April proved to be a monumental month for hybrids, especially for Toyota, the market leader, which had two significant achievements to celebrate. For the first time, Toyota’s monthly hybrid deliveries surpassed 10,000 units, constituting more than half of the total brand sales. In total, Toyota sold 10,972 hybrids, representing 52.8 percent of its sales figure of 20,771 vehicles.
Remarkably, 66 percent of all hybrid vehicles sold in Australia in April were Toyotas. With year-to-date sales reaching 35,383 vehicles, Toyota’s hybrid lineup is outselling the complete lineups of all other brands. For instance, Ford, in second place, has sold 31,323 vehicles so far this year. Toyota disclosed that it sold more hybrids in April alone than in any entire calendar year before 2018.
The Toyota RAV4 emerged as Australia’s best-selling vehicle in April, with a record-breaking 5857 units sold, surpassing the previous month’s record. Impressively, 94 percent of these sales, totaling 5504 units, were hybrid models, marking another milestone for the RAV4. Despite its popularity, this was only the third time in the RAV4’s history that it topped the Australian sales charts, following its achievements in July and August 2020.
Toyota has been actively working to reduce wait times for the RAV4, which previously stretched up to 24 months, as well as for other hybrid models like the Corolla hatch and C-HR. The company anticipates that average wait times for these models will return to normal by the end of June, ranging from three to four months or potentially even lower.
Sean Hanley, Toyota Australia’s vice president of sales, marketing, and franchise operations, emphasized that record deliveries reflect the growing demand for fuel-efficient hybrids and the success in significantly reducing customer wait times. Toyota currently offers its Yaris, Yaris Cross, and C-HR models exclusively with hybrid power in Australia. Additionally, hybrid options are available for models such as the Camry, Corolla, Corolla Cross, Kluger, and RAV4.
While Toyota has introduced a mild-hybrid version of its HiLux ute, there are currently no hybrid body-on-frame utes or SUVs in Toyota Australia showrooms. Although Toyota has revealed a hybrid version of its new-generation Prado overseas, its availability in the Australian market remains uncertain, with the local-spec Prado expected to feature a mild-hybrid turbo-diesel engine similar to the HiLux.