Toyota Land Cruiser Thrives Amid Growing Demand for Hybrid Cars

Hybrids may have drawn a lot of attention in 2019, but Toyota’s iconic rides are not going anywhere.

The Japanese automaker was revealed to be plotting a massive product launch beginning this year with 31 new announcements expected over the next 36 months. This is despite the company’s relatively low sales output in December (down 2.8% vs 2018) and throughout 2019 (down 2.0%).

“2019 was a strong year for Toyota. We retained our number one spot in hybrid, passenger car, SUV, small truck, and retail sales,” said Jack Hollis, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota Division at Toyota Motor North America. “But we’re not stopping there. We’re preparing for an even better year in 2020 as we debut new vehicles and continue to dominate the hybrid and mobility space.”

Toyota’s recently released year-end report showed the need for replacements for the company’s aging models. But at the same time, it revealed how its longest-running model, the Land Cruiser, continues to thrive on the market.

The automaker sold a total of 3,546 units of the Land Cruiser (up by 9.7%) and is the only other SUV to enjoy an increase in sales for 2019 aside from the RAV4.

Toyota’s sales also show that its new hybrid models are successful in pulling buyers away from the Prius. These models include the Camry, Corolla, Avalon, and RAV4.

The Camry sedan was also named the best-selling car from the lineup with 336,978 units sold, while the Corolla was identified as the only sedan model to see an increase with 304,850 units sold. According to the company, Corolla’s sales increase can be partly credited to its hatchback version, which is coming out of its best year ever.

Sports cars were not very lucrative for Toyota in 2019 in general despite the Supra selling 2,884 units in its first year, while the trucks are on a case-by-case basis. The Tundra’s sales decreased by 5.6%, but Tacoma recorded its best sales year ever with 248,801 units sold throughout 2019.