Hyundai is about to go hard on hybrids in Australia, with the brand to have four new hybrid models here by the middle of next year, with everything from the Toyota Corolla Cross to the RAV4 Hybrid in its sights.
Toyota is the undisputed hybrid king Down Under, responsible for somewhere north of 80 per cent of all hybrid sales in our market.
But while the Japanese giant has long had much of the hybrid market to itself, that is about to change, with Hyundai to complement its all-electric ambitions with a broad range of hybrids that it sees as a critical stepping stone to a zero-emission future.
"We will constantly lead with our EV portfolio... but we know that customers are concerned about emissions, but they're locked out of EVs, whether it's price point, application or range anxiety," says Hyundai Australia's COO, John Kett.
"As we go through this process we're going to have to provide them other alternatives. And we've been clear, there will a small SUV, a small car, a large SUV and a mid-size SUV by the middle of next year in terms of hybrid. That covers 50 per cent of the market.
"As we position ourselves that (EV) is the ultimate journey we want the consumer to come on, along the way we recognise that they need to make choices and they have their own emission ambitions, what they can afford to do, and, fit for purpose, what they can choose.
Hyundai is about to go hard on hybrids in Australia, with the brand to have four new hybrid models here by the middle of next year.
"There is less competitive intensity in the HEV segment versus EV, actually. One brand owns the HEV segment in reality, and that tell us that we can move quickly in that area."
The brand went on to say it would be targeting becoming Australia's number two for hybrids in Australia, as well as strengthening its EV position in the face of new challengers.
And that could be just the beginning, with 2025 to see the electrification of more models in the range.
The Tucson Hybrid will arrive in H1 next year.
"I would say as we enter 2025, we will probably extend a little bit further and have even greater coverage, so it's not impossible to consider (become number one for hybrids)," Mr Kett says.
"But that mighty competitor has held their own for so long. I think we will get to our data points first and see what happens after that.
"If we can get the supply, and we get Tucson, Santa Fe and Kona right, and the i30 Sedan, then the rest just happens, doesn't it?"
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