Toyota pushes Prius incentives

Faced with intensifying competition in hybrid market, the company's recent leasing and financing offers have spurred sales gains.

To combat increased production and more competition from other hybrid vehicles, including some of its own, Toyota has introduced a large incentive program on its popular Prius.

The "ECO-nomic savings bonus" on the 2007 Prius involves discounts on specific option packages. Discounts range from $600 to $2,000.

Toyota offered some lease and financing incentives in February and March, resulting in Prius sales increases of 86.8 percent and 133.2 percent respectively.

As recently as last year, the Prius was selling at prices close to its manufacturer's suggested sticker price, and there were waiting lists for the cars. Demand so outstripped supply of the Prius that, a year or more ago, owners could sell their used Priuses and get back just as much as they originally paid for the car.

In the meantime, Toyota has increased production of the Prius to meet that demand. It also introduced a new hybrid version of its popular Camry sedan.

The Prius, Camry Hybrid and Toyota Highlander Hybrid SUV have been the best-selling hybrid vehicles from the beginning of 2006 to last month, according to Toyota.

Toyota shares edged upward Wednesday. Among the company's chief rivals are DaimlerChrysler, General Motors, Ford and Honda Motor.

Taken from CNN

Toyota Prius 2008

Every day, more and more people are discovering the great economy and value in the Toyota Prius. So we're making it easier than ever to get behind the wheel of your very own, with savings of up to $2000 [2]. The Prius boasts an EPA-estimated combined city/highway rating of 46 miles per gallon [3], an Advanced Technology Partial Zero Emission Vehicle (AT-PZEV) rating resulting in nearly 70% fewer smog-forming emissions than the average new vehicle. Great features like Push Button Start, available cruise control, keyless entry, power door locks and windows, and a liquid crystal multi-information display make the 2008 Toyota Prius the clear choice of drivers.

Toyota strives to build vehicles to match customer interest and thus they typically are built with popular options and option packages. Not all options/packages are available separately and some may not be available in all regions of the country. If you would prefer a vehicle with no or different options, contact your dealer to check for current availability or the possibility of placing a special order.

Some vehicles are shown with available equipment. Seatbelts should be worn at all times. For details on vehicle specifications, standard features and available equipment in your area, contact your Toyota dealer. A vehicle with particular equipment may not be available at the dealership. Ask your Toyota dealer to help locate a specifically equipped vehicle.


Taken from www.toyota.com

Redesigned Toyota Highlander debuts

New version larger and rounder than current model, available in V6 and Hybrid versions only.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Toyota unveiled the redesigned 2008 Toyota Highlander at the Chicago Auto Show Wednesday.

The new design has softer edges and corners making it look more like a larger version of Toyota's popular Rav4 small SUV.

The Highlander is a car-based crossover SUV based on the engineering of the midsized Toyota Camry sedan. It was originally introduced in 2001.

"The 2008 Highlander takes the car-based SUV concept to a new level," said Don Esmond, senior vice president for Toyota Motor Sales. "I say that with conviction, because it's a category we invented."

The new version is about four inches longer than the current Highlander and includes second row seats that can be changed from separate "captain's chairs" with armrests to a single bench-style seat.

When not in use, the center portion of the "bench" can be hidden in a compartment under the front center console.

The second row seats also recline and can move 4.7 inches forward or backward to create more legroom or cargo space.

A four-cylinder engine will no longer be offered in the new Highlander. Instead, buyers will get two drivetrain choices. The new Highlander will be available with a 3.5-liter 270-horsepower V6 with a 5-speed automatic transmission or a gasoline/electric hybrid system with a slightly smaller V6 coupled with an electric motor and a continuously variable automatic transmission.

Fuel economy figures are not yet available for the new Highlander. The current front-wheel-drive V6 Highlander gets an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined city/highway driving.

The current FWD Highlander Hybrid gets an EPA-estimated 29 mpg. The new version will have virtually the same fuel economy, according to Toyota.

The non-hybrid Highlander is expected to go on sale in July, 2007 followed by the hybrid version in September.