Starts with the RAV4, but where does it end?
Japanese auto heavyweight Toyota has cemented its position on hybrids in the country, stating unequivocally that it will introduce not one, not two, but five more petrol-electric models to the Australian lineup between now and mid-2020. Their move to bring more electrification to their models come following “stronger-than-expected” demand for the Camry Hybrid, suggesting that Australians might finally be ready to embrace hybrid powertrains a bit more readily.
The first of the hybridised Toyotas coming to Australia will be in the form of the RAV4, which will be arriving in H1 2019, as was confirmed to the media back in July. However, there’s been little indication of the 4 other cars that’ll come after that. Diving into the sales figures as well as globally-available models, there are some easy guesses to be made.
The hot-selling (and hot-looking) Corolla range may only be in 5-door hatch form now, but a saloon will come eventually. And as inevitable as a Corolla saloon is, so is a hybrid variant of that, leaving 3 more cars to go.
The Yaris is getting long in the tooth now and a new model is already available in other markets, replete with a hybrid powertrain. Additionally, steadily-healthy sales figures for the Yaris buck the trend in the shrinking compact car segment, which we reckon would be reason enough for Toyota to bring a newer model to Aussie shores, with a hybrid powertrain beneath. Two more cars to go.
The C-HR has been very well received in Australia, and is notably available with only a turbocharged petrol mill. In other markets, the C-HR offers a hybrid powertrain in addition to the turbocharged option, which suggests that Australia may very well receive an electrified C-HR to complement the existing variant. One car left.
The Toyota Kluger is a firm favourite in Australia, with its immense practicality and smooth V6 powertrain. It isn’t exactly fuel efficient though, and so a hybrid version of the Kluger would (theoretically) appeal to an even wider audience, perhaps even nicking sales from buyers that would have otherwise opted for a Prado or even a Fortuner.
So that settles them all, right?
Of course, we can only speculate at this point, as there’s no telling which way Toyota will go. But Toyota does say that they are intent on introducing “next-generation passenger cars & SUVs,” meaning that we can’t discount any particular bodystyles when considering what form the upcoming 5-models will take. Either way, it’ll be interesting to watch buyers transition steadily from pure-combustion towards electrified powertrains in the near future.
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