The cautious sales estimates for the key U.S. market point to American consumers' thinking that hybrid gasoline-and-electric technology tends to come in more niche models like the Toyota Prius or more economical, mainstream cars like the Honda Civic. Unlike in Japan, where even the wealthiest consumers demand fuel efficiency, analysts say American buyers spending more than $100,000 on a car tend to be more concerned with performance than gas prices.

By AMY CHOZICK
May 19, 2007; Page A6

TOKYO -- Toyota Motor Corp.'s most expensive hybrid car, the $124,000 Lexus LS sedan launched Thursday, is the first Lexus model that is expected to sell better in Japan and Europe than in the U.S., a company engineer said.

Sam Sadakata, chief engineer at Lexus in charge of developing the luxury hybrid vehicle, said in an interview with a small group of reporters that Toyota expects to sell an average of 100 models a month in the key U.S. market beginning in July. Lexus is the top-selling luxury brand in the U.S., with sales of more than 300,000 vehicles annually.

The auto maker expects to sell 180 LS models a month in Europe and 400 monthly in Japan, where overall Lexus sales are only about 30,000 vehicles annually. Toyota says it plans to sell 100 LS sedans monthly in China beginning in August....

... Toyota will be rolling out the model globally in June. Toyota expects to sell 7,000 Lexus LS cars world-wide in 2007, 4,000 of which will be sold in Japan.