Suzuki to bring hybrid cars to Australia

A budget Japanese car maker is on the cusp of bringing petrol-electric power to its Australian line-up in a boon for local buyers.

Suzuki could soon add hybrid power to its Australian model line-up.

Suzuki plans to bring hybrid power to its Australian range.

Suzuki Australia Automobile boss Michael Pachota says hybrids are definitely in the company’s plans for 2024.

He also believes buyers aren’t ready for full-scale electric vehicles.

“I see the market more so going down the road to hybrid technology. I think the infrastructure in Australia is definitely not ready yet to go full EV,” says Pachota.

Suzuki could soon add hybrid power to a range of vehicles in Australia.

He expects EVs to be just 30 per cent of the market by 2035, with hybrids the dominant technology.

“Are [EVs] the absolute future of motoring? I don’t think so. I think there is still an opportunity for other variants in terms of different types of powertrains,” he says.

The Japanese brand sells a number of mild hybrid vehicles overseas including petrol-electric versions of popular models such as the Swift hatchback, S-Cross and Vitara SUVs.

Cheap cars such as the Ignis use mild hybrid power overseas.

Mild hybrid vehicles use a small electric motor and battery to power electronics, start the car and assist on takeoff, saving a small amount of fuel in the process.

Suzuki also sells rebadged versions of the Toyota Corolla and RAV4 hybrids in the UK. These vehicles use electric power more extensively to slash fuel bills by more than 30 per cent.

The popular Vitara SUV uses hybrid boost overseas, too.

Suzuki also uses Toyota developed hybrid tech in its Grand Vitara hybrid sold in India.

Many car makers are now viewing hybrids as a short to midterm solution to reducing emissions, as the majority of EVs are prohibitively expensive and beyond the reach of most Australians.

Kia, Hyundai, MG, Haval, Nissan and Honda have all added hybrid versions of their vehicles in the past few years.

Pachota says electric cars still have an important part to play in Australia.

The Suzuki eVX electric SUV would be a good fit for Australia.

“I think EVs are definitely on the cards and you can see the models we presented at the Tokyo motor show, one in particular, the eVX, which I’m quite fond of, would be a great product for the Australian landscape,” he says.

Suzuki showed a near production version of the eVX, which is a similar size to the S-Cross compact SUV, at the 2023 Tokyo motor show.

It is expected to have a 60kWh lithium-ion battery and a driving range of about 500km.

Originally published as Suzuki to bring hybrid cars to Australia