HOLLYWOOD celebrities are not the only ones queuing up for Toyota's famous hybrid Prius, with demand in the UK for the European Car of the Year continuing to soar in 2005.

Figures just announced revealed Prius experienced a record first quarter sales result and a record month in March.

A record 640 Prius were driven off UK showroom floors during March, contributing to a record first quarter sales total of 1,046 units. The 2005 first quarter figure is more than double the 484 units sold in the first quarter of 2004.

Toyota GB commercial director Paul Philpott said: "Demand for Prius has been very strong since we launched this second generation model in January 2004, and it's encouraging to see demand continuing to grow in 2005.

"Prius has been hugely popular here in the UK and worldwide as customers recognise that Prius excels in clean performance and efficiency, without sacrificing the qualities of ease of use, style and comfort. Our only problem may be sourcing enough vehicles to meet the demand!"

The world's cleanest family car has experienced exceptional global demand, with worldwide sales exceeding well over 300,000 since the first generation Prius was launched in Japan in 1997.

Toyota expects to sell more than 3,500 Prius in the UK this year, more than doubling the 1,588 units sold in 2004.

Prius is exempt from the London Congestion Charge, representing a potential saving of up to £1,250 per annum to a commuter. Changes that come into effect on July 4, 2005, will see the daily charge rise from £5 to £8, raising the potential saving total to £2,000 per annum.

On-the-road prices for Prius start at £17,545.