Toyota is planning on slightly raising the prices on some select 2009 models. The automaker is trying not to alienate U.S. buyers too much, but needs to make a modest increase in order to cover rising costs and production issues.
The average 0.8% increase comes in the midst of what is now expected to be the weakest auto sales year in the U.S. since at least 1993, as customers turn away in droves from bigger gas-guzzling vehicles and turn toward slighter fuel-sipping cars.
Toyota’s line-up, while filled with such cars, faced a decrease in the first-half in the United States. The company’s sales dipped 6.8% as the result of economic issues in America and the weakening housing market.
The vehicle with the largest planned price boost among Friday’s list is the Prius hybrid. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price on the car will rise an average 2.2% or $500. Prius sales fell 3.2% in the first half of the year.
The U.S. weakness offsets the increasing strength Toyota is exhibiting internationally. The company said earlier this week that it sold more than 4.8 million cars and trucks worldwide through June, keeping it ahead of General Motors.
With certified Toyota dealers in the United States hoping for better sales and the international sales of the car going in positive directions, it looks like Toyota’s slight adjustments may have long lasting effects in the market.
