The popularity of the Toyota Prius continues to grow after it recently became the world's third best selling car. 247,000 consumers worldwide purchased the green hybrid model during the first three months of the calendar year. This figure is just 30,000 less than the Ford Focus, which was the second best seller.
The cheap Toyota Prius Ireland currently retails for around £18,000 in UK and Irish markets, but it is the vehicle's surging popularity in Japan and the United States that has driven sales along with the Japanese manufacturer's decision to add a fourth model to the range. It now encompasses plug-in hybrid, people carrier and compact hatch vehicles.
Toyota has reason to be cheerful because its Corolla remains the best selling car in the world. The Corolla was the only new car to shift more than 300,000 units during the first quarter of 2012. It marks a superb recovery for a manufacturer that was the world's largest carmaker prior to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami two years ago.
It has now regained that position after selling more vehicles than General Motors and Volkswagen. Total sales for all of its models amounted to a staggering 2.49 million units. The Prius has been an iconic vehicle since it launched in the late 90s and has since sold four million units. It is often considered the leading green hybrid model and has helped define the market for the last 15 years.