Toyota now taking orders for 2012 Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Japan.

Toyota Motor has officially begun taking orders for its Prius Plug-in Hybrid in Japan. Toyota will launch the plug-in Prius in Japan on January 30, 2012. According to the automaker, the annual sales target for the Prius PHV in Japan is ambitious: 35,000 to 40,000 units.

Based on Japan's lenient JC08 test cycle, the Prius PHV’s electric-only mode offers a cruising range of 16.4 miles and the vehicle's combined fuel efficiency checks in at 61.0 km/L (143 miles per US gallon). That's an unrealistic number for the real-world, as is the plug-in vehicle’s electric power consumption rate, which is listed at 8.74 km/kWh.

In Japan, prices (including consumption tax) start at ¥3,200,000 (US $41,126 at today's exchange rate) for the entry-level Prius Plug-in Hybrid S grade and top out at ¥4,200,000 (US $53,950) for the uplevel G grade Prius PHV with leather option. In the US, the 2012 Prius Plug-in starts at a base price of $32,000 and the top-of-the-line Advanced Prius PHV checks in at $39,525. The Prius Plug-in will launch in select US states in spring 2012.