Where are Hyundai's hybrids? The latest on Santa Fe, Tucson, Kona and Sonata as the brand readies rival for the Toyota Kluger Hybrid

Hyundai will at last have a hybrid Santa Fe in market in the second half of this year, but the news for the electrified Tucson, Kona and Sonata isn't quite so promising.

We know that Toyota has been able to make hybrid hay while the sun shines in Australia, with vehicles like the RAV4 Hybrid, Corolla, Yaris and Yaris Cross all able to secure significant market share while rivals like Hyundai and Mazda race to catch up.

But Hyundai will have a hybrid competitor in market in the "second half of 2021", with the electrified model now expected to touch down around late Q3 or early Q4.

The Santa Fe Hybrid pairs a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol engine with an electric motor to deliver around 168kW and 350Nm. It should be enough to compete with the Kluger's expected 179kW total output.

But what of the Tucson Hybrid, which would go head-to-head with the top-selling Toyota RAV4 Hybrid? That story is a little less promising.

While the brand has made no secret of the fact it wants the 171kW and 348Nm Tucson Hybrid in Australia, the model is not yet confirmed for our market. At odds is the manufacturing facility, with the Tucson Hybrid manufactured in Hyundai's Czech facilities - with the increased costs throwing Hyundai's business case into question.

The only vehicle Hyundai currently takes from the Czech plant is the i30 N.

"We’re unlikely to see the Tucson Hybrid in Australia, as it is produced in our Czech Republic plant.

"Sourcing right-hand-drive cars from Europe is a challenge, due to the high exchange rate, shipping costs and import duties – it’s hard to construct a business case for these vehicles," says one Hyundai spokesperson.

"We would never rule it out, but it is unlikely – the fact that Australia has no protocols around emissions targets also does not help our case in securing supply."

It's a similar story for the Kona Hybrid - which pairs a 1.6-litre engine with a 32kW electric motor for a total 135kW - and the Sonata Hybrid, too.

"Likewise with Sonata and Kona - it is very unlikely we’ll see hybrid variants."