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Toyota's High Expectations: 25,000 Lexus Hybrids Sold This Year

In a market dominated by small cars powered by fuel efficient engines, hybrids are becoming more and more important, forcing automakers around the world to concentrate their efforts on this type of vehicles. Toyota for example is already one of the major players in the hybrid sector, with its Prius model often referred to as the most advanced hybrid ever launched. However, the Japanese manufacturer has high expectations from its Lexus unit too as it hopes to deliver around 25,000 hybrids this year.

Basically, Toyota sees hybrid sales exploding through the end of the year as petrol prices are expected to grow in the next months. From this point of view, hybrids will become the key alternative for new car buyers, with Lexus' sedans hoped to catch the attention of luxury hybrid consumers.

"Given where fuel prices are likely to be later this year, 25,000 sounds pretty optimistic," Jack Nerad, executive market analyst at Kelley Blue Book, an Irvine, California-based automotive research firm, was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. "Without fuel prices that are consistently higher, it's hard to know the true size of the hybrid market."

As for the hybrids, Lexus today unveiled details and official photos with the 2010 HS 250h, a model that will make its official debut this year. The four-cylinder powerplant installed on the hybrid develops, in conjunction with the electric motor, a total of 187 horsepower, 147 of them from the regular powerplant alone. The HS 250h has an EPA estimated 35 mpg (6.7l/100km) in combined cycle. When used in the Eco mode, the Lexus is 20 percent more fuel efficient than the fuel-efficient model currently in the Lexus lineup.
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About the author: Bogdan Popa
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Bogdan keeps an eye on how technology is taking over the car world. His long-term goals are buying an 18-wheeler because he needs more space for his kid’s toys, and convincing Google and Apple that Android Auto and CarPlay deserve at least as much attention as their phones.
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