Toyota Blizzard Reviews

The question over whether Toyota will build a hybrid version of its popular HiLux ute looks to be settled, for now.There’s been talk of a hybrid workhorse ute for years, especially given Toyota’s position as the world’s leading hybrid vehicle specialist and its rollout across the rest of its model range.Beyond popular models like the Corolla, Corolla Cross, Camry, RAV4, Kluger and Yaris, Toyota is about to launch a hybrid LandCruiser 300 Series later this year, and it already offers its Tundra pick-up with hybrid power. In the US you can even get a hybrid Prado!The runaway success of the BYD Shark 6 plug-in hybrid ute and ongoing interest in GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV suggests a hybrid HiLux would be a no-brainer for Toyota.But according to Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations John Pappas, even though he could ask HQ for a hybrid HiLux, it would have to be able to do what a regular HiLux can do.“We're always talking to TMC (Toyota Motor Corporation) about the various powertrains for every single model. But what's most important for us is that, we can ask for any car, but the problem is going to be making sure that it's fit for purpose for that customer type. And that's what we're going to make sure we're doing,” he told CarsGuide.“It's no good saying, ‘Oh, we've got a hybrid HiLux, tick the box’, and then it doesn't meet the requirements of the customer.“So for us, it's got to be fit for purpose, needs to leave no one behind. And if it can do all those things for us, then for sure, we'll be rallying for a hybrid HiLux. But until that point, we got nothing to confirm.”Pappas was speaking at the local reveal of Toyota’s first fully electric commercial vehicle, the HiLux BEV. With pricing starting at $74,990 before on-road costs, Toyota is targeting mining and construction, big fleets and government with the HiLux BEV, rather than private buyers and sole traders.Despite the massive interest in hybrids and the proliferation of hybrid utes - including an upcoming as-yet unnamed diesel plug-in hybrid ute from Chery to launch later this year - Pappas said the next evolution of the HiLux’s electrification will be hydrogen fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV) tech.“We've obviously got, through our model mix, 50 per cent of our sales are electrified, mainly through hybrids. And our demand on hybrids globally at the moment is doing very well. So the fact that we've been piloting a BEV HiLux for the last 12 months, the next step for us is then to start to pilot the FCEV HiLux.“So we want to really look at what we can learn and pilot through a targeted customer program again, on the FCEV HiLux, because the infrastructure for hydrogen is very, very limited, as we know. So the more we can learn with these things, the quicker we can respond to scale.“So when the time comes we think for that user need that we've got scale, we're ready. And that's really why we're trying to go BEV and then FCEV. And like I said, our hybrid demand on the rest of our vehicles, which we've got, is doing very well. And, you know, we're very happy with how that's going.”Pappas’ predecessor, Sean Hanley, told CarsGuide in February that, currently, only diesel-powered engines can achieve the level of towing and Gross Vehicle Mass in a specific price point for light-commercial vehicles.“Developing these kinds of vehicles in a light commercial vehicle (LCV) cost a lot of money.“So, is the timing right for it? Now, I agree. We've been doing it a long time. It's proven technology; but in an LCV right now, for what, where we'd position it, where it would be positioned, is that really right for the Australian market… or other global markets? Maybe it is, but our assessment is not right now, but at some point (yes).”

