November 7, 2005
Toyota Motor Corp. is increasing the base price for a Prius hybrid by $490 when the 2006 model goes on sale later this month.
The sticker price for a base Prius will be $22,305 for the '06 model. The 2005 model started at $21,390 when the car first went on sale. Toyota raised the price of the 2005 model twice after the hybrid hit the market.
Toyota has sold 90,981 Priuses so far this year, an increase of 117.5 percent compared with the first 10 months of 2004.
Toyota also says sales of the 2006 Prius hybrid to rental and government fleets will be suspended in the United States while the company tries to meet US consumer demand.
Toyota has cancelled existing fleet order agreements and advised fleet customers that delivery could take at least six months. The company says fleet sales will resume once production of the Pruis hybrid is sufficient to meet demand for both consumer and fleet sales.
