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The popular Toyota Kluger hybrid is about to exit US showrooms in favour of an electric car, but Australia will soldier on – for now – with today's version that doesn't need charging.
Electric Cars
The electric replacement for the Toyota Kluger's US counterpart will not spell the end for the popular hybrid version in Australian showrooms today.
The Kluger hybrid sold in Australia is marketed as the Highlander in the US, where it is about to be replaced by an electric Highlander EV without the option of petrol or hybrid power.
The Japanese car giant has previously said there are "no current plans" to sell the electric model in Australia, and there has been no indication given that it will be produced in right-hand drive.
Toyota Australia sales and marketing boss John Pappas told Drive the electric 'Kluger' is still not locked in.
In the meantime, there are no plans to drop the hybrid in the meantime, unlike in the US, with the Toyota Australia executive confirming current Kluger production for Australia is locked in for at least another 12 months.
"The Kluger nameplate will continue for us, [it's] a very popular vehicle," said Pappas. "The BEV [battery-electric vehicle] you mentioned, we're not confirming that vehicle for Australia at this point in time.
"However, again, if that vehicle becomes available to us, we'll assess it, [and] if meets our market conditions in that powertrain, we'll definitely be considering it."
Pappas said that if it is considered for Australia, Toyota must be sure seven-seat family SUV customers are ready for an electric vehicle.
"We're always talking with TMC [Toyota HQ in Japan] about all these types of opportunities for our market ... but they've got to be fit for purpose. They've got to make sure that for that customer type, they are the right powertrain."
The market for seven-seat electric SUVs has been small, partly as it has so far focused on super-sized models with six-figure price tags.
The Kia EV9 reported just 269 sales last year – about half the number of Klugers sold by Toyota in December alone (510) – at a starting price of $97,000 plus on-road costs.
A search of the classifieds shows ex-demonstrator versions of the top-of-the-range GT-Line – listed at $121,000 plus on-roads new – can be had for $95,000 to $100,000 before on-roads, or about $20,000 to $25,000 off, with 6000km on the odometer.
One option is offering the Kluger hybrid alongside the electric version – for Toyota to hedge its bets as EV demand grows – but that is not a guarantee, even if the electric Highlander were to become available.
"It would depend on timing. It would depend on infrastructure, EV infrastructure," said Pappas.
"We've still got a long way to go in Australia for EV infrastructure. We're not there yet. We're on a growth trajectory, and there's still a lot of work to go.
"So I don't want to be sitting here thinking that everything's rosy from an infrastructure point of view, because it's not, and we've still got work to do there as an industry."
Electric Cars Guide
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
