Suzuki hybrids inbound

Suzuki Australia has outlined an ambitious new electrification plan to offer hybrid vehicles across its range by 2025, followed soon after by its first EV.

Despite selling mild-hybrid versions of the Suzuki Swift in other markets including New Zealand for a few years, so far the Japanese small-car brand has struggled to lock in hybrid vehicles for Australia.

But that will soon change, according to Suzuki Australia Automotive general manager Michael Pachota.

“We're looking to make an announcement probably early next year around a timeline for those [hybrid] products being released [in Australia], but we’re not in a position to be able to confirm any dates at the moment,” he said.

However, carsales understands a hybrid Suzuki SUV will become available in Australia in the second half of 2023 – either the S-Cross or Vitara mild-hybrids, or both.

The plan to offer hybrids across the Suzuki range by 2025 is being partly coaxed by the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries (FCAI), which represents most mainstream car importers in Australia.

“The FCAI, which we are a proud member of, voluntarily set a target within our motor industry to reach a certain CO2 standard by 2030,” said the Suzuki Australia chief.

“Our picture in terms of our global position for the hybrid platform offering… we've got the opportunity to be able to introduce these products sooner into the market and actually meet that CO2 standard by 2025. So our goal is to meet the 2025 mark,” he stated.

“And to do so we're going to have to change a lot of our platforms in the next three years in order to meet that target.

“So as a result, with new model introductions, you can see a lot more hybrid powertrains coming through on different products that we offer and will offer as new models come through into the range,” he said, implying an expansion of the current Suzuki range is in the offing.

“We’re getting very close to finalising our request that will see not only the introduction of a hybrid platform for Swift, but other models across the range as well,” Pachota clarified.

It’s not clear if Suzuki will offer the current-generation mild-hybrid Swift in Australia following the expected mild-hybrid SUVs that will kick off Suzuki’s hybrid reform from 2023, or whether it will instead wait for the next-generation Suzuki Swift, which could arrive by late 2023.

The all-new, fourth-generation Suzuki Swift is likely to be produced with a proper petrol-electric hybrid or HEV powertrain (not just a ‘mild’ hybrid) potentially borrowed from the Yaris hybrid, leveraging its engine sharing alliance with Toyota.

“We haven't got a firm plan of which one’s going to hit our shores first, because we do have a few models that will almost release simultaneously. But I can't confirm exactly which ones they are,” said the Suzuki Australia MD.

While Pachota wouldn’t say what order the hybrids will arrive in, he said he was “…looking forward to what’s in store for Australia in the years to come”.

“If you review this [voluntary] CO2 standard for 2030 [in Australia], you'll see that we probably need to do a lot of work in electrification gains to be able to get there. So I would suggest the majority of our platforms would have to be hybrid to meet that standard.

“And for the next chapter in the following years, we'd have to have some form of full electrification,” he added, referencing the Indian-built Suzuki EV set to launch globally from 2025.

For everything you auto know about EVs, listen to carsales' Watts Under the Bonnet: the electric car podcast

Join the conversation at 

our Facebook page

Or email us at 

editor@carsales.com.au