THIS week I feel relaxed, despite the first murmurings of Christmas, half-term parental responsibilities, office relocation and a leaking shower unit, which only came to light when a distinctly odd-coloured patch appeared on the kitchen ceiling and I put my finger through the plaster.

So how come I still managed to keep calm and carry on, you may well ask?

Well, I’m not saying I was stressfree all the time, but when I stepped inside my test car for the week – the Toyota Auris Touring Sports Hybrid – my woes seemed to evaporate.

Unlike the water dripping through the kitchen ceiling.

I had driven the hatchback some months earlier, and this estate version matched it as the most enjoyable petrol-electric hybrid car I have driven.

A complete revision of the previous model, it makes driving a relaxing and enjoyable experience with the added bonus of some extra load space.

The long list of changes and improvements have moved the Auris’s game on to the extent that you might almost treat this as a new model.

You get exactly what you expect from a Toyota of this ilk – four wheels, five seats, a useful dualfloor boot and more is all standard fare. Just a glance at the spec sheet shows things have changed, though. A new wave of trim levels awaits; the result of focus groups, owner feedback and dealer recommendations.

The range now starts with Active, moving up to the likely big-selling Icon, then the self-explanatory Sport and the luxury equipment-biased Excel, tested here, at the top of the tree.

As well as the climate control, USB connection and heated, electricallyadjustable mirrors that are standard, even on Active spec, Icon lays down a mighty gauntlet to the opposition, with alloy wheels, DAB radio, a touch-screen media interface, Bluetooth connectivity, a rear-view camera, electric windows all round, leather-trimmed contact points in the cabin and front fog lights.

This car, however, is a rangetopping Excel machine with larger 17-inch alloys, dual-zone climate control, half-leather seats including heating for the front two, automatic lights and wipers, a full parallel-park assist system with front and rear sensors, cruise control and adjustable driver’s seat lumbar support. Privacy glass and an autodimming rear-view mirror are further perks.

As far as engines go, there’s a choice of efficient small-capacity petrol and diesel engines, plus a pokier 1.6-litre petrol and Toyota’s truly excellent Hybrid Synergy Drive.

It’s the latter on test here, since the predictions are that around 40 per cent of buyers will plump for the eco-conscious and road tax-free petrol-electric model. It is available in Icon and Excel trim only.

Its drivetrain, mated to an automatic gearbox, is designed primarily for silky-smooth transport around urban and suburban traffic battlegrounds. And that’s exactly what it provides. Little wonder that more and more taxi drivers are opting for this mode of transport.

The hybrid system does its thing by recouping energy from braking, always seeming to have enough electric power available where it’s most needed and where it will save the most fuel. After generations of development, it’s something of a revelation. It’s refined, reliable and – when used as it’s meant to be – marvellously efficient.

It’s quite easy to use the electric motor as much as possible, simply by being smooth and not using more throttle than you need to. In other words, it’s encouraging you to relax and enjoy the fruits of the technology.

What it is unlikely to achieve is the claimed average of about 70mpg. I found a more realistic figure to be no more than in the mid-fifties when mixing urban and rural environments.

Three driving modes provide the levels of choice biasing the drivetrain more towards the 1.8-litre petrol engine or the electric motor.

Eco Mode is the halfway house and generally the preferred option.

What the drivetrain doesn’t provide is oodles of pace above 50mph or so. Up to that point it’s torquey enough, but beyond there the noiseto- performance ratio, partially due to the standard continually variable automatic transmission that encourages the revs to drift very high and stay there, starts to count against the driving experience. But a power button provides a welcome slug of acceleration when it’s needed.

The steering is pleasingly direct and accurate, compromised slightly by a lack of feel, and the car rarely fails to feel planted.

From the driver’s seat, the instrument panel is well laid out, with clear views and large buttons, and you do sit comfortably in the excellent seats.

The optional Touch & Go sat-nav system is is one of the best systems available for clarity and for the simple stylishness of the display.

Practical touches like a particularly large glove box and a deep central storage bin make up for slightly restrictive door pockets, and rear legroom is ample.

Toyota, known the world over as a pioneer of the petrol-electric hybrid, is set to win many more fans.

Fact file

Toyota Auris Touring Sports Excel Hybrid

PRICE: £23,245 (Auris Touring Sports range from £15,595)

ENGINE: petrol-electric hybrid with 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine producing 98bhp and electric motor generating 80bhp

TRANSMISSION: electric continually variable transmission driving the front wheels

PERFORMANCE: top speed 112mph; 0 to 62mph in 10.9 seconds

ECONOMY: 70.6mpg combined

CO2 RATING: 92g/km