Best Selling Hybrid Cars In 2009
As the results roll in for 2009 hybrid car sales, it comes as no surprise to once again see the hybrid vehicle kingpin leading the pack. Which hybrid was the top seller last year? That’s right, the Toyota Prius. The Prius snatched almost 50% of the hybrid market last year, and while it didn’t quite top its record breaking year from 2007 (when sales reached 180,000) it did more than hold its own of all hybrids sold (290,000).
A couple of newly introduced green cars helped to drive a higher percentage of hybrid customers to dealerships in ‘09, despite a drop in total auto sales. Even so, hybrids accounted for just 2.8% of the total market, meaning less than 3 out of every 100 new cars sold carried a hybrid-electric sticker. Sales of some hybrids remained really low, including the Saturn Aura and a couple of expensive Lexus models.
It has always been a race for second place in this market. Aside from the Prius - the Camry, Insight, Civic and Fusion were the only other hybrids that topped 10,000 sales each last year. Motortrend didn’t waste any time choosing the Fusion as their favorite of the remaining contenders. With some nifty options, an attractive interior, and a cool SmartGauge cluster/dashboard featuring a growing vine - some are anticipating the Fusion will finish second in hybrid sales during 2010.
Another rookie to the game this year, but no stranger to being hybrid, was the Honda’s Insight. With a price tag substantially less than its adversaries, it was coined as the new “Prius Killer” . In addition to being more affordable, Honda’s newest addition helps drivers achieve environmentally responsible driving with a new driving support function to achieve ultimate fuel efficiency.
Even with advances by Honda and Ford, Toyota still stands to be in the untouchable position of hybrid market leader in 2010 and undoubtedly moving forward. With 500,000 battery assisted cars and crossovers sold in the last year alone (see autoblog), it’s easy to see how.
Below were the top selling hybrid cars for 2009. This list does not include hybrid trucks or sport utility vehicles.
Toyota Prius - 139,700
Toyota Camry - 22,890
Honda Insight - 20,570
Ford Fusion - 15,550
Honda Civic - 15,120
Nissan Altima - 9,360
Chevy Malibu - 4,160
View the 2009 top selling hybrid SUVs.
Above data was estimated from this Hybrid Cars article. Their dashboard is updated monthly and is a great resource.
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