Toyota may make bigger hybrid than Prius in North America

[jkash]

Toyota may make bigger hybrid car than Prius in North America

Toyota Motor Corp. may manufacture hybrid cars bigger than its popular Prius in North America, President Fujio Cho said Tuesday.

As big cars are selling well in the U.S. market, "we will consider whether we should go with the Prius or a bigger model" for local production of hybrid cars that run on electricity and gasoline, Cho said at a press conference to release a new minivan.

With the environmentally friendly Prius arousing strong demand in North America, Toyota plans to begin local production of hybrid cars in the near future.

Possible candidates for North American production are said to include the Lexus RX400 sport-utility vehicle and the Camry midsize passenger car.

In China, Toyota will begin producing the Prius jointly with China FAW Group Corp. next year.

Meanwhile, Toyota began selling its new seven-seater minivan Isis on Tuesday, hoping to recover its lost share of the domestic market for minivans.

Toyota offers 1.8- and 2-liter engine models in the Isis family at prices ranging from 1,785,000 to 2,730,000 yen, with a monthly sales target of 4,000 units.

According to Toyota, the biggest Japanese automaker captured 56.8 percent of the domestic market for minivans last year but saw the share drop to 51.8 percent in the first eight months of this year due to strong sales of rival models such as Honda Motor Co.'s remodeled Odyssey.

Source: http://asia.news.yahoo.com/040928/kyodo/d85cmeqo0.html

[paprius4030]

Is this Isis minivan available in US or just Japan? My Chevy Venture has close to 150,000 mi it's gonna need a replacement in a few years, I would love a mini van as good as my Prius

[Speedracer]

Toyota Hybrid Minivans :mrgreen:
Alphard Hybrid Minivan

Estima Hybrid Minivan

[metamatic]

Hey, Toyota, I've got a radical idea... Before launching new hybrids, how about actually making enough Priuses? Then people like me who have the money and want to buy one could actually do so. Wouldn't that be cool?

(Yes, I'm bitter.)

[Prius Maximus]

Or how about a smaller hybrid. I commute 105 miles round trip per day, and don't really need the size of the Prius. A smaller car that got even better mileage would be awesome.

[KMO]

Yes please. I wouldn't have considered a car as large as the Prius normally.

[DaveinOlyWA]

how about a diesel-electric locomotive.... that is a pretty big hybrid!!

[jchu]

Prius Maximus and KMO,

A subsidiary of Toyota already does. Gets 144 mpg. Search Priuschat for the Mini Prius thread. Just one problem, It is not available here. :cry:

[DaveinOlyWA]

if you want smaller, get a honda insight....


to toyota's credit, i think they already knew what honda now knows... smaller is too much of a niche market and would never be profitable.

[bookrats]

if you want smaller, get a honda insight....

Except that it produces more emmisions than either model of Prius (thanks John1701a!)...