In a new survey, 4 out of 10 Norwegians say they don't want electric cars. Maybe that's why Toyota sold 140 million kroner worth of diesel cars in a few hours.
In Norway, where electric cars dominate new car sales, a new diesel car from Toyota has created a stir and a (by Norwegian standards, ed.) gigantic order book for the importer.
Diesel cars have declined in popularity in Norway in recent years, where the government's focus has been on promoting the sale of electric cars.
In 2024, electric car sales reached a record 88.9 percent of total new car sales, and the goal is to reach 100 percent electric cars in the future.
But despite the clear preference for electric cars among politicians and part of the population, the Norwegian Toyota importer shows that the diesel car is definitely not far north.
Toyota recently launched the new Land Cruiser with diesel engine in the country, and the interest was overwhelming.
In just a few hours, 200 cars were sold for a total value of 140 million Danish kroner. The high demand is likely due to a combination of the Land Cruiser's reputation for robustness and reliability, as well as a price that is attractive to Norwegian car buyers.
This is reported by Norwegian TV2 .
The Toyota Land Cruiser is a classic off-road model known for its off-road capabilities. It is popular with both outdoor enthusiasts and people who live in areas where accessibility is far from the best in the world.
The new model has a 2.8-liter, four-cylinder diesel engine with 204 horsepower and 500 newton meters. And although the engine is criticized for being noisy and sending a lot of vibrations through the cabin, the Norwegians seem to be completely crazy about the heat.
The price of a Toyota Land Cruiser in Norway starts at 1.8 million Norwegian kroner (approximately 1.2 million Danish kroner). However, if you buy it as a van, you can avoid the so-called penalty tax and get the price down by 700,000 Danish kroner.
This has undoubtedly contributed to the high demand. Here in Denmark, Toyota customers do not have the same options. So the price starts at just under one and a half million kroner.
Norway has been allocated 700 Land Cruisers in the first round, and they are expected to sell out quickly. Other places have already done so, and in just 30 minutes. Read more about it here .