Mercedes-Benz Japan has become the first foreign automaker to launch a petrol-electric hybrid in the country after rolling out the S-Class hybrid sedan.
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The ‘S-Class Hybrid Long’ is priced at JPY14.05m and is about 30% more fuel efficient than the previous petrol -only model. It is also the first imported car to be eligible for the Japanese government’s tax breaks for fuel-efficient cars.
BMW plans a hybrid for Japan next summer.
Mercedes-Benz Japan president Hans Tempel said hybrids have become a ”buzzword” in Japan.
”From the marketing point of view, it seems to be easier to sell something which can refer to itself as hybrid,” Tempel told Kyodo News in Tokyo.
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By GlobalDataIt remains uncertain whether top luxury hybrids will be popular in Japan where sales have boomed at the JPY2m price point. Toyota’s new hybrid-only Lexus sedan, the HS250h, is priced between JPY3.95m and JPY5.35m.
Tempel said he hoped the increasing lineup of hybrids and other eco-friendly cars from various automakers will help to stimulate a shrinking domestic market, where many young people have lost interest in purchasing cars.
”If the environmentally friendly technology succeeds in creating a new fascination about cars, that would definitely see a push for car sales,” he said. ”That’s what we desperately need in Japan.”
