The Wall Street Journal reports that orders for Honda's CR-Z were ten times higher than expected. Honda was initially hoping for sales of 1,000 units per month in its home market, but total orders have now exceeded 10,000.
With debuts in the US and Europe in the next few months, the Japanese auto maker seems to have few obstacles between it and its goal of 40,000 to 50,000 units per year.
It's not difficult to make the connection between Toyota's technical hiccup and Honda's boost in hybrid sales. People lost trust in their favorite brand, and now they fell back on the next best, comparable, recognizable thing.