Toyota Prius and Yaris sales are the standouts.
Wayne Gerdes -
CleanMPG - April 1, 2007
The 2007 Yaris subcompact is the most affordable passenger car in the Toyota model lineup. Available in four-door Sedan and three-door Liftback configurations, the Yaris replaced the ECHO in the Toyota lineup. First launched in Europe in 1999 where it became Toyota's best-selling vehicle, Yaris brings a higher level of refinement, sophistication, and fun-to-drive experience to the entry subcompact segment.
Hybrids and smaller fuel efficient non-hybrids are continuing to increase overall market share by comparison to last year as gasoline prices rise to levels not seen since Hurricane Katrina and Rita.
The Toyota Prius hybrid gas-electric mid-size sedan posted best-ever April sales of 13,056, an increase of 71.8 percent. The Toyota Camry Hybrid and Highlander hybrid reported sales of 4,410 and 2,394 units respectively. The Honda Civic Hybrid had a .2% increase in sales for the month vs. April 2006. The Lexus RX 400h hybrid reported sales of 1,384 units for the month, down 56.2%. The Ford Escape Hybrid and Mercury Mariner Hybrid combined sales showed just 2,267 units sold for a -28.2% loss vs. the same selling period a year ago. The yearly total sales however were up by 6.2%. Honda Accord Hybrid sales fell by 43.9% compared to the year ago period.
For the fuel efficient non-hybrid automobiles, the Corolla continues to lead all sales with 32,289 units sold albeit with a drop of 3.3% vs. the April 06 comparison period. Honda Civic sales increased 1.1%. The Yaris subcompact posted best-ever April sales totaling 7,232, an increase of 22.6 percent.
Overall sales YTD (year to date) of the “Big 7” Hybrids listed below showed an increase of 44% vs. the year ago period. Although it appears that hybrid sales as a whole are doing well, only the Prius II saw an increase thanks mainly to the $600 - $2,000 Eco-incentives added last month.
April 2007 Hybrid sales summary:
| | | Month to Date | | | Year to Date | |
| Make and Model | April 2007 | April 2006 | DSR* % Change | April 2007 | April 2006 | DSR* % Change |
| Toyota Prius | 13,056 | 8,234 | +71.8% | 52,738 | 30,357 | +73.7% |
| Toyota Camry Hybrid | 4,410 | 86 | NA | 15,687 | 86 | NA |
| Honda Civic Hybrid | 2,855 | 3,087 | +0.2% | 9,375 | 10,264 | -8.7% |
| Toyota Highlander Hybrid | 2,394 | 3,768 | -31.2% | 8,597 | 11,649 | -26.2% |
| Ford Escape Hybrid/Mercury Mariner Hybrid | 2,267 | 3,420 | -28.2% | 7,724 | 7,249 | +6.6% |
| Lexus RX400h | 1,384 | 3,420 | -56.2% | 5,349 | 7,997 | -33.1% |
| Honda Accord Hybrid | 318 | 614 | -43.9% | 1,263 | 2,329 | -45.8% |
March 2007 fuel efficient Non-hybrid sales summary:
| | | Month to Date | | | Year to Date | |
| Make and Model | April 2007 | April 2006 | DSR* % Change | April 2007 | April 2006 | DSR* % Change |
| Toyota Corolla | 32,289 | 36,155 | -3.3% | 120,484 | 118,442 | +1.7% |
| Honda Civic | 29,155 | 31,259 | +1.0 | 97,295 | 109,738 | -11.3% |
| Toyota Yaris | 7,232 | 6,393 | +22.6 | 26,418 | 7,732 | +241.7% |
DSR*: Daily Selling Rate - There were 24 selling days for the April 2007 sales month and 26 for April 2006. There were 101 selling days for the year through April 2007, the same as April 2006.
NA: Not Applicable.
With the HiHy and RXh sales falling off rapidly, when will Toyota bring in the I4? Once again, sales of performance hybrids (the AH in particular) proved to be abysmal as expected.
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