Sales of hybrid vehicles have been booming Australia over the last few years and Hyundai is the latest company to ramp up its local offerings.
Hyundai Australia product planning and development manager Tim Rodgers told CarExpert that for some models there’s “huge potential just because of the competitors out there and how much hybrid they’re selling”.
“We can clearly see there’s an appetite for hybrid,” said Mr Rodgers.
“Kona Hybrid hasn’t been on the market for long but the sales rates for that … have been beyond our expectations.
Kona Hybrid
“So our customers, they know we’re about electrification. I think hybrid makes a lot of sense to just a general Australian customer right now.
“More and more you’ll see more hybridisation I’m sure as we move towards full electrification as well in a lot of these portfolios.”
Hyundai introduced its first hybrid locally with the now-defunct Ioniq in 2018. This entire model line, which also included plug-in hybrid (PHEV) and electric powertrains, was axed in 2022.
That same year Hyundai Australia introduced the Santa Fe Hybrid. It’s currently available in two different trim levels with both powered by a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol hybrid powertrain that’s shared with the related Kia Sorento.
The next-generation Santa Fe, due this year, will launch with a hybrid powertrain.
Santa Fe Hybrid
As Mr Rodgers noted, the new-generation Kona also now offers a hybrid powertrain. It’s available in four different trim levels, including two sporty-looking N Line versions.
Looking to the future, Hyundai Australia has already confirmed hybrid versions of the i30 Sedan and Tucson are set to belatedly arrive locally this year. These will go head-to-head with the Toyota Corolla and RAV4, respectively.
As recently reported, a total of 98,439 new hybrid cars were sold in Australia last year, which is an increase of 20.3 per cent compared to 2022.
i30 Sedan Hybrid 
Updated Tucson
Toyota continued to dominate the hybrid vehicle sales charts, led by its ever-popular RAV4, Corolla and Camry.
Hyundai sold a total 1353 examples of the Santa Fe Hybrid last year, making it the 16th top-selling hybrid car in Australia. It accounted for 22.4 per cent of total Santa Fe sales in 2023.
The company still managed to sell 682 examples of the Kona Hybrid last year despite its launch taking place late in the year.
MORE: VFACTS 2023: The best-selling hybrids and plug-in hybrids in Australia
