When it comes to hybrids, it’s not all about Toyota’s groundbreaking Prius anymore.

In fact, within the next year or so, three of the best-selling sedans in the United States will be rolling down the road with hybrid engines, and there will be new installments from the ailing SUV segment.

The Honda Accord hybrid, with its peppy 255 horsepower engine, joins the Civic hybrid, making Honda a solid-runner up to Toyota in the burgeoning area. Japan’s third-biggest manufacturer Nissan, not yet a hybrid player, will offer a hybrid Altima sedan next year that will be based on Toyota’s hybrid technology.

But Toyota won’t be relinquishing its gigantic lead anytime soon with a hybrid version of its best-selling, flagship Camry sedan set to make a splash in 2006.

Overall, the hybrid market has ramped up from five to 10 models this year, and according to Brad Berman of hybridcars.com, consumers should have about 15 total models in showrooms by next year.

But the real burst is yet to come, with J.D. Power & Associates pegging 44 models on tap within the next five years.

The popular Toyota Prius hybrid compact car, shown at left at a car show in Tokyo, will face competition on the market in 2006. A Honda Accord hybrid with a 255 horsepower engine as well as a Nissan Altima hybrid will be among options for consumers.

“Now that Toyota is making its big push, and others are scrambling to jump on the bandwagon, the explosive growth in available models will probably come in 2007,” Berman said, with hybrid versions of the Dodge Durango SUV and Mazda Tribute on the radar.

In the meantime, consumers still have a fairly comprehensive menu from which to choose, and that apparently suits them just fine.

Interest gains speed

In a recent survey conducted by CNW Marketing, over one-third of new-car buyers are now considering a hybrid, and they’re willing to pay a $3,000 premium. This number stands in stark contrast to the beginning of the summer when a scant 5 percent of new-car buyers were interested. And they were only willing to pay $500 extra.

The SUV market, which has taken its lumps lately amid startling gasoline prices, offers some solid alternatives to fuel-consuming beasts like the Chevy Silverado and Ford Excursion.

For instance, the Ford Escape hybrid, logging more than 30 mpg combined and carrying a price tag around $27,000, recently has been joined by the Lexus 400h, a performance and mileage improvement from the staple RX330 crossover model.

The Ford model is the best-in-segment when it comes to mileage while the Lexus sacrifices optimal fuel efficiency for some added kick – it comes at a price, though. Prepare to fork over about $50,000 for the luxury ride.

Ford is looking for its 31 mpg Mercury Mariner hybrid, which began taking online orders in July, to give the automaker a solid footing in the arena completely dominated by the Japanese. The new Mariner starts at $29,480.

Similarly, the Toyota Highlander Hybrid comes at a significant discount from its pricey crossover SUV peer at Lexus, although it’s still expensive compared to the traditional engine models

General Motors, which trails the leaders in the emerging segment, plans to release the Saturn Vue Green line with a premium promised to be much less than the $3,000 to $5,000 option from the likes of Ford and Honda.

Comparing prices

Getting that price point down is crucial for future hybrid offerings, according to Mark McCready of CarsDirect.com.

“The key for the hybrids in the near term is putting the engine in a package that more consumers can use, and that also hits the right price range,” he said, pointing out that the current crop of models carry a prohibitive premium for many car buyers.

Then again, you get what you pay for at this point. Saturn’s “belt alternator starter hybrid system” doesn’t quite reach the fuel economy improvements reached by the competition.

GM said it expects to introduce this system on up to 12 models, even though vice chairman and product guru Bob Lutz earlier this year said hybrids “just don’t make business sense.” GM’s mainstream hybrid lineup is also set to debut its Tahoe and Yukon SUVs in 2007.

Hybrid fans can expect to see even more offerings from GM, as well as DaimlerChrysler and BMW, within a couple years as part of their three-way joint venture.