Photo: Toyota
Although the Toyota Prius is as popular as exotic supercars in California, Honda had something to say about that and sales clearly show that, as the Accord sedan managed to slightly overpass the hybrid in last year’s sales.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Honda Accord replaced the Toyota Prius as California’s bestselling vehicle. Furthermore, according to IHS Automotive, Honda sold 71,578 Accords in California in 2014 while Toyota sold 71,210 Prius models.
The difference between these figures is quite slim and Honda Accord’s comeback does not necessarily mean that the Prius is no longer interesting for California-based customers. In fact, the Honda sedan (updated for the 2013 model year) took the lead thanks to an impressive 17% increase in sales compared to 2013. The same thing cannot be said about the Prius, which although was able to keep its sales up, registered just a 2% increase over the previous year.
While some may argue that Honda’s decision to refresh the Accord sedan in 2013 really paid off, Toyota is said to plan the introduction of a new Prius generation later this year, six years after the current Prius was launched. The new Prius is expected to be thoroughly improved and Toyota engineers will most likely work hard to improve the hybrid’s fuel economy.
Looking at the big picture, this is just a small victory for Toyota and Japanese brands in California. Honda Civic ranked third in California sales, followed by Toyota Camry and Corolla. All in all, Japanese brands accounted for eight of the top 10 sellers in California.
That being said, it really looks like California has not been yet caught in the “buy American” rush present in other United States areas, which might prove a good thing. You know, for diversity and what not.
The difference between these figures is quite slim and Honda Accord’s comeback does not necessarily mean that the Prius is no longer interesting for California-based customers. In fact, the Honda sedan (updated for the 2013 model year) took the lead thanks to an impressive 17% increase in sales compared to 2013. The same thing cannot be said about the Prius, which although was able to keep its sales up, registered just a 2% increase over the previous year.
While some may argue that Honda’s decision to refresh the Accord sedan in 2013 really paid off, Toyota is said to plan the introduction of a new Prius generation later this year, six years after the current Prius was launched. The new Prius is expected to be thoroughly improved and Toyota engineers will most likely work hard to improve the hybrid’s fuel economy.
Looking at the big picture, this is just a small victory for Toyota and Japanese brands in California. Honda Civic ranked third in California sales, followed by Toyota Camry and Corolla. All in all, Japanese brands accounted for eight of the top 10 sellers in California.
That being said, it really looks like California has not been yet caught in the “buy American” rush present in other United States areas, which might prove a good thing. You know, for diversity and what not.
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