While Toyota’s Prius has continued to be a tremendous seller in the U.S. and across the globe, Toyota continues to struggle to retain its title as the world’s largest automaker in terms of overall sales. Not only are auto sales down across the board, but new hybrid offerings, particularly the cheaper Honda Insight, are expected to give Toyota a run for the money.
Already available in Japan, both the third-generation Toyota Prius and the all-new Honda Insight have seen staggering demand says New York Honda dealers. Demand is so high in fact, that Honda can barely keep up with demand at its Suzuka Insight production facility in Japan.
Despite the current hardships for automakers in the current economic environment, both the Toyota Prius and the Honda Insight are expected to be sales dynamos. San Diego Prius dealers have already seen overwhelming inquiries for the third-generation Prius, while the second generation have been completely sold out. While the Prius is synonymous with efficiency and hybrid technology, and remains the strongest selling hybrid in the world, the all-new Insight from Honda is officially the least expensive hybrid vehicle in America and it’s now opening up a price war between hybrids – something the segment desperately needed believes one Missouri Honda dealer.
In Japan, Toyota is battling the cost advantage of the Insight by offering the current Prius to consumers alongside the new third-generation model. That being said, the 2010 Prius still provides advantages over the Insight, including more power, greater efficiency, and more standard features, all of which means that plenty of consumers will no doubt be torn between the two models.
* * *
All-new fuel effienct hybrids will be compared soon. Stay tuned.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }