Toyota Drowns In Orders For Game Changing Prius C

February 2, 2012

When I called Toyota’s new Aqua / Prius C affordable compact hybrid first a “gamechanger,” then an “engineering feat,” this attracted the attention of self-styled jargon vigilantes. They demanded equal platitudes to be bestowed on domestic models. In the meantime, the Japanese game changer threatens to change Toyota’s best laid plans: It sells ten times better than expected.

Someone at Toyota told The Nikkei yesterday that the company “received about 120,000 orders for its new Aqua compact hybrid between its Dec. 26 release and Jan. 31, 10 times the monthly sales target of 12,000 vehicles.” Toyota markets the car as the Aqua in Japan. In the U.S. and other markets, it will be called Prius c.

These orders go on an already big pile. When the car was formally launched on December 26 in Tokyo, Toyota “had received orders for 60,000 Aqua hybrid cars ahead of its launch,” says the Wall Street Journal. At that time, the waiting period for the car after an order was placed was said to be four months.

The onslaught of orders puts Toyota in a quandary. Not only have they planned for 12,000 units a month.These plans are also hard to, well, change. As Prius C Project Manager, Masahiko Yanagihara, had patiently explained to this reporter, the Aqua/Prius C is being built in the Iwate plant of subsidiary Kanto Auto Works in Kanegasaki. This plant has a maximum capacity of 30,000 units a month, if Toyota pulls out all the stops and works overtime. However, the plant also makes “other cars, such as the Ractis, Belta, Blade etc.” Until Toyota finds ways to expand its production capacity, the car will remain in short supply.

This shortage will only be exacerbated when the car is launched worldwide this year, while production remains back in Japan. Dubbed as “the world’s most fuel efficient hybrid car,” the Prius C is slated for sale in 50 countries, including the U.S. In Europe, Toyota will release a new small hybrid based on the Yaris compact. It will use the same hybrid system as the Aqua. Timing for the overseas launch has not been released. In the U.S., the Prius C is said to have a starting price of around $19,000. A look at gasoline prices and world news says that an affordable 53 mpg (EPA, city) car could not have come at a better time. If there would not be that bottleneck called Iwate. And the Yen.

Toyota has been hesitant in establishing hybrid production outside of Japan. The numbers seem to back this up. The Prius is Japan’s best selling car. This year, the title could go to the Aqua/Prius C. Outside of Japan, hybrids are still a niche play. The market share of hybrids in the U.S. was 2.11 percent in 2011, down from 2.78 percent in 2009. The Prius C is the little car that could change that.


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  • Yegor T

    Wow! Kudos to Toyota!

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  • Doug B

    May have to trade in my Matrix for this. Yeh for Toyota!

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  • Mitchy

    If there’s a game changer, it’s that orange-yellow–let’s call it Prius C Yellow–or better yet, Aqua-Yellow!
    Toyotas are keeping the hybrid/electric market alive, by making them affordable for years. And now they have one for 19K–I’m loving it!

  • Anonymous

    this is a hit for sure. i was expecting slightly higher city fuel economy than 53 mpg and disappointed with the 47 mpg hwy rating. perhaps toyota didn’t want to make the hwy efficiency too competitive with the original prius at 51 city/48 hwy. if prius c had 53/50, it would be a bigger hit than the original prius for sure given the cheaper price. on the other hand, the mpg difference is so small, it is more psychological than anything else.

    perhaps the next gen will have a better drag coefficient for the prius c and kick it up a notch.

    i still think prius v will be a flop unless they can get extra seats in there.

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    the prius V does have a 7 seater version. sadly its only available in japan and plus, their prius V are equipped with lithium ion batteries as well. its more expensive than the american version though but, i’d prefer a 7 seater too

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    Funny you mention premium it will take to back on the Volt, but don’t mention it on the Prius C. A Yaris starts at about 14k. You are paying a 5k premium for the Prius C. It might be a good while before you pay that back as well. I don’t know if it is 10 years worth, but it is certainly a very long time.

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    I just purchased one 2 weeks ago tomorrow!
    LOVE it!!!
    So far, the fuel economy is averaging 4.5-4.9 city/hwy combined (I drive both equally in my daily commute)
    I am sure that as I get used to the different ways you drive a hybrid for fuel savings (don’t gun it off the line, gradually stop etc etc ) that this savings will very likely increase. I still don’t see the 3.5 city that is shown, but hey, NO car ever seems to give you the suggested fuel economy in the real world do they?? I never understood how the manufacturers are allowed to make these unrealistic tests and report perfect condition results that no one will EVER actually get.
    If anyone has any good suggestions to increase the economy of this car I would love to hear it.
    Also, does anyone know if the engine will actually give better fuel economy once it “breaks in”? Several people have said this and I am unable to find anything on line to confirm this as a fact.

    The only reservation I have that I did not fully realize before purchasing it is the hatch capacity! VERY VERY small.
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