UMW Toyota Motor Sdn Bhd (UMW) targets sales of 5,000 units of hybrid cars this year, bolstered by increasing consumer awareness and ongoing tax incentives for hybrid vehicles.
“Since the introduction of the incentives, we have seen a big jump in sales. We started off selling 80 units but last year we sold more than 2,700 units of Prius.
“This year we target to sell more than 5,000 units including the Lexus hybrid,” its president Ismet Suki told reporters after the launch of the new Toyota Prius and Prius C here yesterday.
The Government, in encouraging the purchase of hybrid vehicles, has extended the exemption of the import duty and excise duty for hybrid vehicles below 2000cc until Dec 31, 2013.
UMW had targeted sales of 1,500 units for the new improved third-generation Prius and 2,500 units for the Prius C this year, Ismet said.
He added although globally Toyota had received 120,000 orders for Prius as at end of January, the waiting period is three months for the Prius C and one month for the new Prius.
“The launch gap of Prius from one country to another is not that big. Although the demand worldwide is very strong, we make sure to collect orders as soon as possible to register our interest so that we get our vehicles faster. That way, we get priority in allocation,” he said.
The introduction of the Prius C is aimed at making Toyota hybrid vehicles more affordable while the new Prius is aimed at the premium market. Price for the Prius C starts at RM97,000 on the road with insurance, while the Prius standard is priced at RM139,000 and the Prius Luxury variant at RM145,000.
