Toyota Prius Loses Best-Selling Car In California Title To Honda AccordToyota Prius Loses Best-Selling Car In California Title To Honda Accord

For the past couple of years, California has been like nowhere else when it comes to new car sales.
That’s because, in both 2012 and 2013, the Toyota Prius hybrid was the best-selling new car in the Golden State.
MORE: Most Popular Car Line In California? The Toyota Prius Hybrid–Again (February 2014)
Yet even Californians’ appetite for the Prius apparently has its limits.
For 2014, the Honda Accord beat the Prius as the bestseller for California, the Los Angeles Times reports.
Honda sold 71,578 Accords in California last year, while Toyota shifted 71,210 Prius hybrids, according to data from research firm IHS Automotive.
2012, 2013, and 2014 Toyota Prius
That makes for a small victory margin for the Accord, but it’s worth noting that the Prius figure includes sales of several distinct models.
The entire Prius “family” consists of the original Prius Liftback, Prius C subcompact, Prius V wagon, and Prius plug-in hybrid.
SEE ALSO: 2014 Honda Accord Hybrid: First Drive Report
Honda offers the Accord in both coupe and sedan body styles. There is also the Accord Hybrid model, plus a plug-in hybrid version that sells in relatively small volumes.
In California, Prius sales were up 2 percent over the previous year, despite an aging design and increased competition from a growing number of hybrids and plug-in electric cars.
In comparison, sales of the fresher Accord were up 17 percent over 2013.
2015 Toyota Prius C
Nationally, Prius sales fell 12 percent in 2014, to 207,372 units.
For the 2015 model year, Toyota refreshed the Prius C and Prius V with edgier styling and some new equipment.
It’s expected to launch an entirely redesigned, fourth-generation Prius for the 2016 model year.
DON’T MISS: 2016 Toyota Prius Was Delayed Due To Redesign For Sportier Style
In addition to the obligatory improvement in fuel economy, the next Prius will reportedly feature sportier styling to attract a wider variety of buyers.
Whether that will be enough to win back the title of California’s favorite car remains in question–but we wouldn’t necessarily bet against it.
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