Record Sales as New Toyota Prius Launches

CARINGBAH, AUSTRALIA - August 11, 2009: The launch of all-new third-generation Toyota Prius has helped propel the world's best-selling hybrid car to an all-time sales record in Australia.

Prius sales reached 446 for the month of July - more than 60 ahead of the previous best, which was set in May 2007.

New Prius, officially launched on July 20, sets new standards for environmental and driving performance.

It is Australia's greenest car, using less fuel around town and producing fewer emissions than any other vehicle on the market.*

Toyota Australia's senior executive director sales and marketing, David Buttner, said the mainstream appeal of Prius is attracting a wider group of customers.

"The success of Prius reflects the growing popularity of vehicles that are viewed as environmentally friendly," Mr Buttner said.

"At the same time, customers are telling us they welcome the added performance, space and versatility of the new car - as well as smart features such as solar panels on the roof."

Mr Buttner said demand for petrol-electric hybrid cars was taking off around the world with the introduction of the third-generation Prius.

In Japan, Prius was the best-selling car in May with 10,915 sales, and again in June when sales more than doubled to 22,292 for the month.

Total Prius sales now exceed 1.33 million globally, including 13,300 in Australia.

The biggest markets for Prius are North America, with 700,000 sales, Japan (386,000) and Europe (130,000).

Including Prius, Toyota has sold more than 1.9 million hybrid vehicles around the world and expects to pass the two-million mark before the end of the year.