Thinking about an electric vehicle (EV) for your next car? Here are the cheapest and most affordable electric cars and SUVs you can buy in Australia right now.
Motoring
The cheapest hybrid and PHEV cars in Australia for 2025
Hybrid cars are cheaper than ever as buyers turn to them for better fuel economy. Here are the most affordable hybrids and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) on sale in Australia right now.
Electric vehicles are drawing a lot of attention from new car buyers in Australia, but behind this wave is a bigger and stronger tidal force with hybrid passenger cars and SUVs.
At the most affordable end of the market, hybrids are no longer significantly more expensive than equivalent petrol models and an ever-increasing number of brands are catering for consumers who are keen to reduce their weekly fuel bills, but might not be ready for an electric car.
Here is a guide to choosing hybrid cars, the cheapest hybrids in Australia under $40,000, the cheapest hybrid medium SUVs under $50,000 and the cheapest plug-in hybrid cars under $65,000. These PHEVs include SUVs and the first PHEV dual-cab ute, the new 2025 BYD Shark 6.
In this article
- Why choose a hybrid car?
- Cheapest hybrid cars in Australia under $40,000
- Cheapest hybrid medium SUVs in Australia under $50,000
- Cheapest plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) in Australia under $65,000
- Will I get better fuel economy in a plug-in hybrid car?
- Fuel economy in hybrids is usually higher in the real world
The Toyota RAV4 Hybrid medium SUV is the biggest-selling hybrid car in Australia.
Why choose a hybrid car?
Petrol-electric hybrid cars bring lower fuel consumption compared to their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts.
The improved fuel efficiency can bring savings at the petrol bowser, lowering your vehicle ownership costs.
Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) often have a price premium at the point of purchase but should bring long-term savings. PHEVs are becoming more popular with their ability to run like an electric car around town while not needing to rely on public recharging stations when travelling further afield. They may also have Vehicle to Load (V2L) capability and qualify for government rebates or incentives.
More: Electric vehicle rebates, discounts and incentives in Australia
Cheapest hybrid cars in Australia under $40,000
The cheapest hybrid cars in Australia under $40,000 cover light hatchbacks, small sedans and hatches, and small and medium SUVs.
1. MG3 Hybrid+ light hatch – from $26,526 driveaway (4.3L/100km economy)
2. GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid small SUV – from $31,990 driveaway (5.1L/100km economy)
3. Toyota Yaris Hybrid light hatch – from $32,674 driveaway (3.3L/100km economy)
4. MG ZS Hybrid+ small SUV – from $33,990 driveaway (4.7L/100km economy)
5. Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid small SUV – from $35,175 driveaway (3.8L/100km economy)
6. Hyundai i30 Hybrid small sedan – from $35,990 driveaway (3.9L/100km economy)
7. Toyota Corolla Hybrid small hatch – from $36,443 driveaway (4.0L/100km economy)
8. Toyota Corolla Hybrid small sedan – from $36,662 driveaway (3.9L/100km economy)
9. GWM Haval H6 Hybrid medium SUV – from $38,990 driveaway (5.2L/100km economy)
10. Honda HR-V e:HEV small SUV – from $39,900 driveaway (4.3L/100km economy)
Some other hybrid cars have a recommended retail price under $40,000 but creep over that mark when calculating Victorian driveaway prices. These include:
Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid small SUV – from $40,990 driveaway (4.2L/100km economy)
Hyundai Kona Hybrid small SUV – from $41,017.80 driveaway (3.0L/100km economy)
Note that economy figures are based on Australia’s official ADR 81/02 combined-cycle fuel consumption testing. The cars listed have a hybrid system that allows them to run on electric power alone; we have not included those with ‘mild’ hybrid systems that offer more modest fuel-saving benefits.
More: Hybrid vs plug-in hybrid vs mild hybrid vs electric vehicle: what’s the difference?
Cheapest hybrid medium SUVs in Australia under $50,000
Medium SUVs are the most popular type of new vehicle sold in Australia today, but as we’ve seen in our list of the cheapest hybrids under $40,000, there’s only one medium SUV that qualifies – the GWM Haval H6 Hybrid.
