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Don't you just love competition?


Toyota Motor Corp. on Thursday confirmed that the current Prius model will continue to be sold in Japan even after the new, 2010 Prius (left) goes on sale in May.


The marketing maneuver is designed to help blunt competition in Toyota's home market from Honda's new (and cheaper) Insight.


The Insight's sales price in Japan starts at 1.89 million yen ($19,000), while the third-generation Prius will start at 2.3 million yen ($22,000).


Japanese media accounts have Toyota President Katsuaki Watanabe confirming that the older model, which is smaller and somewhat cheaper, will remain on the market in Japan.






Japanese media reports also suggest that Toyota is planning a Yaris-based hybrid that would serve as another lower-cost alternative to the Insight. The Nikkei newspaper on Wednesday quoted a Toyota engineer as saying "we are developing a low-priced hybrid like Honda's Insight."


Don't look for the second-generation Prius to remain on the market in the U.S. Toyota earlier said that motorists on this side of the Pacific Ocean will get the third-generation model.

Tags: Green Vehicles, Honda, Hybrid, Japan, Toyota, Honda Insight, Japan, Prius Toyota, Yaris

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It's Official: Toyota To Sell Second-Generation Prius Alongside New Model in Japan was originally published by Green Car Advisor. Read the full story by clicking here.