With all due respect to GAC and its plans for a new dual-cab ute — please don’t. Same goes for Hyundai, which has been talking up its plans for a ute in recent months, and Chery that has a yet-to-be-named new ute incoming. We have enough utes in this country.That might sound like a ‘click-bait, hot take’ (and it partially is) but it’s also very much true. The ute market in Australia is getting over-crowded and new additions will make it even more densely packed.Don’t take my word for it, Sean Hanley, the former sales and marketing boss of Toyota has been saying we’ve reached ‘peak ute’ for more than a year. Coming from a man who oversaw the enduring sales success of the HiLux and introduced the Tundra to Australia, that’s a notable position to take. Speaking in January 2025, Hanley said he wasn’t confident that more utes arriving would equal more sales overall.“I’m not necessarily sharing a view that it's going to grow astronomically because of the new entrants,” he said. “It may, I could be wrong, but it’ll be interesting to watch.“Looking towards the future, we already know that the number of ute models available to Australian buyers will expand rapidly. “They’ll be competing for an overall ute market that is likely to remain steady, which suggests that the average sales per model will come down as a result.”That hypothesis was proved correct when the 2025 sales were tallied. The ute segment grew only 2.7 per cent between 2024 and ‘25, despite 12 new entrants from several new brands — including Kia, BYD, MG, Foton and GWM.Go back five years and look at the difference between 2021 and ‘25 and the idea of hitting ‘peak ute’ comes into even greater focus. In that span there was 5.9 per cent sales growth but a 41 per cent increase in the available number of models. Hanley followed up his January comments with more at the launch of the new HiLux late in 2025.“So when I say the ute market's peaked, what I mean is that, well, exactly that, it's peaked. But it's still a significant market, and it will be for the future,” he told CarsGuide."But I think that whole ute market's going to be crazy for the next couple of years. So in the end it doesn't matter what I think. It matters what customers think.”Nissan Oceania Managing Director Andrew Humberstone, seemingly along with GAC and Hyundai management, believes the contrary and the ute market has increased volume in its future.“I don't want to really talk specifically about numbers, but we see certainly an increase in volume,” he told CarsGuide in December ‘25.While BYD has made strong in-roads into the ute market with the Shark 6, cementing itself as a top five selling dual-cab, the reality for most of these new players is they are attracting relatively small volumes.Kia, which set a public goal of 10,000 sales by the end of ‘25 managed less than half of that (4196), while despite a competitive price and bigger-than-average size, the MG U9 managed only 472 sales in the few months it was on sale. Foton split 177 sales between its Tunland V7 and V9 since they hit the market in late ‘25.But even some models that were on sale for the full year in 2025 fared poorly. The Jeep Gladiator found just 332 buyers, while the Isuzu D-Max, Mitsubishi Triton, Nissan Navara and Volkswagen Amarok all experienced sales drops.Of course, this story won’t stop the new utes from GAC, Hyundai and Chery coming, nor any other brand that wants to join in, but the reality is none are likely to dramatically increase the size of the overall ute market. Instead, the share of the market will just get divided up into smaller and smaller pieces.In the end, natural selection will play its part and the models that don’t sell will simply be overlooked by buyers and are likely to disappear eventually. One way or another, Australia will not have an endlessly growing number of utes to choose from.

Utes have been affected substantially by increasing fuel prices, thanks to their large fuel tanks and often thirsty turbo-diesel engines.Diesel fuel prices have jumped to more than $3 per litre, making filling up a diesel ute more expensive than ever.CarsGuide has compiled a list of all the diesel dual-cab pick-up utes on sale, calculating the yearly cost of each at $3.07 per litre (the average price in NSW on 31/3/26) over 15,000km.Isuzu Ute’s D-Max and Mazda BT-50 2.2-litre turbo-diesel variants are the efficiency leaders. The mechanically identical pair of utes cost $3038.02 in fuel in a year, averaging 6.6L/100km.The Ford Ranger’s single turbo-diesel 2.0-litre is next on the list, averaging 6.9L/100km, which equates to $3177.45 over 15,000km. The new mild hybrid Toyota HiLux also has a competitive efficiency figure of 7.1L/100km, which is a little cheaper in fuel than the standard turbo-diesel variants. Three-litre variants of the BT-50 and D-Max vary in cost, given fuel consumption fluctuates between 7.1L/100km and 7.8L/100km depending on the variant.The KGM Musso is one of the thirstiest of the utes, with its up to 9.0L/100km, costing more than $4000 over the course of a year.  The GWM Cannon Alpha diesel was the other ute to exceed the $4000 mark. Concluding the list are the gas guzzling full-size American pick-ups, in Ram’s 2500 and the Chevrolet Silverado HD. Both have V8 diesel engines with a capacity of more than 6.0-litres, meaning they cost more than $7000 over the course of a year.2026 ute fuel figures Australia  *Dependent on variant**Ram does not provide official figures for fuel consumption. This figure is sourced from CarsGuide's real world testing.***Chevrolet does not provide official figures for fuel consumption. This figure is sourced from CarsGuide's real world testing.

