Toyota Prius to Be Launched in india

Japanese carmaker Toyota debuted this week its Prius hybrid on the Indian market. Despite a somewhat low sales expectations (some 200 units are believed to be sold this year), Toyota says India is worth the investment, as it shows a good growth potential.

"Through the launch of Prius, Toyota is keen to demonstrate its commitment to offer the latest eco-friendly automotive technology to its customers in India," Toyota Kirloskar Motor Deputy Managing Director Sandeep Singh was quoted as saying by just-auto.com at the New Delhi Show.

The Prius, the first Toyota hybrid to sell in India, will enter a direct competition with its (for now) single competitor in India, the Honda Civic Hybrid. Set to be launched onto the market this March, the Prius will wear a price tag set in between 2,655,000 and 2,786,000 rupees.

The announcement follows the one made by Toyota in September for yet another emerging market, China, where the hybrid will be sold in 2010 at about the same prices as it currently does.

Meanwhile, the focus of the Japanese carmaker has shifted to the development of a plug-in version of the Prius. The concept car shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show in September comes equipped with a 1.8l 97 bhp regular powerplant paired with a permanent magnet synchronous electric unit, generating 79 bhp.

The power sourced from a Lithium-ion battery allows the hybrid to reach a top speed of 62 mph (100km/hour) in electric mode and, on a full charge, to cover a distance of up to 12.5 miles (20km).