Buying a 2nd Hand Japanese Import in New Zealand

I'm preparing to move to New Zealand. My much loved and very beat up 2006 Prius is among the things I'll be leaving behind. Honestly, it's been a lemon, but I love it anyway. I had to replace the big battery at around 100,000 miles. Replaced it with a rebuilt battery, which failed 9 mo later. Then I had a guy come out and replace a few cells in my driveway (who had some nasty things to say about the company that rebuilt my battery). . . it's been fine since.
I'm having a hard time making up my mind about what to buy, and also getting quite confirmed by model names. Almost all the Priuses in NZ are imports from Japan, and there are many services that import 'select' second hand cars. Word has it that these are often good bets: the Japanese tend to be big on maintenance and trade in cars before they're worn out. I'm getting confused by models I have never heard of, like the L, S, C aqua, and Alpha wagon; the plug in is called a PHV. Can anyone direct me to a description of Japanese models through the years?
Also, I'm working up to shell out for a plug-in. Is there anything in particular I should be looking for or avoiding in a plug-in? Is there are worry that a relatively old (say 2012) low-mileage (say under 40k miles) is headed for battery problems because it was left to sit? Mechanical checks are easily found, but how do I find someone who can check battery condition? or is that even possible/necessary with a young battery?