Any 4WD worth its salt used to need a V8.Think the Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series and the soon to be replaced Y62 Nissan Patrol.The LandCruiser’s big beefy 4.5-litre V8 twin-turbo diesel made a hefty 200kW and 650Nm, while the Patrol’s naturally aspirated 5.6-litre V8 petrol engine dished out a meaty 298kW and 560Nm.That’s some hard earned grunt for some big 4WDing, except the new breed of modern 4WDs makes those large capacity engines look breathless and weak.Fast forward to today and the new LandCruiser 300 Series and Y63 Nissan Patrol, with the latter due at the end of the year, both swapping out V8 power plants for more highly strung twin-turbo V6 units.The result? More power, and plenty of it.A Y63 Patrol now delivers 317kW and 700Nm thanks to its potent 3.5-litre twin-turbo petrol V6.Those outputs trump the LandCruiser’s 3.3-litre diesel twin-turbo motor that pumps out 227kW and 700Nm.That's just the start, as it’s the new breed of plug-in hybrid off-roaders out of China that are really flexing their 4WD muscle, though.BYD’s Denza sub-brand just launched its B8 off-roader.It uses a plug-in hybrid set-up that combines a turbo-petrol 2.0-litre engine with twin electric motors for a total 425kW and 760Nm.Put that in your tailpipe and smoke it Toyota and Nissan.Denza claims that is good enough to propel it from a standstill to 100km/h in 4.8 seconds.The B8 also delivers an all electric driving range of about 100km, not bad considering current fuel prices.It is also a proper off-roader with 3500kg braked towing capacity, 890mm wading depth and front and rear diff locks on the top-shelf variant.If petrol power is your thing, the Land Rover Defender Octa Black is the pièce de résistance of 4WDs.It combines a potent 467kW/750Nm 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and mild-hybrid assistance with muscular off-road performance and primo luxury kit.The air suspension allows for a 323mm ground clearance and approach and departure angles of more than 40 degrees, along with a ramp angle of 29 degrees and a wading depth of 1000mm.Its manic V8 can propel it to 100km/h from a standstill in 4.0 seconds on the way to a top speed of 250km/h.That’ll leave the B8 eating your dust.Now a new type of 4WD is emerging, but its off-road capabilities may not be up to scratch.Geely’s new Battleship 700 is a big blocky off-road monster with 1000kW on tap thanks to its 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and three electric motors.It can complete the benchmark sprint to 100km/h from a standstill in a red hot 3.1 seconds.Details are scarce, but a report from UK publication AutoExpress said it has a wading depth of 800mm, has big ground clearance and the brand is considering expanding its off-road modes, which won't have the big boys shaking in their all-terrains.Chery will launch a diesel hybrid ute this year in Australia and it could spawn a SUV bodied version in the future.It will pair a 2.5-litre turbo-diesel engine with electric motors to make mega torque numbers. It’ll also have three diff locks and be properly fit for purpose. It could rattle a few cages.

Last year saw a paradigm shift in Australia’s new-car market.The introduction of the government’s New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES) catapulted Australia’s emissions regime from the 1980s into the 21st century, and many brands began re-thinking their line-ups in Australia as the clock started on tough fines.Perhaps the biggest and most unprecedented change was the rise of the BYD Shark 6, which pretty much single-handedly proved the dual-cab ute class can be electrified, while the Chinese juggernaut stormed its way up the charts, helping to permanently re-shape the make-up of Australia’s favourite automakers.In the first months of 2026, the shift has continued. China has now become the number one source of new cars to Australia, finally taking over from Japan and Thailand.But what can we expect to look back on by the end of this year? What will change and how will your new car buying experience be re-shaped?Making predictions is always dangerous, but with another fuel crisis hitting hard, we can be fairly certain of at least a few outcomes — let’s see what we think.The dawn of the diesel-hybridChery’s headline-grabbing news from the past few months has been the confirmation of its upcoming diesel hybrid ute, codenamed KP31, for Australia.The upcoming and much-hyped Chery ute will bring what many buyers are asking for - diesel capability with plug-in hybrid fuel consumption.We know more about this upcoming ute thanks to its reveal in China under Chery’s commercial arm, Rely.It will use a new ground-up ‘Kaitan’ platform, and will maintain solid links to the axles - more like GWM’s Cannon Alpha PHEV than the BYD Shark 6.It will also be hoping to seize on the plug-in hybrid ute trend, which BYD has kick-started, and many of its rivals are now seeking to emulate. Whether the extra capability and allure of diesel is enough to make it the next hot thing in dual-cabs remains to be seen.More storied automakers will look to China for helpNissan has made it fairly clear that it will look to China for help, with its appealing range of Chinese-built vehicles benefitting from Chinese hybrid and EV know-how and rapid development cycles. The latter, which has become known as ‘China Speed’ in the industry, will cut the