If your budget can stretch a bit further, the choice expands to hybrid medium SUVs such as these under $50,000:
1. GWM Haval H6 Hybrid – from $38,990 driveaway (5.2L/100km economy)
2. Hyundai Tucson Hybrid – from $46,990 driveaway (5.3L/100km economy)
3. Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – from $47,013 driveaway (4.7L/100km economy)
4. BYD Sealion 6 PHEV – from $48,810.45 driveaway (4.8L/100km economy)
The Kia Sportage Hybrid (4.9L/100km economy) also has a recommended retail price below $50,000 but slips over that mark to start from $50,906.09 driveaway once on-road costs are added.
Note that the BYD Sealion 6 is a plug-in hybrid. The economy listed above is based on its battery state of charge at less than 25 per cent. When the state of charge is above that, the claimed combined-cycle fuel consumption is 1.1L/100km.
Cheapest plug-in hybrid cars (PHEVs) in Australia under $65,000
The most affordable plug-in hybrid cars in Australia are SUVs, although the BYD Shark 6 utility has just arrived, signalling a new trend in the popular dual-cab ute segment. It will be followed in 2025 by the Ford Ranger PHEV.
1. MG HS PHEV medium SUV (2022 model in runout) – from $34,990 driveaway (1.7L/100km economy, 63km EV range)
2. BYD Sealion 6 medium SUV – from $48,810.45 (1.1L/100km economy, 92km EV range)
3. Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV small SUV – from $51,790 driveaway (1.9L/100km economy, 54km EV range)
4. GWM Haval H6 GT PHEV medium SUV – from $55,990 driveaway (1.0L/100km est. economy, 180km EV range)
5. BYD Shark 6 dual-cab ute – from $60,354.45 driveaway (2.0L/100km economy, 100km EV range)
6. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV medium SUV – from $62,620 driveaway (1.5L/100km economy, 84km EV range)
Will I get better fuel economy in a plug-in hybrid car?
Official fuel consumption figures published by most carmakers for their PHEVs are based on a combination of the EV-only battery range and a limited amount of petrol driving (25km).
So, if you only travel short distances and are diligent in recharging the battery before it runs out of charge, you might be able to achieve less than 2.0L/100km – better than any non-plug-in hybrid or traditional petrol-engined car.
For most Australian drivers, however, this will be difficult to achieve, if not impossible. A drawback to consider with PHEVs is that failing to recharge them may bring higher fuel consumption than an equivalent internal combustion engine (ICE) car, with the hybrid system components typically making the car heavier overall.
The 2025 GWM Haval H6 PHEV SUV has a class-leading EV-only range of 180km.
Fuel economy in hybrids is usually higher in the real world
Claimed fuel consumption figures for all new vehicles are based on testing conducted in laboratories in accordance with the relevant Australian Design Rule (ADR 81/02). This provides a benchmark that allows us to compare against other vehicles but does not usually reflect real-world driving conditions.
In response to this, the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) has established a Real-World Testing Program. For hybrid cars, there are mixed results between the mandatory lab-based claim and testing conducted in real-world conditions – from a perfect match to a 32 per cent discrepancy.
GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid – 6.6L/100km real-world result (+32%)
Honda CR-V Hybrid – 6.2L/100km real-world result (+12%)
Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid – 4.3L/100km real-world result (+12%)
Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid – 4.5L/100km real-world result (+7%)
Toyota Camry Hybrid – 4.5L/100km real-world result (+8%)
Toyota Kluger Hybrid – 5.8L/100km real-world result (+4%)
Toyota RAV4 Hybrid – 4.8L/100km real-world (+2%)
Toyota Corolla Hybrid – 4.2L/100km real-world result (+0%)
Toyota dominates sales of new hybrid cars in Australia and today only offers hybrid power in several of its model lines, including Yaris, Corolla, Camry, Yaris Cross, C-HR, Corolla Cross, RAV4 and Kluger. The market-leading brand will sell more than 100,000 hybrid cars for the 2025 calendar year, pushing industry-wide hybrid car sales (including PHEVs) close to 200,000 units for the first time.
More: Fuel efficiency in Australia – does your car, SUV or ute match its fuel consumption claim?
The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia Pty Ltd ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.
