The larger V couldn't lift Prius sales much in January
A 20 percent improvement should feel better than this
One might assume that a 20 percent improvement in Toyota’s hybrid sales, led by an 8.6 percent gain in Prius sales, is a great hybrid sale’s story compared to last year. It certainly squashes the idea that hybrid sales are declining, especially considering that the Prius C and the plug-in Prius are still on deck for later this year. 2012 only gets better from here, at least in terms of Toyota’s hybrid cars.
But I still would have expected bigger numbers.
To start, Toyota offered more hybrid models this January compared to 2011, led by the larger Prius V, and also the Lexus CT 200h. Yet, the V was only able to provide an 8.6 percent increase in Prius sales?
Moreover, Camry sales were up more than 50 percent. Camry hybrid sales, on the other hand, only jumped a little, despite a significant increase in fuel economy, and a nice price reduction. This is by far the best Camry hybrid, but consumers haven’t seemed to notice.
Certainly, it’s possible that both Camry hybrid and V — maybe even Prius — supplies are still a bit limited. Numerous reports suggest that Toyota still hasn’t fully recovered from the earthquake/tsunami supply disruptions of last Spring. So, it might take a few months to get a better read on the potential of Camry and V hybrids.
Likewise, in recent days — although my TV watching is erratic — there seems to have been a big jump in Prius V commercials, and I’ve also seen a few Camry hybrid commercials. Therefore, its arguable that Toyota is still ramping up for a bigger hybrid sale’s push heading into the Spring, particularly since Toyota is anticipating a 60 percent rise in hybrid sales this year. Of course, much of that 60 percent jump will be driven by the C and the plug-in Prius.
Nevertheless, minimally, the Camry hybrid deserves more consideration from Camry buyers.
I was at a Toyota Dealership this week and the 2012 Camry Hybrids are flying off the lots. The dealer told me that nationwide, the 2012 Camry Hybrid only stays on the lot for 6 days. In Japan, the Toyota Aqua(Prius C) has already achieved a demand of 120,000 orders in less than a month of sales. Estimates for the Prius C sales later this year are already worrisome if the numbers from Japan are matched here. I think you are just seeing the tip of the iceberg.