1970 Toyota Corona Reviews

Toyota will introduce its first plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in Australia in the first half of 2026, the RAV4 PHEV, and it hasn’t been shy on saying more will be coming down the track.Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said PHEV technology is “scarily convenient”.“I think plug-in hybrid is going to be a tremendously big seller over the next five years and with battery technology evolving, it offers a big, broad scope of capability,” said Hanley.While Hanley didn’t give any specific examples of what the additional PHEV models will be, he noted they’ll likely be SUVs or passenger cars.“ think less in the commercial space, more in the SUV, passenger space,” said Hanley.Globally Toyota offers plug-in hybrid versions of the Prius liftback, C-HR SUV, Crown Sport crossover and Crown Signia wagon.At this stage it doesn’t offer any plug-in hybrid commercial vehicle, with Hanley noting hydrogen will likely be better suited for these types of vehicles in the long term.“Not to say it’s impossible, but I think hybrid technology in those vehicles is probably better at the stage suited.“Then I think ultimately in that 10-year horizon … it’s hydrogen. That’s the ultimate for those heavy commercial vehicles.”Hanley hasn’t been afraid to say that hydrogen will likely overtake diesel in the future.However, PHEVs are currently surging up the sales charts even though the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemption for novated lease buyers ceased earlier this year.In the first eight months of 2025, a total of 33,550 PHEVs have been sold, which is up 47.3 per cent year-on-year.This is primarily thanks to emerging Chinese players like BYD, Chery and GWM. The BYD Shark 6 PHEV ute, for example, cracked the top 20 best-sellers list in August 2025.When the Toyota RAV4 PHEV arrives next year in new-generation guise, it will be far from the first in the segment to have this kind of powertrain technology, but this mid-size SUV is already incredibly popular.Earlier in 2025 it was tracking to be the best-selling vehicle in Australia, however now the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux utes are outselling it.Toyota is set to offer the RAV4 PHEV on two trim levels and with two different configurations.A front-wheel drive version available only on the mid-spec XSE trim pairs a 2.5-litre petrol engine with an electric motor producing a system output of 200kW.Then an all-wheel drive version available on the XSE and top-spec GR Sport trims gains an additional electric motor on the rear axle boosting the system output to 227kW.All RAV4 PHEVs get a 22.7kWh lithium-ion battery pack. EV range and claimed fuel consumption hasn’t been confirmed yet.

Since its Aussie arrival close to 12 months ago the fifth-generation Toyota LandCruiser Prado been a popular family options although an awkward boot space in the seven-seat version copped some early criticism. So, what about the five-seat version? Could it be the perfect Prado?

Aussies love diesel-powered four-wheel drives but Toyota is set to mix things up with its petrol-electric LandCruiser Hybrid. Is the classic formula still intact?

Toyota Australia has released an ‘Aero Performance Package’ option for the flagship GTS grade of its rally-inspired GR Yaris hot hatch.Scheduled to arrive towards the end of this year, the new treatment includes a large duct and grille on the hood to enhance engine cooling, a manually adjustable rear spoiler, a lip spoiler on the nose, fender ducts located between the front wheels and doors as well as ducts on each side of the rear bumper and a new floor undercover to smooth airflow under the car. According to Toyota, design of the new elements has been directly influenced by the brand’s current involvement in the Japanese Rally Championship and Super Taikyu endurance racing, with input from professional driver Kazuya Oshima (who also competes in Super Formula and Super GT categories in Japan).Toyota Australia Vice President Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations Sean Hanley said the new Aero Performance Package showed how learnings in motorsport fed into the development of Toyota sports cars.“We’ve always said that Toyota Gazoo Racing expertise is used to make ever-better production cars and the GR Yaris GTS Aero Performance Package is clear evidence of just that.“These upgrades make the dynamic GR Yaris even more potent, helping to increase grip, braking and overall performance, while also adding some serious visual flair,” he said.The GR Yaris is powered by a 1.6-litre three-cylinder turbo-petrol engine sending 221kW/400Nm to all four wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox or eight-speed automatic transmission and Toyota’s ‘GR-Four’ AWD system. Claimed combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) fuel economy is 8.2L/100km for the manual and 9.1L/100km for the auto. The 50-litre fuel tank should be filled with 98 RON premium fuel.Leather and suede accented heated sports front seatsEight-speaker JBL audio (with digital radio)Climate control air conditioningLeather-trimmed heated steering wheelLED headlights, DRLs & tail-lights12.3-inch digital instrument display8.0-inch multimedia touchscreenSatellite navigationAlloy pedal covers18-inch BBS forged alloy wheelsMichelin Pilot Sport 4S tyres (225/40)High-performance suspensionFront and rear Torsen LSDGlacier WhiteLiquid MercuryTarmac BlackFeverish RedWhile the Toyota Yaris has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating from assessment in 2020, the GR Yaris (which launched in Australia in 2021) is unrated. But standard active and passive safety is comprehensive.Active cruise controlLane Departure AlertPre-Collision Safety SystemRoad Sign AssistLane Trace AssistAuto high beamBlind Spot Monitor & Safe Exit AssistReversing camera (with guidelines)Front & rear parking sensorsRear cross-traffic alertSix airbagsThe Yaris GR is covered by Toyota Australia’s five-year/unlimited km warranty. If your car is serviced on schedule at an authorised Toyota dealer, powertrain cover is extended to seven years. Emergency assistance is included for seven years. Service interval is six months/10,000km with each service costing $310 over the first five years.The GR Yaris is 3995mm long, 1805mm wide and 1455mm tall with a 2560mm wheelbase.

