Although there are hundreds of thousands of people out there in the marketplace ready, willing and able to purchase a Prius, there are still hundreds of thousands more who don’t want to give up their luxury sedans quite yet just to save some gas and the environment. While there are a few existing options for this certain type of ‘light green’ luxury car consumer (the Mercedes S400 Hybrid and the Lexus LS 600h to name a few), these ‘green’ model luxury sedans and SUVs. if you can call them that, are often bigger on price than they are on actual fuel efficiency. I mean does it really matter that your Escalade get 18 mpg instead of 14? Both are terrible! Maybe the more appropriate question would be, does it make sense to pay thousands of dollars more for that ‘feature’.
The people at Toyota clearly think not and apparently neither do the people of Japan as 14,000 pre-orders for Toyota’s recently unveiled semi-luxury sedan the Sai has clearly demonstrated. The 4-door 4-cylinder sedan hybrid, publicly unveiled only last month, is already generating buzz and revenue as pre-order sales have accounted for almost half of the expected total annual sales of Sais Toyota plans on making in Japan.
What’s All The Hype About?
The excitement likely stems from the fact that the Sai gets around 50+ mpg and costs around $37,000, which is significantly cheaper and more fuel-efficient than it’s sister car the Lexus HS 250h. Only catch is; it’s only being sold in Japan. Yes, for some inexplicable reason Toyota has chosen to market and sell a vehicle seemingly tailor-made for the American consumer only in Japan. Not only that, Toyota plans on selling only 34,000 per year. I guess they’re trying to create demand by limiting supply?
Details about the car itself and its performance, other than the basics already disclosed in this post, are still on the way and likely coming soon as the Sai hits showroom floors in Japan next week. While the Sai might not be drenched in the luxury, features, and overblown name-brand hype as some of its other competitors, it does achieve two major things that the other vehicles in its class, and above, do not: True fuel-efficiency and relative affordability. You $90K Escalade hybrid drivers can keep your 19 mpg, I’d prefer spending my money elsewhere.
The Good: A hybrid model luxury vehicle that gets 50+ MPG and costs less than its nearest comparable competitor. Will appeal to demographics that may not embrace the Prius or comparable vehicles.
The Bad: Sold only in Japan. Current plans are to only sell 34,000 per year.
The Bottom-Line: A hybrid model car that will appeal to a demographic who still slightly favors luxury features and amenities in their vehicles more so than environmental features and fuel-efficiency.
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