The Toyota Prius has yielded the title as the best-selling hybrid car from the lineup as Toyota confirms another model has outsold the powerhouse car in 2019.
Based on previous year’s sales figures, the new top-selling Toyota hybrid is the gas-electric version of the automaker’s well-loved compact crossover, the RAV4 hybrid.
This does not come much of a surprise, though, given that the RAV4 is the best-selling non-truck in the United States. Even if the non-hybrid version only accounts for a small percentage of overall car sales in America, being up to par with the trucks counts for a huge chunk in profits.
Another factor credited for the success of the RAV4 hybrid as 2019’s best-selling hybrid vehicle is Toyota’s decision to give the model a complete redesign compared to the Prius, which only received a mild update (the addition of an optional all-wheel-drive).
Toyota reveals that a total of 92,595 RAV4 hybrids were sold in 2019, almost 450,000 higher than the sales for Prius, which are at 69,718. Prius’ sales numbers significantly went down from 87,590 in 2018.
Also seen as a reason for the surge in the RAV4 hybrid’s sales is an ongoing trend among consumers of switching to crossovers and SUVs, which has also reached the gas-electric segment.
Moreover, the latest generation of the RAV4 hybrid has an EPA-rating of 40 mpg combined, a huge improvement from its predecessor’s 32 mpg rating. This makes the RAV4 a tough competitor even for its sibling, the Prius, which registers a 50-56 mpg rating, depending on the trim level.
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