A best-selling SUV and van have retained their five-star Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP) safety rating.

The sales charts in Australia have been shaken up over the past year with more and more Chinese brands emerging.However, Toyota still firmly is the best-selling brand in Australia.Toyota Australia Vice President of Sales and Marketing Sean Hanley said the company continues to be extremely strategic despite its success.“It’s competitive. Never take position for granted,” said Hanley.“Every day you wake up, it’s a new challenge. Every day you wake up, it’s a new way of thinking.“The automotive industry is evolving and moving like every other industry. Quick rapidly.“So to say it’s business as usual would be an incorrect statement. But we’re certainly not panicking.“We certainly feel confident and we feel in control of our destination. We have a good purpose. We have a great team of people and dealer network that’s working towards that purpose.“We’ve been very clear strategically for the last 10 years on what the next 10 years will look like.“So therefore, when you’ve got a common goal and a purpose that people buy into, including consumers, then you can be confident about your future, but it’s not business as usual.“The fact is we work hard all the time to try to get it right and there are times when we don’t get it right. We’re not perfect.“What I love about Toyota is when we don’t get it right, god, we try hard to get it right. We don’t hide from it. We face up.“In my 38 years , that’s the reason why Toyota is one of the most trusted brands in Australia and why it’s the most trusted automotive brand .In the first eight months of 2025, Toyota has sold a total of 163,491 new vehicles in Australia. The next best-selling brand is Mazda (63,208 sales), followed by Ford (62,581 sales).While sales for these established mainstream brands are all down slightly as this year is forming as a cooler year for overall new car sales, brands such as China’s BYD and Chery are experiencing astronomical sales growth.GWM has also asserted itself as a top 10 player in the new car sales charts. It plans to be in the top five by 2030.Despite the influx of emerging Chinese brands, a vast array of Toyota vehicles remain at the top of their respective segments. These include the Corolla, Camry, RAV4, Prado and LandCruiser.Where it has lost its footing is on the budget end of the spectrum with vehicles such as the MG3 overtaking the Yaris, the Mazda CX-3 outselling the Yaris Cross and the GWM Haval Jolion outperforming the Corolla Cross.Sales for its bZ4X electric vehicle (EV) are a splash in the pan compared to top-selling rivals like the Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7.Over the next 12 months Toyota is poised to introduce another EV in the form of the larger bZ4X Touring.It will also introduce a new-generation of its top-selling RAV4 mid-size SUV with the inclusion of a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) power option for the first time in Australia.Toyota is launching a new petrol-electric hybrid version of the LandCruiser 300 Series in the first half of 2026 to sell alongside the existing turbo-diesel variants.

Australians love diesel-powered vehicles, but according to Toyota, it isn’t a fuel source of the future.

A Toyota Fortuner that could reverse the model's underwhelming sales performance and finally take the fight to the Ford Everest is coming soon – but is Toyota in Australia preparing to axe the model just as its about to come good?

What feature of your car annoys you the most? I’ll go first. Our eight-year old Skoda locks itself after about 30 seconds. Sounds good, but it isn't. It’s led to all manner of annoying moments, but locking itself while the keys were inside the car probably wins — don’t ask.

Toyota doesn't rule out sourcing models from Chinese joint-ventures in the future for Australia.