Toyota showrooms in Australia will from today no longer accept customer orders for petrol-only vehicles as the Japanese brand switches its car and SUV line-up to hybrid-only.

The hybrid-only policy impacts the Toyota RAV4 – the nation’s top-selling passenger vehicle – as well as eight other popular models.

Diesel utes, vans and four-wheel-drives – and performance GR models – will remain in the line-up, but most other Toyota vehicles across the range will only be available with hybrid power from today.

Toyota Australia says it will clear the current backlog of orders but once they are exhausted, that will be the end of the road.

Toyota had already dropped petrol-only power from a number of key models in its range, but today it completed the set.

Hybrid-only models from Toyota Australia:

  • Toyota Yaris Cross (already hybrid only)
  • Toyota Corolla hatch (already hybrid only)
  • Toyota Yaris hatch (already hybrid only)
  • Toyota C-HR (already hybrid only)
  • Toyota Corolla sedan (hybrid only orders from today)
  • Toyota Camry sedan (hybrid only orders from today)
  • Toyota Corolla Cross (hybrid only orders from today)
  • Toyota RAV4 (hybrid only orders from today)
  • Toyota Kluger (hybrid only orders from today)

The high-performance GR Yaris, GR Corolla (pictured above) and GR Supra are the exceptions to the new Toyota rule and for now will remain petrol-only models.

And the Toyota Kluger large SUV will continue to be available as a petrol-only model until early next year, though 75 per cent of customer demand in Australia is already for the hybrid variant.

Toyota Australia says it has drawn a line in the sand on future orders of petrol-only vehicles that are not already in stock or on the way.

“From today, our dealers will no longer offer petrol-only variants of any Toyota model where a hybrid-electric alternative is available,” Toyota Australia vice president of sales, marketing and franchise operations, Sean Hanley, told a media briefing this morning.

“This the next logical step in our hybrid-electric strategy that we’ve been implementing since long before the first (Toyota) Prius arrived in October 2001.

“It’s a significant milestone in the multi-pathway approach to (reducing vehicle emissions).”

Toyota has long campaigned for various options to reduce vehicle emissions – rather than railroading customers into electric vehicles if it doesn’t suit their needs.

Toyota says hybrid cars have accounted for 46 per cent of sales so far this year and the ratio keeps climbing.

In 2017 Toyota Australia’s hybrid model mix accounted for less than 4 per cent of its sales locally.

Last month, 95 per cent of Toyota RAV4 deliveries were of the hybrid variant as production has finally ramped up and wait times have been cut from two years to less than six months, depending on colour and trim options.

“It wasn’t that long ago that some commentators were writing off hybrids,” said Mr Hanley.

“The market truth was that surging demand for Toyota hybrids massively outstripped our ability to supply (vehicles to customers).

“Despite all the reports of lengthy waiting times, people kept ordering them. 

“We could never declare our order bank to you for commercial reasons last year. But we knew that hybrid demand was huge. It was massively strong. And despite as I said those waiting times people kept ordering them.

“The order bank (for the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid) at one stage was measured in the tens of thousands.

“We truly believe … hybrid-electric vehicles have played a significant role in helping to reduce tailpipe emissions over the past 20 years in this country. 

“The demand trend for hybrid vehicles is finally clear.”

Toyota Australia concedes the entry prices for affected models will be more expensive than before – once the petrol-only models are discontinued – because hybrid variants have to date typically added at least $2500 to the cost of the car.

“We understand petrol-only models have been price leaders,” said Mr Hanley.

“However, where customers have had the choice, the vast majority have chosen hybrid over petrol … and that has led us to make the decision we’re announcing today. 

“All of this has been achieved without incentives and without legislation. 

“This is not a result of the impending NVES emissions standards.

“In fact, the new mandated standard confirms the foresight of Toyota’s hybrid strategy.

“We we will do even more in coming years to innovate across a diverse array of (propulsion options), which is the essence of Toyota’s multi pathway approach (electric, hybrid and more efficient diesel systems).

“We are committed to allowing customers to choose the low carbon or no carbon drive train that best suits their circumstances. 

“Electric cars) will always represent a part (of the future motoring mix) but they’re not the only solution. There are other solutions. And you’ve got to marry that with … the market that you’re operating in. 

“What does consumer want? Because at the end of the day, (the NVES vehicle emissions reduction policy) is going to play a role in the portfolio of cars we drive in Australia. However, there’s one aspect that people attending not to look at carefully enough on the NVES and that is the customer. 

“What does the customer want? Ultimately, they’ll decide. We can only provide what we think they’ll need (but) they will make a decision about what they want.”