- The Toyota Aqua went on sale on Monday in Japan, priced at the U.S. equivalent of $21,703, previewing the 2013 Toyota Prius C in the U.S.
- Toyota said the Aqua has a fuel efficiency of 83 miles per gallon.
- Toyota said it plans to sell 12,000 Aquas per month in Japan.
TOYOTA CITY, Japan — The Toyota Aqua went on sale on Monday in Japan, priced at the U.S. equivalent of $21,703, previewing the 2013 Toyota Prius C in the U.S.
Toyota said the Aqua has a fuel efficiency of 83 miles per gallon on Japan's JC08 test cycle and 94 mpg on the official 10-15 test cycle.
The Aqua is powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 72 horsepower and an electric motor rated at 45 kW. The combined output is 98 hp providing 0-60 acceleration in less than 10.7 seconds according to Toyota. The motor is fed power from a nickel-metal-hydride battery pack.
Toyota said it plans to sell 12,000 Aquas per month in Japan.
The Aqua name, which means water in Latin, is "meant to break the conventional image of hybrid vehicles, becoming something fluid and not constrained to any one shape or role — like free-flowing water," said Toyota in a statement. The Aqua targets such vehicles as the Honda Fit Hybrid in Toyota's home market and is designed to attract younger buyers seeking a less expensive hybrid.
The Toyota Prius C concept debuted last January at the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, showcasing a "value-oriented" hybrid bound for U.S. showrooms in 2012, said Toyota at the time. The production version is expected to be unveiled in two weeks at the 2012 Detroit show. Pricing has not been announced on the Prius C here.
Toyota said the Aqua will be offered in Japan in three grades — L, S and G — with the hybrid topping out at the U.S. equivalent of $23,756.
In Japan, Toyota's TRD performance division introduced sporty versions of the Aqua. The Aqua TRD features an aero body kit with front spoiler, side skirts, roof spoiler and rear apron/diffuser. Hardware upgrades are limited to lowering springs, stiffer shocks, larger alloy wheels and chrome exhaust pipes.
Inside Line says: The Prius C is expected to be one of the least expensive hybrid models in the U.S. when it debuts here next year.
Add A Comment »
jacksan1 says:
09:01 AM, 12/29/2011
Toyota has apparently received orders for 60,000 units already from the Japanese market.
300zxguy says:
03:11 PM, 12/28/2011
This isn't bad looking, though the giant clear taillights are a bit much, and I'd skip the tacked on TRD pieces, which aren't bad, but not really an improvement. The nose is much nicer than the other Prius variations. If the interior is nice (more like Prius, less like Prius V), and the rear legroom isn't too badly compromised by the smaller size, I could see myself considering one of these for a daily driver.
shanec06 says:
03:03 PM, 12/28/2011
Did the Prius and the Fit Sport have a child? I hope it handles decent.
qdp says:
01:03 PM, 12/28/2011
This car looks very practical with even better mpg. Hybrid is way way better than the diesel both in urban and rural areas. Particularly in city's stop&runing situation, diesel cars fare even much more worse. Thus it's forseeable that the hybrid will be a big hit in Europ and shake VW's position there.
nefariousnigel says:
12:23 PM, 12/28/2011
They project to sell 144,000 of these in Japan alone.
Toyota continues to define hybrid automobile research, development and sales...
northsparrow says:
06:48 AM, 12/28/2011
Does anyone remember the Scandinavian Pop group Aqua being sued by Mattel after releasing the song
"Barbie Girl"? Let's hope Aqua get a huge settlement from Toyota for putting their name on a car.
hal9000 says:
06:37 AM, 12/28/2011
The Prius C isn't getting 83mpg in the States. That's using the Japanese cycle..which is stated in the article. I think the Prius is listed around 77mpg using the same cycle. Someone on a Prius forum did a rough conversion and it worked out to be 53mpg for the Prius C.
If you don't need the space and/or live in a city and would like to save $3-4k then the C could be a good deal. $3-4k buys a lot of gas when getting the mileage a Prius does. Toyota also raised prices on the Prius. That should give the C a little more room to differentiate itself and minimize overlap of pricing.
jacksan1 says:
06:22 AM, 12/28/2011
Disabuse yourself of 83 mpg under JC08 because no one but the hyper-hyper milers would ever come close. The regular Prius gets 76.7 mpg under the same JC08 standard when the US Prius is rated 49.5 combined under EPA. The Aqua (Prius C) should fall somewhere around 53 mpg combined under EPA, which is still impressive but not 83 mpg.
deathtollwrx says:
09:39 PM, 12/27/2011
If it's really 83 miles per gallon it could drive like a dump truck and people would buy it in droves. It's not a bad looking car and I really like hatch backs.
How is it that this is 83 MPG and a normal Prius is only 50?
sjw91 says:
08:21 PM, 12/27/2011
Hardly a styling icon, but I think it looks better than the Prius or Honda Insight.