Toyota has spoken: Diesel is done for in Australia as new petrol-powered Prado and HiLux loom

Toyota Australia says that the diesel engine will be "eliminated from the Australian market", with the Japanese giant saying the clock is ticking on the powertrain fitted in the mega-popular HiLux and LandCruiser.

Speaking at the launch of the brand's first EV, the bZ4X, Toyota Australia's Vice President of Sales and Marketing, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide the end of the road for diesel is coming, even before talk of the New Vehicle Emission Standard (NVES) began.

"To be honest, I was talking about the end of diesel way back when before NVES was even a thought," Mr Hanley said.

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"I think diesel will be around for a little bit, but we've got synthetic fuels coming, we've got hydrogen coming, we've got BEVs coming.

"You'd think out of all of (the fuel types), it's probably the one at the greatest risk. But we have diesel because it's relatively cheap and capable, and we have infrastructure and we have ICE engines that take it.

"But we're also now finding out that petrol-turbo four cylinder engines aren't bad either. So technology is moving on."

One direction in which that "technology is moving" is into plug-in hybrid petrol powertrains, which would deliver much of the capability of diesel, and require little in the way of vast infrastructure.

The incoming Prado was initially confirmed with a diesel engine only, but already that stance has softened, with Toyota now saying a petrol-electric hybrid version will arrive "sooner rather than later".

"We don't have a date, we are investigating the potential of whether that powertrain is suitable for our market. It's part of our overall decarbonisation and multi-pathway strategy. It would be an outstandingly good attribute to our product line-up," Mr Hanley said.

"Speculatively, we would rather do it sooner rather than later, but we don't have a date."

While Toyota won't be drawn on what will be powering the all-new HiLux, due in 2025, it's increasingly likely that it will share the Prado's hybrid powertrain.

Called the i-Force Max, it links a 2.4-litre turbo-petrol engine with a 36kW electric motor integrated into an eight-speed transmission to pump out a total 243kW and 630Nm.

"Well we'll have to wait and see. I think diesel in the fullness of time will be a fuel that will be eliminated from the Australian market. But it's not immediate. It has still got some time to go."