time it takes to do things that once meant long waits, like the conversion to right-hand drive and the various changes required to meet compliance regulations in obscure markets like Australia.No doubt Nissan’s most sought-after Chinese-built model will be the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid dual-cab, long suggested by executives to be an emissions-friendly alternative to be sold alongside the Mitsubishi Triton-based new-generation Navara in the Australian market.Nissan’s Chinese portfolio doesn’t end there. The brand also has an array of well-received-in-China electric cars, including the N7 sedan and upcoming NX8 SUV as ideal replacements for its ageing Pathfinder, and NVES-friendly supplemental models to the hybrid X-Trail and Qashqai.Nissan certainly isn’t the only brand that might be forced to turn more to China to bolster its line-up. Ford, facing a particular cliff with NVES in the coming years thanks to its diesel-heavy sales footprint of Rangers and Everests might need to import cars like the Chinese ‘New-Energy’ plug-in hybrid Ford Bronco (related to the American Ford Bronco in design only) as a more appealing emissions-friendly option for its more adventure-curious buyers.Even Toyota, whose line-up is already heavily hybrid may need to turn to its Chinese joint-ventures for more price-sensitive zero emissions models like the GAC Aion V-based bZ3X which was recently announced in right-hand drive for the Hong Kong market. Watch this space.The top-10 will continue to be re-shapedAt the end of 2025 there were three Chinese brands in the top 10 in Australia: GWM in seventh position, BYD in eighth position, and MG in 10th.Already in the first few months of 2026, this ranking has continued to shift. BYD has already unseated GWM as Australia’s favourite Chinese brand and has vaulted Mitsubishi, landing in sixth position through the first two months of the year.This puts it within striking distance of Hyundai in a tightly contested race for a top-three position (there are less than 1000 sales between Mazda, Ford, Kia and Hyundai in the next four positions below Toyota), which BYD bosses bravely predicted for 2026.GWM is holding position in seventh, but Mitsubishi might not be able to hold it at bay for long.Chery is one to watch in 2026, as it has managed to leapfrog MG and clinch eighth position so far this year.Other more recent arrivals from China also have brave top-10 predictions. GAC could be the next brand to leap up the charts following in the footsteps of its contemporaries. While it may seem farfetched now, the Toyota-allied brand has access to the right products at similarly aggressive prices, with hybrids and plug-ins featuring heavily in its line-up, which the brand recently told CarsGuide is set to include a large SUV and ute before long.China-owned MG, too, will be playing defence, launching a range of more affordable vehicles as it looks to hang on to its top-10 position.Thailand is down, but not outThailand at various times has been one of the locations from which most Australian cars are sourced. Toyota, Honda and Ford have historically sourced many models from there, with the current top-selling Ranger, HiLux and D-Max all being sourced from the country.It has dropped down the list, as Chinese-built cars have increasingly been sourced for Australia from both new and historic brands. With even the Kia EV5 and Hyundai Elexio being Chinese-built Korean cars for the Australian market.But Thailand’s importance looks to be re-asserted as more Chinese brands establish strategic manufacturing facilities in the South East Asian auto hub.Obvious advantages are the fact that cars are built there on dedicated right-hand drive production facilities, freeing up space in Chinese factories to focus on other left-hand drive markets, while favourable government kickbacks, a free trade agreement with Australia, and a domestic market with an increasingly large taste for electrified vehicles will keep Thailand important for years to come.Big SUVs will be the next Chinese automaker battlegroundIn case you haven’t noticed, many big Chinese brands have shifted their focus. While utes and affordable hatchbacks and small SUVs continue to be all the rage, in their quest to actually generate profits, many Chinese brands have thrown huge amounts of resources into developing large luxury electric and plug-in hybrid models.The five-meter-long SUV space looks to be the next major battleground for these automakers, with Zeekr’s much-hyped plug-in hybrid 8X large SUV earmarked for an Australian arrival, and no doubt MG’s luxury IM marque will be looking to import versions of its LS8 or LS9.GAC has announced its next move will be a large SUV (likely the car known as the GS8 in China), while Leapmotor will move into new territory with its D16 and BYD’s Great Tang flagship have created some major buzz.Will they sell in Australia? With more fuel-conscious than ever new car buyers still crying out for more affordable electric options than the Kia EV9 for example (from $97,000) and Chinese automakers heavily incentivized to seek higher profit margins in markets like Australia, it seems possible we could be inundated with models like this in the latter part of the year.

It may be a new manufacturer to Australia, but Chinese giant GAC has one leg up which many of its rivals can’t claim - its deep ties with Toyota.

The Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series hardly requires an introduction. It’s an iconic model in the Japanese carmaker’s catalogue of vehicles and has stood the test of time.Dating back to 1984, the LandCruiser 70 Series (LC70) is now more than 40 years old, firmly making it the oldest new car still on sale in Australia.This calls into question, how long can Toyota feasibly still produce and sell new versions of this heavy-duty icon?At this stage Toyota has given no indication of if or when it intends to end production of the LC70. It’s still produced in Japan, Portugal and Venezuela.It’s also still very popular in many markets, including Australia, Africa and the Middle East.Demand has been so high in Australia that there have been numerous order pauses. One is still outstanding for the 70 Series GXL Wagon automatic variant that was first enforced from July 2025.In order to keep production going many changes have had to be made. In addition to the aforementioned vehicle category change in Australia, the LC70 will soon gain AdBlue exhaust additive fluid Down Under, making it Euro 6 emission regulations compliant.This was added to the Japanese-spec model upon its reintroduction in the domestic market in 2023, which coincided with the latest facelift.Even if production of the LC70 does eventually stop, these vehicles are known for their reliability and widespread parts availability. This means even if production stops, LC70s will likely be on the road for decades to come, especially in rural and remote areas where they’re most popular, provided diesel is still available.The LC70 first arrived Down Under in 1985, and this workhorse version of the LandCruiser has remained on sale while three plusher versions of this iconic off-roader have come and gone.In fact, the LC70 is still sold in the same showrooms as the luxurious and much more technologically advanced LandCruiser 300 Series.Over the years the LC70 has been available globally with a wide array of body styles across different wheelbase lengths. There are wagon SUVs, as well as utes and the iconic troop carrier, among others.A number of different powertrains have also been offered, ranging from four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines to turbocharged V8s.Only one powertrain is offered in Australia - a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, known as the 1GD-FTV, which dates back to 2015 and is shared with the previous-generation HiLux.It produces 150kW and 500Nm when mated with a six-speed automatic transmission or 150kW/450Nm when mated with the five-speed manual transmission.The LC70 has received countless updates and upgrades over the years. Highlights include the wider front track to fit larger engines, more active and passive safety technology, a number of facelifts, as well as a vehicle category change in Australia with a slight gross vehicle mass (GVM) increase to allow it to remain on sale without major changes, among others.The LC70 even comes with modern perks like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto now, as well as standard air-conditioning. Despite this, it’s still a car that dates back to the 1980s and in some versions still has manually operated side windows and manually adjustable side mirrors. But all good things must come to an end, but when Toyota might call time on the LC70 is a mystery for now.

Toyota is one the biggest advocates for hydrogen as a fuel source for vehicles, but it’s now focusing its efforts as the mass-market take-up, especially in the passenger car space, still lags.As reported by Nikkei Asia, the Japanese carmaker is doubling down on implementing its hydrogen fuel cell (FCEV) technology in commercial vehicles, like trucks.The reason for this is that demand for hydrogen-fuelled passenger cars is dwindling.Toyota is working with many partners in order to implement and scale its hydrogen fuel cell commercial vehicles.One example is the Japanese carmaker is working closely with the Japanese Government to use hydrogen fuel cell trucks and develop a refuelling station network.“I truly believe now is the time to accelerate our hydrogen initiatives together with partners. Let's change the future with hydrogen,” said Toyota Hydrogen Factory President Mitsumasa Yamagata to Nikkei Asia.Many carmakers have shunned hydrogen as a viable fuel source. Examples include Volkswagen, Stellantis and General Motors.Reasons for this vary but include the high costs associated with developing FCEV technology and producing hydrogen, as well lacklustre refuelling infrastructure, among others.Toyota, along with other brands like BMW and Hyundai are some of the few that have continued development in this space.The Japanese carmaker has been preaching its multi-pathway strategy for decarbonisation for years now and includes continued development in internal-combustion, hybrid, battery electric and hydrogen powertrain technologies.Toyota currently has one FCEV truck in the form of the Hino Profiz Z FCV as Hino is part of the Toyota Group.It uses two fuel cell stacks from the Toyota Mirai FCEV liftback that have been customised for heavy-duty commercial use.Hino claims this FCEV truck has a driving range of around 650km when fully loaded and refuelling takes between 15 and 30 minutes.As it currently stands Toyota doesn’t offer any FCEV vehicle to the public in Australia. The Mirai is only offered to select fleets through lease agreements.However, the Japanese carmaker has previously confirmed it plans to introduce a FCEV version of the HiLux in Australia in 2027. This will be available to the public but will be aimed at commercial fleets, much like the recently priced HiLux BEV.In Australia there are very few hydrogen refuelling stations currently. There are several initiatives and funding from state governments being put forward to scale this.One includes the $20 million Hume Hydrogen Highway initiative from the Victorian and New South Wales Governments to connect Melbourne and Sydney with around four refuelling stations along the Hume Highway.

