After 21 years of being available to Australian car buyers, the venerable Toyota Prius will no longer be available in the local market. Toyota Australia made the announcement last month that it is to retire the hybrid electric car.

The Prius was introduced locally in October 2001, and Toyota has sold 20,847 units of the hybrid across four generations of the model. Combined with the Prius C hatch and Prius V people mover, Toyota managed 35,947 total sales of the nameplate.

The Prius first launched in Australia with a 1.5-litre hybrid powertrain producing 53kW/115Nm, teamed to a 33kW electric motor.
By the time the third-generation version was released in 2009, the Prius had accounted for more than 1.2 million deliveries across 80 countries.

In 2012 the Prius family was expanded to include the Prius C and Prius V, while the fourth-generation version launched in 2016 offering a 1.8-litre hybrid system developing 72kW and 142Nm.

“When we launched the Prius in October 2001, it was difficult to predict the enormous impact that Toyota hybrids would eventually have on the Australian automotive landscape,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations.

“In 2001, we sold just a handful of Prius cars, taking until mid-2018 to reach 100,000 Toyota hybrid electric vehicle
sales and surpassing the 200,000 sales mark in 2021.

“The Prius blazed a trail by offering Australian motorists a more efficient and low-emissions motoring experience – traits that have resonated with buyers more and more over time. In fact, hybrid electric vehicle technology, in terms of market acceptance, was not an overnight success. It has taken more than 20 years, but it still forms an important part of Toyota’s electrification strategy.”

Hybrids in general are a decent seller for Toyota and the company’s current vehicle family sees them available across the range – from the small Yaris to the Camry sedan to the Kluger SUV. Last year, the company sold more than 60,000 hybrids.

Source: Motor Trader e-Magazine (June 2022) 

24 June 2022