The Japanese automobile giant, Toyota Motor Corp., is all set to introduce its newest hybrid model in order to raise its sales again after the natural disasters in Thailand and Japan. Toyota has already accepted orders for around 60,000 Aqua hybrid models before the actual launch of the vehicle. Koei Saga, Managing Officer of Toyota, stated that the company has received fives times more orders than the expected target of 12,000 vehicles. A four month wait is in store for customers who wish to purchase the latest model.
The advanced orders have proved beneficial for the 2012 launch of Toyota’s new vehicle. Prius c will be the global name of this hybrid, which will debut in United States and 50 other countries after its launch in Japan. Toyota also plans to introduce a small hybrid in Europe that will possess a hybrid system similar to that of the Aqua and will be based on the Yaris compact model.
Toyota Motors Corp. has not yet communicated its worldwide sales targets for the latest model. However, the company revealed last week that it hopes to boost international sales by 20 per cent to 8.48 million units in 2012. Toyota has high expectations from its latest model, which is why even though 2011 witnessed an approximate fall of 6 per cent, the sales in 2012 are expected to rise.
The engine of Aqua provides a better fuel efficiency of 35.4 kmpl as opposed to the Prius, which delivers 32.6 kmpl. The price range of Aqua is expected to start from ¥1.69 million, whereas, the Prius will be around ¥2.17 million.
However, the quoted price is higher than that of the competitors in the market, but Toyota is banking on its high fuel efficiency to attract customers. The Fit compact hybrid of Honda gives a mileage of around 26 kmpl and starts from ¥1.59 million, while Mazda’s Demio provides 25 kmpl and begins at ¥1.4 million.
Toyota’s Aqua will be introduced in Japan at a favourable time, when the government increases subsidies and reduce taxes for fuel efficient vehicles. Therefore, around ¥210,000 of discount could be provided to customers by the government. The Government of Japan has become stringent in emission standards and most buyers are also looking for vehicles giving higher average.
The Japanese car maker will unveil a total of 11 new hybrid variants by the end of 2012. There are about 6 hybrid models in the market including the Aqua, Prius Alpha minivan hybrid and the Lexus CT200h. Therefore, the company's bullish strategies regarding eco-friendly vehicles will, inarguably, help it in dominating the segment in coming times.
