Despite rising plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales in Australia, Hyundai’s local division won’t be launching PHEV versions of its popular Tucson and Santa Fe SUVs.
Sam Dabestani, product manager for Hyundai Australia, told CarExpert at the launch of the new Tucson Hybrid that there are no plans for a Tucson PHEV or Santa Fe PHEV locally, with the former in particular not available from the factory in the correct configuration.
“There are no current plans to bring plug-in hybrid to the Tucson and Santa Fe, however [Tucson PHEV] is something that we’ll certainly study as a potential future addition to the lineup,” Mr Dabestani said.
US-market Tucson Plug-in Hybrid
Mr Dabestani went on to note that the Australian-market’s demand for the long-wheelbase configuration makes sourcing the PHEV difficult, as the LWB PHEV combination isn’t currently produced in right-hand drive.
Currently, the only right-hand drive Tucson PHEV is made out of the brand’s European plant in Czechia for the UK market, which is based on the Euro region’s short-wheelbase model.
Meanwhile, the Santa Fe PHEV appears to be produced in the same South Korean factory as Australian models for right-hand drive UK.
However, if Hyundai is like its sister brand Kia, HEV and PHEV versions for the US market may also be sourced from Korea despite Hyundai having US-based production for the Santa Fe.
For the time being, Hyundai will solely offer self-charging hybrid versions of the Tucson and Santa Fe in Australia, which are on sale now.
Santa Fe Hybrid
The 2025 Hyundai Tucson Hybrid is priced from $45,100 plus on-road costs, and is offered across all available grades in Australia – unlike the related Kia Sportage Hybrid.
Meanwhile, the larger Santa Fe has launched in Australia as a hybrid-only range, priced from $55,500 before on-road costs.
PHEV sales are steadily gaining in Australia, with 8223 units registered to the end of June 2024 – an increase of 129.6 per cent on the Jan-June period in 2023.
This is likely attributable to the Fringe Benefits Tax (FBT) exemptions available to PHEV and EV buyers for vehicles that come in under the Luxury Car Tax (LCT) threshold.
That volume still pales in comparison to conventional hybrid (HEV) and electric vehicle (EV) sales, which during the same period have returned 81,613 and 50,219 registrations respectively.
Would you be interested in a Hyundai Tucson PHEV or Santa Fe PHEV if they were offered in Australia?
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