Toyota Australia has announced plans to sell only hybrid versions of its regular car range. That means that its non-GR passenger car range is now hybrid-only, with all versions of the Yaris, Yaris Cross, C-HR, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, RAV4 and Kluger dropping regular petrol-powered models. The reason for that? Strong hybrid sales across its lineup – for example, of Toyota’s May 2024 sales result, 11,440 (or 48.9 per cent) units were powered by hybrid drivetrains.
Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said this landmark development will accelerate a sales trend that has seen hybrid sales at record levels.
“Toyota has been implementing our HEV strategy over an extended period and remains committed to innovating across a diverse array of powertrains, which is the essence of our multi-pathway approach to decarbonisation,” Mr Hanley said.
As for pure-petrol drivetrains in the Toyota range, there’s just the GR Yaris, GR Corolla, GR 86 and GR Supra for now, while the brand’s heavily-diesel range of commercial and 4×4 models will also continue as before for the time being.
But despite strong sales of diesel products like the HiLux ute and LandCruiser SUVs, Toyota expects more than half of its sales to be powered by hybrid technology in 2025.
Aside from lowering the brand’s average emissions – important for incoming NVES emissions standards that are due to be introduced in 2025 – a lot of the Toyota range will also become more expensive to buy at the entry level. While the company is yet to confirm any changes to the lineup aside from culling many petrol variants, entry-level pricing of most of its models will increase.
For example, the RAV4 and Corolla Cross now start $2,500 higher than before, while the Kluger will likely eventually start $6,500 higher thanks to it not offering a front-wheel drive hybrid model.
The deliveries of the final petrol Toyota passenger cars will commence throughout the second half of 2024, with the petrol Kluger models extending into early next year. Stay tuned to DiscoverAuto for the latest automotive news and reviews.
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