While the Toyota Prius is at the top of the leader board when it comes to hybrid vehicles given its previous and consistent successes over the years, its efforts are still not enough to uplift or perk up the sagging segment.
Thus when the 2016 Toyota Prius is officially released to the retail markets this coming fall, it is expected that it will have the unenviable task of breathing new life into the flagging hybrid segment.
While the challenge will be great and many motoring experts believe that Toyota will be in a very tough position to do so, but the key to the hybrid market is no other than the Toyota Prius itself because the Prius is the hybrid segment in itself.
In 2014, Toyota sold 207,635 of the three combined Prius models, accounting for 42% of the hybrid market. The Prius is also by far, the best-selling hybrid in US history, having sold more than 1.8 million units since its debut in 2000 as a 2001 model.
However, Prius sales this year has dropped by 15.8% compared to last year, based on a recent study of Autodata Corporation. The figure is not just for Toyota Prius but for all other hybrids out in the market today.
So when the 2016 Toyota Prius rolls out to the market, it will be in for a challenging ride to once again stir the market from its seeming stupor.