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Samuel Irvine
Cadet Journalist
1 Oct 2024
1 min read

If 2024 could be summarised with a powertrain then it would be the year of the hybrid.

Demand for hybrids – including plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) – skyrocketed in 2024, with many companies embracing the technology as demand for electric vehicles cooled.

Expect that momentum to continue through to 2025 with a stack of new hybrid offerings among brand-new models and pre-exisiting favourites already confirmed.

01. GWM Haval H6 GT PHEV – Q1

Haval H6 GT
Haval H6 GT

GWM will add a PHEV variant to its Haval H6 GT next year. The brand confirmed the addition of a 35.4kWh battery that could provide up to 180km of range in EV mode, according to GWM.

Power and torque outputs are yet to be confirmed, though expect them to be pretty high given non-GT H6 PHEVs in the Chinese market are capable of 240kW/520Nm.

It should get a welcome interior refresh too, including a 14.6-inch multimedia touchscreen and a Mercedes Benz-style gear shifter.

 

02. Jaecoo J7 – Q1

Jaecoo J7
Jaecoo J7

Chery will launch its luxury-focused semi off-road sub-brand Jaecoo in Australia during the first quarter of 2025, with the J7 SUV earmarked to offer a PHEV powertrain.

The J7 is already offered with two internal combustion engine variants in New Zealand where it will be joined by a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model that is likely bound for Australia as well. It carries a 18.3kWh battery pack paired to a 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine and has a dedicated hybrid transmission (DHT) and electric motor mounted to the front axle.

Combined power is 255kW/525Nm, a significant step up from the internal combustion engine (ICE) J7's 137kW/275Nm. Jaecoo claims a pure EV range of 88km, with total range nudging a claimed 1200km.

03. MG HS hybrid – Q1

MG HS
MG HS

Expected to arrive in early 2025 following the Australian release of the next-generation model earlier this September.

Details on power outputs are scarce, though expect the HS to be offered in full-hybrid and PHEV guises. In the UK, the HS PHEV is offered with a 24.7kWh battery pack, paired to a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine.

MG claims an electric-only range of 120km, while power is quoted at 226kW/432Nm, considerably higher than the ICE version's 125kW/ 275Nm.

04. Suzuki Vitara hybrid – Q1

Suzuki Vitara
Suzuki Vitara

Suzuki's veteran compact SUV will welcome a hybrid option and a mild facelift once it arrives next year, 10 years after the current generation Vitara first went on sale.

Final specifications are yet to be confirmed, although Suzuki could skip the 48V mild hybrid system that is available in Europe altogether and opt for the full-hybrid 140V system that is paired to a 1.5-litre four-cylinder engine in Japan.

The facelifted version landed in Europe this year, and adds some welcome exterior upgrades, a new multimedia screen and upgraded safety technology.

05. Cupra Terramar – Q2

Cupra Terramar
Cupra Terramar

The Volkswagen-owned sporty Spanish brand will offer its last ever new petrol model, the Terramar. It will be available with the choice of a petrol, mild hybrid or PHEV power when it arrives in Australia in the first half of next year.

The most powerful output will be reserved for the VZ PHEV variant, which will send 200kW/400Nm to all four wheels through a 1.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine and a 19.6kWh battery pack. Cupra said it will deliver 112km of pure-electric range.

Expect some performance fun as well, with the range-topping VZ adding a special Cupra drive mode and the option to disable electronic stability control.

06. Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV – Mid-2025

Mitsubishi Outlander
Mitsubishi Outlander

Australia's favourite PHEV model will receive some welcome powertrain upgrades and a facelift in 2025, four years after the current generation first debuted.

What exact shape the updates will take is unclear, although sources in Japan point to an upgrade of the Outlander's four-wheel drive PHEV powertrain, boosting power from the current 185kW/450Nm and pushing pure EV range closer to 100km.

There's also been rumours of a 285kW tri-motor Ralliart edition, as was unveiled as a concept at the Tokyo motor show in 2022. But once again, nothing is set in stone.

What has been confirmed are a suite of interior upgrades such as a new 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, ventilated seats and some new interior upholstery materials.

07. Subaru Forester hybrid – 2025

Subaru Forester
Subaru Forester

Off the back of Toyota, Subaru and Mazda's OEM alliance, Subaru's best-selling model in Australia will launch in 2025 most likely with a Toyota-sourced hybrid powertrain.

Expect it to be a considerable step up from the current Forester's mild-hybrid offering, which drops fuel consumption by a measly 0.7L/100km.

It's full-hybrid fuel economy figures are expected to closely rival the Toyota RAV4, Nissan X-Trail and Kia Sportage, while not compromising on the Forrester's all-road capability. It'll likely get a slick facelift too, as has already been unveiled in the US.

Samuel Irvine
Cadet Journalist
Since visiting car shows at Melbourne Exhibition Centre with his Dad and older brother as a little boy, Samuel knew that his love of cars would be unwavering. But it wasn’t until embarking on a journalism masters degree two years ago that he saw cars as a legitimate career path. Now, Samuel is CarsGuide’s first Cadet Journalist. He comes to CarsGuide with an eagerness to report on a rapidly advancing automotive industry, and a passion to communicate the stories car buyers need to know most.
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