There is a new key detail of the soon-launching Toyota RAV4 hybrid, with fuel efficiency figures of the SUV now public.The car offers a combined fuel efficiency of 4.5L/100km for the front-wheel drive variant (4.6L/100km on all-wheel drive), which is better than the outgoing front-wheel drive model at 4.7L/100km and 4.8L/100km for the all-wheel drive.This increases the RAV4’s fuel efficiency lead over hybrid models of the Hyundai Tucson (4.8L/100km) and Kia Sportage (5.3L/100km).Urban fuel consumption sits at 4.2L/100km, while extra urban fuel consumption is at 4.7L/100km. The all-wheel drive’s figures are 0.2L/100km higher than the front-wheel drive. The new generation of the Toyota RAV4 is still being eagerly awaited in Australia, with the brand already running out of stock on the previous model. This has caused a substantial downturn in sales for the Australian branch to the tune of 25 per cent year-on-year up to March 2026.  The new RAV4 will roll out into Australian showrooms this year with hybrid variants too far away and plug-in variants coming in the third quarter. All variants will feature a 2.5-litre petrol engine, and come in front-wheel and all-wheel drive choices. The hybrid produces 143kW, while the plug-in hybrid boosts power to 227kW. It will start from $45,990 (before on-road costs) when it lands in Australia within the next few weeks. This means it will be more expensive than the cheapest Tucson and Sportage hybrid models. The RAV4 is a key contributor to Toyota’s sales as their biggest seller, which is more than the HiLux ute and roughly twice as many as the Prado large SUV. Toyota will continue to add more electrified models to its lineup this year, including an electric version HiLux ute. 

Toyota’s latest collaboration with state-owned Chinese carmaker GAC is off to an impressive start with the launch of the pure-electric bZ7 large, fast-back-style sedan.Vice President of Sales for the GAC Toyota’s joint-venture Peng Baolin has confirmed the company booked over 3100 formal orders for the car within one hour of its official on-sale.While other recent newcomers have claimed even stronger initial interest (hello, 15,000 domestic Xiaomi SU7 sales in 30min), it’s a positive response to a critically important model.With a strong hint of Camry around the car’s face and other elements echoing the smaller bZ4X we already know in Australia, the single-motor, rear-wheel drive bZ7 is a substantial machine at just over 5.1m in long, close to 2.0m wide and 1.5m tall with a generous 3020mm wheelbase.Offered with two LFP battery sizes (71.35kWh and 88.13kWh) across five model grades, the bZ7’s power comes from a 207kW Huawei-sourced motor with claimed ranges of 600km, 700km and 710km, in line with the more lenient CLTC test protocol.A 3C fast-charging rate is claimed to deliver 300km of range in 10 minutes.Priced at ¥147,800 (~A$31,300) for the entry-level 600 Pro up to ¥199,800 (~A$42,300) for the flagship 710 Ultra, specification options include 20-inch wheels, front and rear seats with ventilation, heating and massage functions, the Huawei ‘HarmonyOS 5.0’ smart cockpit and ‘dual-chamber air suspension’ working in concert with an intelligent road surface pre-scanning system.Upper-level Lidar-equipped models boast one Lidar, five millimetre-wave radars, eleven high-definition cameras and 10 ultrasonic radars.It’s worth noting GAC Toyota also produces the smaller bZ3X electric SUV uniquely for China and Toyota Australia’s recently retired Vice President of sales and marketing (now Senior Executive Advisor) Sean Hanley had previously told CarsGuide the company has discussed the possibility of importing Chinese-made Toyotas to Australia.“We’ve certainly spoken about it we’ve not done any formal study to support that cause for Australia at this point,” said Hanley. “Having said that, it’s not something we would rule out in the future.“If we’ve got manufacturing joint operations under the Toyota brand, under Toyota quality, we certainly would never rule it out and we’d be silly to.“But if you’re going to convert left- to right-, you got to have some compelling volume,” he said.