Toyota Has Shifted To An Almost 100% Hybrid-Only Line-up In Australia

In Australia, Japanese automaker Toyota appears to have shifted to a hybrid-centric push with its line-up there.

It appears that Japanese automaking giant Toyota has gone almost 100% hybrid-only with its line-up in Australia. We say ALMOST here simply because there are some exceptions still, which we will detail shortly.

Earlier this week, the Japanese automaker’s Australian arm reportedly announced that popular offerings like the Corolla and Camry sedans, as well as crossovers and SUVs like the Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Kluger, have all seen their pure combustion (ICE) powertrain options dropped altogether.

These now join the ranks of other mainstream models Toyota markets Down Under that made a similar shift prior. Amongst them are the Yaris and Corolla hatchbacks, as well as the Yaris Cross and C-HR crossovers.

The latest to make the hybrid-only switch included models like the (clockwise) Corolla Cross, Corolla sedan, RAV4, and Kluger.

Effectively, the move sees Toyota Australia abandoning the sale of petrol-only versions of said vehicles, which are now offered exclusively in hybrid forms. Whilst Toyota Australia says the shift stems from robust customer demands, one can also argue this is rather good marketing too.

In fact, Toyota’s Australian arm predicts that hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs) and battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will make up more than half of new car sales in Australia by next year (2025).

Perhaps the only irony in Toyota Australia’s hybrid-focused shift is the absence of the marque’s genre-defining Prius nameplate. Said trailblazer was discontinued in Australia and is unlikely to return anytime soon given the alternatives now present.

The only exceptions made in Toyota Australia's hybrid push predictably were things like the GR sportscars range, 4x4s like the Hilux, Fortuner, and Land Cruiser, as well as the Hiace and Granvia commercial panel and window vans.

Mainstream models aside, the only exceptions to this hybrid-only push unsurprisingly applies firstly to the brand’s Gazoo Racing (GR) sportscars – GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR86, and GR Supra. These currently lack any form of electrification, in fact.

Secondly, this exception also applies to the evergreen Hilux 4x4 pick-up truck and its full-bodied Fortuner twin, the entire Land Cruiser range (J70, J250, and J300), as well as the Hiace and Granvia commercial panel and window vans range.

However, it is worth noting that the Hilux recently saw a third successive refresh debut in Australia earlier this year with a new 48-volt mild-hybrid (MHEV) setup. Despite its partial electrification, said MHEV pick-up truck doesn’t feature any ‘Hybrid’ badging like the rest of Toyota’s HEV offerings.

The Toyota Alphard and Vellfire hybrids previewed during the Beyond Zero expo held by UMW Toyota Motor in Malaysia earlier this year.

“So far this year, our total HEV sales have more than doubled to 46,821 vehicles compared with the same period last year, with all models continuing to attract strong demand. Overall, we have now sold more than 430,000 HEVs in Australia since launching the original Prius in October 2001,” said Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia VP of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations regarding the shift.

He also noted that Toyota HEV models sales share in Australia have reached a record 33.5% in 2023, escalating further to 46.6% in the first five months of 2024.

Whilst this hybrid-only push is working for the Australian market, a similar strategy does hold promise in a market like ours. Presently, UMW Toyota Motor only offers two Toyota-badged models with hybrid options – the Corolla Cross and Innova Zenix – plus two more via the Lexus brand – RX500h F Sport and the recently launched Lexus LM ultra-lux MPVs.