The Toyota Prius could return to Australian showrooms, after the landmark hybrid model was dropped from showrooms in 2022 when the latest generation was introduced globally.
Speaking at the 2025 Japan Mobility Show in Tokyo, Toyota Australia vice president of sales and marketing, Sean Hanley, suggested the hybrid hatch could make an Australian comeback.
“I wouldn’t rule out Prius in the future,” Mr Hanley told CarExpert, adding the Prius could have a place in the lineup even though the similarly sized Corolla is already offered here as a hybrid.
“It depends on what variants it comes in … but I think that the Prius does have a potential future [for Toyota Australia] to look at in Australia again.”
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That could point to the plug-in hybrid (PHEV) version of the Prius as a candidate for local showrooms, with the Corolla currently only available in non-plug-in hybrid form – although this may also change for the next generation Corolla, previewed by a concept shown at the Tokyo show.
The world’s first mass-produced hybrid, the Prius was launched in Australia in 2001 and was sold here across four generations.
When the fifth generation was unveiled in late 2022, Toyota Australia confirmed it would not make its way here, ending the Prius’ run after 21 years.
“We retired the brand from the Australia market for a period of time – that doesn’t mean we can’t revisit it,” Mr Hanley said.
“I think it’s a good-looking car, and I think – without putting too fine a point on it – we should revisit it that, especially in an NVES [New Vehicle Efficiency Standard] environment.”
The first NVES was introduced in Australia in 2025 and sees car manufacturers committed to meeting set carbon-dioxide limits, which lower each year over the next five years.
Automakers are fined if the average emissions across all models sold here do not fall under the limits – meaning some models could breach the limits but be offset by other models well below them, such as the Prius, potentially.
Helping the cause, the current Prius is made in right-hand drive for both Japan and export markets including the UK and is produced in both non-plug-in hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) versions.
Both use the same 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine used in the Corolla Cross sold here, with a single electric motor for front-wheel drive versions and a second motor for all-wheel drive models.
The Prius HEV sold in the US has a best claimed combined fuel economy figure of 57mpg (4.12L/100km) from a 194bhp (145kW) combined output powertrain – a near-match for the Corolla Hybrid sold here, which uses 4.0L/100km.
In the UK, the Prius is sold exclusively in PHEV form, with a 164kW/190Nm total output and a 13.6kWh lithium-ion battery pack for an electric range of up to 85km (WLTP) and 0.5L/100km combined fuel claim.
In mooting a possible comeback, Mr Hanley said nothing has been confirmed but the company thinks the Prius continues to have appeal.
“What I’m suggesting is it’s a good-looking car and people will gravitate to it,” Mr Hanley said.
When the Prius arrived in local showrooms in 2001 it was the only hybrid in Toyota’s lineup, with the Honda Insight – also no longer sold here – the only other hybrid on sale at the time.
Fast forward to 2024 and Toyota sold more than 115,000 hybrids here, almost half of its entire sales.
This included the Corolla Hybrid, which is a similar size to the fifth-generation Prius, with both using the same underpinnings.