Toyota Prius, one of the most popular hybrid cars in the global market, has become the world’s third best-selling car line in the first quarter of this year. The Prius sedan, which has been there in the market since last 15 years, received a major surge in demand in the US market in recent years.
Moreover, due to high incentives on offer in its domestic market Japan that has further boosted the sales of this car. The rebates and tax breaks in Japan have helped the car maker to more than double the sales of Prius with customers saving $2,500 or more.
In the first quarter of this year, the total sales of Toyota Prius surged to 247,230 units, becoming the third best-selling car line after Toyota's Corolla’s 300,800 units and Ford Focus’ 277,000 units.
At present, the Prius model is available in 4 model range including Prius hatchback, wagon, plug-in and Aqua subcompact, all of which have been receiving a rebate of 100,000 yen ($1,258) from a fund of 300 billion yen that was created for qualified fuel efficient cars. The prices of the car have been further reduced by over another 100,000 yen due to tax savings. The current price tag of Prius in Japan and US is 2.5 million yen and around $25,000, respectively.
