Due to overwhelming demand, Toyota shifts Aqua production into Overdrive

Isn't that number the expected Volt sales for the next decade?

 

That sounds about right. They need to build ahead. I assume the same line will be pumping out the prius c. I assume the hsd is built inhouse like the gen III and not by aisin as in the gen II. That should allow them to ramp much more quickly than they could with the gen II. Does anyone know the split between liftback and c sales in japan?

 

This might cause delays in deliveries for the rest of us. Good for Toyota, though.

 

With Prius being the best selling car in Japan, there's something to live up to.
Best Selling Cars – Matt's blog » Japan Full Year 2011: Toyota Prius leads in difficult year

Prius sold 252,528 units last year, down 20% from 2010.

That is an average of 21k pr. month.

 

Wow. 30k a month..., in Japan alone. That is impressive.

 

Is that all domestic production for them, or will some of these be exported? It's hard to think that there would be 50K buyers per month for the Aqua and the Gen III+.

 

from the OP article

I'm sure part of the ramp up is to build inventory and international shipments though.

 

Last I read, the Prius Liftback was selling in 88 countries. IMO, not a lot for global market.

 

G3 is probably more like 50k per month by now though... so it would be 80k for both of those... Prius c will sell mostly in Japan and USA, as for now there is no decision on sales in Europe.

In Europe there are Auris and Yaris HSDs... by those numbers, they will sell well, well over 1.2million hybrids in world in 2012.

Keeps in perspective Ford's "hope" to sell 100k in 2013.

 

It could mean low supplies coming over to the US.

 

its easy to see high demand for the smaller Prius in Japan due to much higher transportation costs and quite frankly, in a country that does not have an obesity epidemic.

the smaller car will appeal to some Americans, but i dont see them overtaking the popularity of the larger Prius.

 

Ok, you had to go there, and probably why we are not getting the Prius v with 3rd row seats.

 

There are plenty of small cars sold in america. It will sell better in Japan because of combination of government incentives and cultural preferences. Plenty of fat people fit in a aqua/prius c. Obesity may hurt the sale of sport cars though.

 

well, 3rd row means seating for 7 "medium sized" people or 2 rows for 5 large!

 

LOL! your comment reminds me of a TV show i watched a million years ago where Kareem Abdul Jabbar was making a guest appearance and was pulled over when driving a VW Beattle. the look on the guy's face was priceless when he got out of the car.

i am just wondering how much of a modification they had to do to the car for him to fit!

 

Couldn't find it, but found one of wilt getting into an unmodified one, finding it small, then a smaller basketball player getting in and driving off. Height is one problem with some small cars but my cousin (by marriage) who is 6'7" fit in my prius, and he isn't thin. I don't think he would ever drive one though.

You might get a kick out of this set of predictions from 100 years ago.
Predictions Of What 2011 Would Be Like From A 1911 Newspaper

Cars being everywhere and replacing horses was absolutely correct. But we didn't stop at 1lb engines replacing 2 horses No coal in houses and refrigeration also right. Now the kicker for me for your comment is -

They got that one wrong, but I do see plenty of cars with 140.6 or ironman bumperstickers in my town.:focus:

100 years in the future, the aqua will be considered a oil pig, but right now it uses 1/3 less gas than competitive cars in japan, and serves most of their needs.

 

From a North American, selfish P.O.V., I'd say a good aspect about this is that the "Aqua's" success in Japan, lessens my worries about buying a 1st generation product. By the time it hit's America, they'll be 30,000+ already on the road. I also would have less concern that purchasing a Prius c, could become purchasing the "black sheep" of the Prius Family. That level of popularity even just from Japan probably guarantees a long future and plenty of available repair parts.

Doesn't suprise me. I'm actually hoping the Prius c keeps it's city, Japanese, smaller bloodline. I hope Toyota doesn't slowly or rapidly "Americanize" the product.

I loved the first Scion Xb's- the small boxes. I was disappointed when Toyota expanded them, making them larger and more of a Honda Elementish, type of product.

I hope the Prius c is popular world wide and in America. I'm tired of the trend that seems to dictate that any vehicle sold in the USA and to the American Audience must eventually be "supersized".