Honda's Insight first hybrid to rank as Best-Selling Vehicle in Japan

As forward-looking and advanced in technology as the Japanese are perceived to be, they haven't been huge adopters of hybrid technology. But this month marked a tipping point, with the Honda Insight hybrid taking the top sales rank. It was the first time ever that a hybrid car held the lead in Japanese monthly sales.
The new Honda Insight was released in February 2009 in Japan. The Insight sold 10,481 units in April - an increase of 256% over March sales, and more than double sales during its debut month of February. Honda also pulled down the #2 sales spot, the first time that Honda has taken both #1 and #2 at the same time.

The Fit was the second-best selling car in Japan in April, riding a four-month streak at the top of the charts only to be bumped by the Insight. It was still a close issue, with the Fit selling 9,443 units.

Still, with falling auto sales in the US (including hybrids), a key market for hybrid vehicles, and US gas prices at very consumer-friendly low-levels, it will be a struggle for Honda, or any automaker with a hybrid on the market, to achieve the same thing in the United States. And Europe too will prove to be a challenge, given the market power of diesels in the largest markets there such as German, France and Italy.


Whether the dominance of the Insight in Japan will translate into strong sales elsewhere in the world has yet to be seen. The slightly larger yet equally fuel efficient Toyota Prius could be a major threat to the Insight's sales, though until the Prius I is released, the Insight has a definite price advantage.