Many familiar vehicles have adopted mild-hybrid systems, but aside from the Toyota Prado and HiLux, it remained a niche technology in 2025.
The Toyota Prado and Toyota HiLux accounted for nearly 50 per cent of sales of ‘mild-hybrid’ vehicles in Australia last year – a term the brand does not use to avoid confusion with its ‘full’ hybrid cars.
In Australia, Toyota leads in sales of cars with ‘mild-hybrid‘ systems, which offer modest fuel savings and cannot drive the vehicle on electric power alone, unlike hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
Data supplied by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI) reports 94,642 new mild-hybrid cars, SUVs and light-commercial vehicles were sold last year.
There is no data available for 2024 or earlier, as the FCAI’s VFACTS only began reporting mild-hybrid vehicle sales at the start of 2025, and they were previously included in petrol and diesel sales.
MORE: Toyota suggests major car brands are misleading customers on mild-hybrid technology
The figures do not include full hybrid vehicles, such as the Toyota RAV4 and hybrid versions of the Hyundai Santa Fe, or plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) including the BYD Shark 6 and BYD Sealion 6.
Toyota’s Prado was the best-selling mild-hybrid electric vehicle (MHEV) in Australia with 26,106 examples reported as sold, while the HiLux ranked second with 17,659 MHEV sales, 34.4 per cent of its 51,297 total.
Most Mercedes-Benz GLCs sold in Australia last year were electrified, with the majority being mild-hybrid (5174), followed by the GLC350e and AMG GLC63 S E-Performance plug-in hybrids (579).
The Mazda CX-60 ranked fourth in Australian mild-hybrid sales last year, with 4023 – 2941 ‘G40e’ inline six petrols and 1082 ‘D50e’ inline six diesels – reported as sold from a total of 5410.
MORE: Best-selling hybrid cars in Australia in 2025
Mild-hybrid systems remain skewed toward European vehicles, with the BMW X5 (3332), Land Rover Defender (3319), BMW X3 (3280) and Audi Q5 (3185) ranking in the Top 10.
Australia’s most-affordable mild-hybrid vehicle, the Suzuki Swift hatchback, recorded 2937 sales from a total of 3446, while 74.8 per cent of Mazda CX-80 sales were mild-hybrid petrol and diesel (2880).
With 43,765 combined sales from the Prado and HiLux, Toyota leads mild-hybrids, despite avoiding the term – calling its 48-volt assistance ‘V-Active Technology’ – to prevent confusion with stronger hybrids, which deliver improved fuel savings or added performance.
Mercedes-Benz followed with 13,592 sales, then BMW with 8559, due to 48-volt mild-hybrid systems being fitted to most of their new vehicles.
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