THEY might not yet be wheel-spinning out of showrooms, but hybrid cars are selling in greater numbers across Greece.

In a climate of rising fuel prices and an ever more heavy-handed approach by environmental policymakers, sales of the three hybrid technology cars currently available in this country have shown a steady rise over the past three years.

Most significantly, the 1.3-litre Civic hybrid - introduced only last July - accounted for almost a sixth of all Hondas purchased in Greece between January and September this year. According to the manufacturers, sales are expected to reach 1,170 by the end of 2008.

The 1.5-litre Toyota Prius - in some experts' eyes the market leader in its type - has shown a similar expansion with 484 sales in the first nine months of the year. With a quarter of the year's sales to add, the figure is already up by 120 vehicles on last year and 262 on the year before that.

"Perhaps to put it into better perspective," said a Toyota spokesperson, "it is in the top 12 [out of 30] in its category, including all 1.5-1.6 litre fuel-powered cars."

Completing the picture, Lexus, a luxury division of Toyota Motor Corporation, contributed 567 hybrid vehicles to Greece's roads between January and September, compared to almost 800 over the previous three years combined.

Though only a small proportion of the 226,000 new cars sold in Greece in the first nine months of the year (according to the country's statistical service) - and a drop in the ocean compared to the 220 million cars currently on European roads (according to EU numbers) - these figures represent an important consumer trend. Volkswagen, BMW, Mercedes, Cadillac and others have also produced hybrids, or are introducing them in near future. There is even talk of a hybrid Hummer.

Toyota has said that it plans to offer hybrid versions of all its models and sell a million such vehicles a year worldwide over the next decade.