and chief operating officer, said: "These two awards further reinforce Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive as a leading powertrain technology for production cars today."

These latest accolades for the hybrid powertrain mean Toyota has set a new record in the International Engine of the Year awards with no fewer than nine titles for Prius over its two generations.