Toyota, the world’s largest automaker is pushing hard on the sale of its gasoline-electric hybrids saying it aims to sell 36,000 units a year of its new Sai hybrid sedan in Japan.
The Sai sedan is a repackaged version of the Lexus HS250h and is just the second hybrid model under the Toyota brand after its flagship Prius.
Toyota said it expects to sell 500,000 to 600,000 hybrid vehicles worldwide this year with the goal of selling 1 million hybrids globally soon after 2010.
The Sai sedan has a listed mileage of 23 km/liter (54 mpg), or twice that of a comparable gasoline car, according to chief engineer Shigeru Nakagawa in a news conference.
The new Sai hybrid sedan will be built by unit Toyota Motor Kyushu in southern Japan and will be sold only in Japan.
The name Sai is said to have been derived from a Japanese character meaning talent and coloration.
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