Honda Will Present Hybrid Cars At Affordable Prices In Australia

JAKARTA - In the advancement of hybrid vehicle technology, Toyota can dominate this segment. However, Honda is preparing to put pressure on its rivals by introducing a fuel-efficient gasoline system at affordable prices.

The move taken by the manufacturer bearing the 'H' logo is to expand the availability of hybrid vehicles in a number of models that will be expected later this year in the Australian market.

"We have good hybrid technology and we will start to see its expansion at the end of this year too," said Honda Australia Director total McMahon, quoted by Drive, Tuesday, May 7.

Although it is still unknown what model will be presented, it is possible that the HR-V SUV will be present in the hybrid variant at affordable prices. Hopefully, the model can be released at the end of 2024.

"Maybe by the end of this year, through a different model update or upgrade, you'll see a hybrid model expanded to all levels of products," McMahon said.

Honda is pleased with the sales of its hybrid cars, which it said exceeded their expectations from last year. Moreover, the brand has addressed the problem of stock shortages and is said to have an impact on its sales in 2023.

"Our current hybrid absorption is around 40 percent," added McMahon.

In Australia, Honda managed to overtake the luxury Lexus brand and made it into the top three producers with the largest hybrid car sales by recording 1,884 units for four months in 2024, but still behind Toyota with 24,379 units and GWM with 2,616 units.

According to data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), as much as 94 percent of All Accord sales, 44 percent of ZR-V models, 41 percent of HR-V, and 38 percent of CR-V are hybrid products.