European Lexus CT 200h hybrid sales greater than US Prius sales
Move over Toyota Prius?
The new king of hybrid cars
Toyota sells around 12,000 Prius hybrids per month in the US, making the US the sale’s leader in the hybrid cars segment, but that hybrid crown might not last long.
According to AutoWeek, Toyota believes sales of the Lexus CT 200h hybrid could be as high as 20,000 vehicles per month in Europe, the market for which the CT hybrid was designed.
While pricing has not been announced, Toyota has indicated that the “fun to drive” 42 mpg combined Lexus CT 200h will be priced less than $33,000, and will compete in Europe with the likes of the Audi A3, BMW 1 series and the Volvo C30 according to AutoWeek.
In the US sales are expected to be just 1,000 hybrids per month.
So, did AutoWeek make a mistake with their numbers, or is Toyota about to crack the European hybrid market?
Your asnwer was just what I needed. It’s made my day!
Well, Europe is a different market than America. $30,000 small cars are more acceptable in Europe, but a certain experience is expected. Compared to the Prius, the CT should hit upon these tests much better than a loaded Prius.
In America, the Prius is Toyota’s third best selling car, and if prices could fall a bit, such as what Toyota has been predicting, it’s reasonable to assume the Prius could overtake Corolla sales. Thus, I’d say the Prius is already more than a niche for Toyota. Still, the possibility of hybrids eventually overtaking the Prius certainly seems quite possible.
this says a lot about the Prius – NOT BEING a mainstream car… when it does not sell any more units that a high dollar upscale car will in Europe.
I note that FORD believed that they would have to sell several hundred thousands units of the Fiesta to make it profitable.
So.. how profitable is the Priuis and is it really anything more than a niche product compared to the rest of the Toyota model lineup?