Toyota Motor Corp. will be bringing its Prius hybrid to Korea starting within the first half of 2009 as part of its plan for the model to capture the potential market. The hybrid car is set to combine a battery and a combustion engine to optimize fuel efficiency.

Recently, Toyota Korea has been rumored considering the release of the third-generation Prius not just in Korea, but in Japan and U.S. as well. Schedule of release has been dated from April 2009 simultaneously to those markets.

Toyota Motor Global Sales Vice President Akio Toyoda, the fourth generation heir of the Japanese motor giant, have set a meeting with Toyota Korea executives in Japan to tackle able the most ideal model for the Korean market.

Toyoda said, “Because Lexus is a luxury car targeting the rich, it can’t become that popular in Korea.” “We have to introduce a Toyota brand to benefit a majority of consumers and it should be a model that can be beneficial for both Korean society and consumers,” he explained.

Toyota Korea President Taizo Chigira has mentioned, “We suggested to headquarters the third-generation Prius as a major model for the Korean market, but no decision has been made yet.”

According to Toyota, “We plan to price the new Prius much lower than the second-generation model to promote the advantages of the hybrid car in Korea. If the economical and eco-friendly Prius appeals to the Korean market, it will serve as a stimulation for Korean carmakers.”

The third-generation Prius will be equipped with a bigger engine. It will be up to 1.8 liters from 1.5 liters of the present model. Plus, the fuel efficiency has been enhanced by 40 km per liter.

To boost the interest of the customers to obtain better fuel efficiency, the Finance Ministry plans to provide subsidies or tax breaks for buyers of hybrid cars beginning 2009.

I hope all vehicles will someday offer better fuel efficiency along with lesser emissions in catalytic converters like this American Motor catalytic converter found online.