Toyota launches Prius v i-Tech; post record hybrid sales

A luxury version of the seven-seat Prius v has arrived in Australia – just as Toyota’s local hybrid sales pass 10,000 units in a year for the first time.

Priced from $46,490 the Prius v i-Tech has increased safety, comfort and convenience technologies compared with the highly specified version of the car launched in May this year.

The added features include dynamic radar cruise control, a pre-crash safety system for the brakes and seatbelts and a satellite navigation system with digital radio.

It is also fitted with a head-up display that includes navigation prompts, eight-speaker JBL sound system, premium seat coverings and intelligent park assist.

Other new features include auto-levelling LED projector headlamps with washers, an electro-chromatic rear-view mirror, front-seat heaters, water-repellent front-door windows and a panoramic roof with electric sunshade.

The standard Prius v launched in May remains at $35,990.

The introduction of the i-Tech model comes within days of combined sales for Toyota and Lexus-branded hybrids passing 10,000 units.

Of these, customers have bought more than 8000 Toyota hybrids and close to 2000 Lexus hybrids this year, both of which are also records.

The previous best combined result was 9422 vehicles in 2010 – 8444 for Toyota and 978 for Lexus.

Hybrids now account for the highest-ever proportion of sales for the two brands – 33.9% for Lexus and 4.5% for Toyota.

Toyota has marketed petrol-electric hybrids in Australia since the first-generation Prius arrived in 2001 while Lexus hybrids began arriving in 2006.

Toyota and Lexus dealers have now sold more than 45,000 hybrid vehicles in Australia, including in excess of 38,000 for Toyota and 7800 for Lexus.

Prius is now in its third generation and this year has been joined by the Prius c city car, which has racked up 1516 sales to the end of October, and the Prius v with 594 sales.

Last month, Toyota globally passed one million hybrid sales in a year for the first time. Its cumulative hybrid sales are now more than 4.6 million.