Toyota Sai Hybrid Has Lofty Goals

Toyota aims to sell 36,000 Hybrid Sai a year. The Sai is the second hybrid only sedan available from Toyota, but will be sold only in Japan.

The Toyota Sai is being built on the same platform as the Lexus HS 250h. The interior and exterior will be differentiated, although the drivetrain will be the same. The cost is $37,290 (3.38 million yen), which is 15% less than the HS 250h.

The Sai is rated at 23 km/liter (54 mpg).

The Prius is currently the number one car in Japan, with over 20,000 units being sold every month.  The Sai will probably have a great head start, with the tax breaks and other concessions still in effect.  It's unclear if Toyota could keep up with the demand, since the Prius is backlogged so severely right now that the waiting list is around nine months.