The Toyota Prius is receiving unexpected levels of interest from potential owners in India just three month after its launch there, one of the country’s websites reports.
According to BSMotoring.com, the hybrid model is exceeding its monthly sales target by more than double. Toyota Kirloskar Motors has received bookings for 80 cars and has delivered 45 units since its launch in March. This is in excess of the average monthly sales of 12 units estimated by Toyota when it had introduced the vehicle in India.
The firm’s top selling hybrid model has now sold in excess of 2 million models worldwide, while in India the model has a two month waiting list.
According to the website, its believed that the hybrid is being snapped up by doctors, wealthy industrialists and top executives aged between 35 and 50 years. At around 26.5 lakh rupees, the model is well beyond the means of most ordinary Indians.
The success of the model shows wider trend within the country as interest in alternative fuel and green cars grows .
Just two years earlier, the Civic hybrid was launched in the country and failed to generate expected response and the company had to withdraw it from the market in just six months.
According to Abdul Majeed, national head (automotive practice), at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the idea of ‘green’ and environment-friendly vehicles is slowly picking up in India.
“Further, with stricter regulations, these new technologies and battery-driven cars will be the order of the day and car manufacturers like Toyota are trying to create visibility for such products in India with their Prius,” he told the publication.
Read the full article: BSMotoring.com.
