Sales of hybrid vehicles have slowed in the United States thanks to near-$2 a gallon gas, but the hybrid wars are heating up in Japan. The all-new Honda Insight recently became the first hybrid vehicle in Japan to ever take the top monthly sales spot and now comes word that Toyota has taken 75,000 pre-orders for its new Prius hybrid.
According to Japan’s Nikkei business daily, Toyota has received more than 75,000 orders for its all-new third-generation Prius hybrid. If those figures are correct, Toyota not only shattered it’s predicted pre-order mark of 40,000 units, but has already sold more Prius vehicles in Japan than it did in all of last year (73,000 units).
In comparison, Honda took 21,000 pre-orders for its Insight hybrid before selling 10,481 units last month – making in the number one selling nameplate in Japan during the months of April.
The 2010 Toyota Prius will officially go on sale in the Japanese market on Monday, with an estimate price of $20,750 – or about $1,750 more than the Insight.
