Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday released two sport utility vehicles featuring hybrid engines, expanding its hybrid lineup to appeal to a wider range of customers.
The Harrier Hybrid and Kluger Hybrid are the first hybrid SUVs to be sold in the domestic market.
Powered by a 3.3-liter engine and electric motor, the Harrier and Kluger both get 17.8 km per liter, almost twice the fuel efficiency of the conventional models, the automaker said.
"We have developed a new hybrid system that is befitting an SUV," which can achieve high driving performance and the world's highest level of fuel efficiency in this category, Toyota President Fujio Cho told a news conference in Tokyo for the vehicles' launch.
The Harrier is known as the Lexus RX abroad, while the Kluger goes by the name Highlander.
The hybrid versions will also be available in the United States, Europe and the Oceania region starting between April and June, the nation's largest automaker said.
They are Toyota's first hybrid vehicles to be launched overseas since the Prius.
The Harrier Hybrid is priced at between 4.10 million yen and 4.62 million yen, while the Kluger has been set at 3.99 million yen to 4.37 million yen. Toyota's monthly sales target is 500 for each.
Although the automaker is planning to launch the Lexus luxury brand in Japan this summer, the Harrier, which is being sold under the Lexus brand abroad, will continue to be called the Harrier here.
