Toyota Prius Becomes World’s Third Best-Selling Car Line

Green is the new black. At least, when it comes to cars.

For just over a decade, those who bought a Toyota Prius hybrid have had to entertain the possibility that the rest of the world would view them as tree-hugging, tofu-eating, hemp-wearing, middle-class hippies.

In April however, that changed forever as the Toyota Prius family became the world’s third best-selling car line for the first quarter of 2012.

To do that, Toyota sold a staggering 247,230 Prius hybrids, beating sales figures for cars like the Ford Fiesta, Chevrolet Cruze, Honda Civic and Volkswagen Golf.

In first place for the quarter, selling 300,800 cars was another Toyota, the 2012 Corolla. In second place, just under 30,000 cars ahead of the Prius line, was the 2012 Ford Focus.

Toyota’s Prius family success highlights a growing trend towards fuel efficient cars and higher gas prices, but it also highlights the effect that expanding the Prius family has had on sales.

A year ago, Toyota only sold one Prius, the 2011 Prius mid-size hatchback. Since then, it has launched the 2012 Toyota Prius C subcompact hatch, 2012 Toyota Prius V mid-size wagon, and the 2012 Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid.

In doing so, Toyota has placed its legendary Prius name into three markets that it didn’t occupy, enticing more sales than it would ever have done from a single car.

In addition, green car tax rebates and credits in countries like Japan have meant that the 2012 Toyota Prius C -- which is sold in Japan as the 2012 Aqua -- have become runaway successes.


Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1076525_toyota-prius-becomes-worlds-third-best-selling-car-line

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2012 Toyota Prius V, Prius C, Help Toyota Top 4 Million Hybrid Sales

Believe it or not, Toyota has now sold more than 4 million hybrid cars worldwide since it launched the original Toyota Prius hybrid in Japan in 1997. 
According to Toyota, the milestone was passed in late April, when the 2012 Toyota Prius C had only been on sale five or six weeks. 

But while it -- and the 2012 Toyota Prius V wagon which launched last fall -- have only been on sale a relatively short time, Toyota says the two latest additions to its hybrid lineup account for approximately 250,000 cars already. 

Toyota estimates that there are now 2.6 million Priuses worldwide, alongside 270,000 Camry Hybrids. 

Other models which contributed to Toyota’s 4-million hybrid car milestone include the 2012 Highlander Hybrid, and luxury hybrids from Lexus, Toyota’s prestige brand. 

Interest in Toyota’s hybrid vehicles is rapidly increasing. While it took Toyota nearly ten years to reach the one million hybrid cars milestone,  it reached its two million mark two years and three months later, with the third million occurring 18 months after that. 

Selling the last million hybrid cars has taken Toyota just 14 months. 

In fact, in the first four months of 2012, 

Read More: http://www.greencarreports.com/news/1076398_2012-toyota-prius-v-prius-c-help-toyota-top-4-million-hybrid-sales


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Going Forward, In Reverse: How Toyota Made Its Comeback, and Honda Hasn’t

When Toyota had that niggling little kerfuffle a few years ago, what with its cars accelerating its occupants without their knowledge, analysts and pundits wondered out loud when, or if, Toyota would gain its mojo back. Turns out, the answer is now. Toyota sales were up 13.8 percent in April, compared to last year, and Toyota sold 6,000 more Camrys in that same month than in 2011. Some analysts point out that it took about 4 months for Toyota to bounce back, from both the spate of recalls as well as the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan last March.


A recall of Toyota’s magnitude might have destroyed a lesser company. But, being Toyota, the juggernaut can seemingly do no wrong.

On the other hand, Honda never enjoyed such a recall. Yet, its sales have been floundering recently—it suffered nowhere near the humiliating publicity as Toyota, but sales have dropped for 10 straight months, and overall by two percent from last April. Even with the national consciousness learning to accept $4/gallon gasoline, Honda’s hybrids haven’t been selling well. What’s going on at the big H? Should Honda suffer through its own recall to rejuvenate its own motivation? Oh wait, it already has its own share of recall problems.

How did Toyota regain its customers? It launched a new Camry, which despite its problems is practically ingrained in the American spirit, as quintessential to the nation’s well-being as apple pie and a warm glass of milk before bedtime. Two new Prius models proved to be popular, efficient and well-priced. In fact, Prius sales doubled in April 2012 compared to April of last year, though Toyota didn’t specify if it included all three models.

“Any way you look at it, Toyota, Lexus and Scion dealers outperformed the industry,” said Robert Carter, Vice President of the Toyota division. “April was an excellent month for Toyota and a good month for the industry. We are ordering more Camrys and [the factory] is able to build them. We are adding overall volume.”

Read more: http://blogs.automotive.com/going-forward-in-reverse-how-toyota-made-its-comeback-and-honda-hasnt-93519.html#ixzz1uIFHo8aV

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