Toyota makes small but significant change you might not have noticed

Toyota no longer sells a vehicle badged 'hybrid' in Australia after more than 20 decades and half-a-million petrol-electric cars delivered to local customers.

And only a handful of models remain available with the signature blue-accented Toyota badges, as the Japanese car giant standardises hybrid power on vehicles that previously offered a petrol-only version.

The 'HYBRID' badge used on hybrid Toyotas since the second-generation Prius locally in October 2003 has been replaced by 'HEV', accompanied by a blue circle denoting the company's Beyond Zero electrified sub-brand.

The transition began overseas with the latest Prius revealed in late 2022, but did not commence locally until the second-generation C-HR, which commenced production in October 2023 for an early 2024 arrival.

Now the switch is complete, with the axing of the 'HYBRID' badge from the Kluger and RAV4 from November 2024 production, Toyota Australia has confirmed.

The most common form of the 'HYBRID' badge on petrol-electric Toyotas debuted locally on the 2003 Prius, but a different style of 'Hybrid' branding was used on the original Prius launched here in 2001.

Phasing out alongside it is the blue glow on the Toyota badge that has also come to signify the brand's petrol-electric models.

Debuted on the third-generation Prius launched locally in July 2009, it has been dropped from the vast majority of Toyota hybrid vehicles now they are only sold with electric assistance.

It is being phased out at different rates by model, now remaining only on a handful of models such as the Kluger SUV and Corolla sedan.

The blue-accented logo is also still used on the Tundra pick-up – the only Toyota hybrid in Australia without 'HYBRID' or 'HEV' badges, instead branded as 'i-FORCE MAX'.

Toyota's sole electric car in Australia, the bZ4X SUV, wears 'BEV' badging in the style of the 'HEV' on hybrids – after first launching internationally with 'ELECTRIC' badging – and also lacks the blue glow.

More than 100,000 hybrids were delivered by Toyota in Australia last year, after crossing the 500,000 cumulative mark in December 2024.

Just under 50 per cent (48.9 per cent) of Toyotas sold last year were hybrids, up from 33.5 per cent in 2023, and the Toyota RAV4 overtook the Camry in November 2022 to become the country's all-time best-selling hybrid vehicle.

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

Read more about Alex Misoyannis