Every hybrid and PHEV coming to Australia this year
From SUVs to vans, here’s every confirmed petrol-electric vehicle headed to our shores in 2026
By carsales.com.au
As fuel supplies continue to be strangled by ongoing political tension in the Middle East, it has had an inverse effect on demand for hybrid and electric vehicles.
Sales of battery-assisted and full EVs have skyrocketed in the last few months, which is a trend that doesn’t look like slowing down as more car makers commit to introducing new fuel efficient or zero emission models in the coming months.
And while full EVs are ideal for urbanites, they still don’t offer the long-range convenience that allows us to explore beyond the city limits.
That’s where hybrids and plug-in hybrids come in; they give you the best of internal-combustion engine (quick and plentiful refuelling, character, driver involvement, affordability) and battery-electric worlds (quietness, refinement, minimal emissions etc).
With that in mind, here are all the hybrid and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models – grouped by class – coming to market in Australia between now (mid-April) and the start of 2027.
SUVs
Cupra Formentor VZe
If you like your cake and want to eat it too, then the Cupra Formentor VZe offers an intriguing blend of SUV practicality, hot hatch performance and European style with deep eco-friendly credentials.
The plug-in hybrid soft roader packs a 200kW petrol-electric powertrain that can also travel more than 100km on battery power alone.
It is due in showrooms from the middle of 2026 priced from $69,990 plus on-roads.
Forthing Taikon 5
A newcomer to Australia in every regard, the 2026 Forthing Taikon 5 medium SUV will be offered here from June in battery-electric and range-extender hybrid forms.
The latter utilises a compact petrol engine as a generator for its 31.9kWh battery pack which in turn feeds a 120kW/240Nm electric motor for a maximum driving range of 1050km, or 170km in pure EV mode.
GWM Haval Jolion Max
Primed to sit between the compact Jolion SUV and the mid-sized H6, the 2026 GWM Haval Jolion Max is expected to be offered with the choice of plug-in hybrid or battery-electric powertrains when it lands in local showrooms later this year.
Jaecoo J5
Jaecoo has already launched fully electric flagship and entry-level petrol-only variants of its compact J5 SUV and will soon fill the gap in between with a hybrid version.
While the Chinese brand has yet to reveal final Australian specifications, it is expected to be powered a petrol-electric powertrain that combines a 1.5-litre four-cylinder with an e-motor and 1.82kWh battery pack that produces 165kW and 295Nm with a claimed average fuel consumption around 5L/100km.
Kia Seltos
The 2026 Kia Seltos will be a hybrid-only proposition when it arrives locally in the last quarter of the year.
The 1.6-litre plug-less system has a combined output of 113kW in front-wheel drive guise and 131kW as an ‘e-AWD’ thanks to a second electric motor mounted on the rear axle.
A key distinction here is that the Seltos HEV AWD doesn’t use a mechanical 4x4 system; it’s all software and based around that second motor.
Chery Omoda 7
One of the various aforementioned Chery sub-brands, the 2026 Omoda 7 is reportedly arriving sometime this year – tipped to be mid-year – with a compact but powerful (255kW/525Nm) plug-in hybrid system borrowed from the Jaecoo J7 SHS.
That should mean an 18.3kWh battery will be on hand to offer an electric range of about 90km on the WLTP cycle, however government approval documents show the model will only be front-wheel drive.
Toyota RAV4
One of the most popular vehicles in the country, the latest-generation Toyota RAV4 will be the first of its lineage to be offered Down Under with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The standard hybrid versions are already available, but the gutsier (200–220kW) PHEV variants aren’t due until the third quarter, and given their hefty price premiums it will be interesting to see if they too will be a runaway success. Early interest suggests they will be.
Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series
The 2026 Toyota LandCruiser 300 Series is going green, but won’t lose any of its bush-bashing, heavy-duty capabilities.
Due in the second half of the year, it will be powered by the immense ‘iForce Max’ twin-turbo petrol V6 from the Tundra full-size pick-up that produces 340kW of power and 790Nm of torque.
The hybrid powertrain will only be offered in the flagship Sahara ZX and GR Sport grades.
Passenger Cars
Cupra Leon Ve
Cut from a similar cloth to the Formentor above, the 2026 Leon Ve is a new proposition for Australia, albeit one aimed at a lower price point than the taller and more powerful crossover.
While it may ‘only’ have 150kW compared to the Formentor VZe’s 200kW, the Leon Ve is still aimed at the efficiency-minded enthusiast and will actually go further on a full charge with 130km of battery-only driving range.
Commercial Vehicles
Hyundai Staria Load
The 2026 Hyundai Staria Load work van (and the corresponding Staria people mover) are both receiving a 180kW version of the Hyundai Group’s 1.6-litre turbo-hybrid powertrain, as used in the award-winning Santa Fe SUV.
For the Staria Load, the hybrid system will be available on both the standard and Premium trims while the MPV will reserve it exclusively for the new flagship Lounge grade.
Volkswagen Transporter eHybrid
Developed in tandem with the Ford Transit, the 2026 Volkswagen Transporter eHybrid will feature a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a single electric motor and a 16.5kWh lithium-ion battery.
Producing 171kW of power and with the ability to cover up to 60km of driving on battery power alone, the Transporter eHybrid will bridge the gap between core diesel versions and the fully electric I.D Buzz Cargo.
The Road Ahead
It’s worth pointing out these are only the vehicles we’ve had definitive confirmation of; there are plenty more pending, unconfirmed or yet-to-be-announced electrified models destined (one day) for our market.
But what does it mean? It means consumers won’t be short of options come hybrid or plug-in hybrid shopping time, irrespective of what class of vehicle they’re after.
Disclaimer: Images supplied by carsales.