Powertrain doubts and sales concerns: Toyota Prado Hybrid Aussie chances decline

The prospects of the hybrid version of the new 250 Series Toyota Prado coming to Australia any time soon have cooled.

Back in March the new Prado was potentially coming to Australia as a petrol-electric hybrid “sooner rather than later”, but it now appears turbo-diesel will be the sole powertrain choice for the foreseeable future.

The 250 Series launches in Australia in the third quarter of 2024.

Sean Hanley, the Toyota Australia executive who suggested Prado hybrid could be here sooner rather than later, is the same person now winding back expectations.

Back in March he said: “Speculatively, we would like to do it sooner rather than later, but we don’t have a date.”

But he watered that down at a recent media conference called to announce Toyota was going hybrid with eight of its passenger car and SUV lines.

“We have not confirmed that vehicle [Prado hybrid], I want to make that clear, but it is certainly something we will look at in the lifetime of that model” he said.

“It is actually a performance hybrid. And this what we have to get to and what we are investigating, whether that performance hybrid for what our Prado is used for is the right drivetrain for this vehicle in this country.

“I do see hybrid as a tangible alternative for this vehicle at some point and I’d love to get hold of one.

“Just got to make sure it’s the right engine for the kinds of things people will want to do with that Prado.

“So that’s where it’s sitting.

“There’s a lot of water still to go under that bridge. It’s possible in the lifetime of this generation if it works for us then it’s certainly something we’d be keen to look at.”

The 250 Prado hybrid system makes 243km/630Nm compared to the diesel engine’s 150kW/500Nm.

The system includes a 35kW electric motor integrated within an eight-speed automatic transmission and a 1.87kWh NiMH battery pack to charge it.

In US spec it averages 23mpg, which translates to 10.2L/100km and 236g CO2/km.

The current diesel Prado 150’s diesel engine averages 7.9L/100km and emissions of 228g CO2/km.

In the 250 Series, the 2.8-litre four-cylinder diesel will be assisted by 48v mild hybrid electrification

Hanley confirmed a second challenge for the petrol-electric Prado. Australia would be the only substantial right-hand-drive market for the US-built vehicle/powertrain combination, which means it would have to generate big sales to amortise costs.

“If we wanted to do a right-hand-drive version with that car we’d have to do serious volume,” he confirmed.

“You’re talking Kluger-type volumes of that model. that’s the only way you’d get an OE conversion to look at a business case.

“We have to be able to sell it in serious volume so the capability has got to be there for the Australian market.

“We’re doing well over 12,000 Klugers in a year so that’s the kind of volume we’d have to do to get an OE conversion from Toyota Motor North America.

“So at this stage it is not on the agenda.”

Pricing just announced for the Prado diesel starts at $72,500 plus on-road costs and a hybrid would be more expensive again. That would not aid sales ambitions.