How do you know Toyota will not offer another hybrid powertrain. A RAV4 Prime will be more efficient and offer more performance over the Explorer. I fully expect Toyota Highlander and the next RX to have this upgraded hybrid plug in feature.

Hyundai has hydrogen models as well. Honda as well

 

Wait, but first you said that there aren't "any competing hybrids," and now you say it "doesn't mean those competitors don't exist"?

Ford was clearly going after it since they compared it against the Highlander Hybrid in their press release. And when Ford developed and debuted the Explorer, it was the V6 version of the Hybrid that Toyota was producing. Ford was chasing the V6 hybrid Highlander. If someone wants to buy a 3 row crossover with a hybrid powertrain, they have two choices to look at, the Highlander and the Explorer.

 

I never said there weren't any, I said there "really aren't any". The point of what I was trying to say was every carmaker is not investing in hybrid tech or bringing hybrid competitors to match Toyota in every segment. There are of course other hybrids.

 

Correct--the Hybrid doesn't get 19" wheels, even in top level trim.

 

I will certainly agree with you that not every carmaker is investing in the tech, but I disagree that this means that Toyota is the only manufacturer who sees a future in that technology. If that were the case, I doubt Ford, Hyundai, and Honda would all be spending money, debuting new hybrid vehicles this year. But I'll let it rest. I appreciate your clarification above.

 

Thanks for pointing this out to me. I had not realized this. My parents have a Limited Hybrid and that is the only one of the new RAV4s that I have spent time with. I didn't realize the non hybrid models had 19" wheels.

 

Chrysler has hybrid. I think the Pacifica is hybrid. Honda has hybrids. BMW, MB have hybrid plug in models. Mazda and Nissan have hybrids in their Japan markets.

 

Pacifica has a hybrid.

A great example though, the chatter I hear is that the next Sienna will ONLY be a hybrid. Who else is taking a vehicle to only a hybrid powertrain?

 

I read that too. Will be very interesting if that's the case.

 

I could totally see Sienna go all out hybrid. There are only four minivan models I can think of. Not much of a segment unless you are Toyota or Honda. I think the Pacifica is a declining sales model.

 

The whole segment is declining.

Pacifica sells very well. They outsold both the Odyssey and the Sienna in 2017 and 2019 by a wide margin, and were only outsold by the Odyssey by 1,000 units in 2010. Sienna is a distant 3rd between the 3.

And FCA overwhelmingly sells the most minivans when you combine the Grand Caravan and the Pacifica. FCA sells more minivans than Honda and Toyota combined.

 

Ok. Thanks for the sales figures.

 

I looked at Q1 sales for the Pacifica 24,525 (+5%) and Sienna (11,876 (-36%) I didn't see Honda's Q1 numbers though. Unless Honda sold a lot of minivans it looks like Chrysler still dominates the minivan market here.

 

I was looking at 2019 numbers. Pacifica was 97,706 and Odyssey was 99,113, Sienna was 73,585. Grand Caravan was 122,648. 2018 Pacifica was over 120k and Odyssey was 106k

 

Saw that the new Toyota Highlander hybrids finally are at dealers. Never seen so many in the back. Obviously we know why.