Toyota Australia says there are “no plans” to reintroduce it Prius Nameplate Down Under, despite our country’s growing hunger for hybrids and plug-in hybrids (PHEVs).
In conversation with Daily Sparkz At the media launch of the new RAV4 Hybrid in Australia, Toyota’s local division vice president of marketing and sales – John Pappas – firmly closed the door when asked if there was any chance of the Prius returning.
“At this point there is no plan to bring the Prius back,” Mr Pappas said, although his predecessor said just last year at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo that the brand’s hybrid hero could have “a potential future” in Australia again.
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The latest fifth-generation Prius is available in various overseas markets, including other right-hand drive markets such as the UK and Japan, and offers both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants.
Depending on the variant, the Prius is powered by 1.8-liter and 2.0-liter four-cylinder hybrid systems, which are already available here in the related Corolla and C-HR families, while the plug-in hybrid exclusively combines a 2.0-liter gasoline engine with a more powerful electric motor and a larger battery pack.
The PHEV offers over 80 km of WLTP electric range with its relatively small 13.6 kWh battery, while the 1.8 liter version is the fuel efficiency leader among conventional hybrid vehicles, boasting a fuel economy of 32.6 km/l in Japan – converted to just 3.06 l/100 km.
The world’s first mass-produced hybrid passenger car was first launched in Australia in 2001, spearheading Toyota’s global hybrid mission. While the current model never officially made it to Australia – despite being popular with gray importers – the Prius nameplate was factory-backed Down Under for 21 years from the first to fourth generations.
Since Toyota started its hybrid journey with the Prius at the turn of the millennium, the Japanese brand has recorded more than 600,000 deliveries of hybrid vehicles.
Last year, 48.6 per cent of all Toyota sales in Australia were hybrid models, led by the popular RAV4 SUV which achieved 51,947 registrations – almost all were hybrid models (99.9 per cent or 51,869 units), with the petrol-only RAV4s being discontinued in 2024.
Hybrid vehicle sales in Australia continue to grow, with year-end 2025 results showing growth of 15.3 per cent to 199,133 units, well above the (also rising) volumes of electric vehicles (103,270) and plug-in hybrids (53,484).
Let us know in the comments if you’re still hoping for a Prius comeback in Australia.
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