Toyota’s recent strategy has changed the way some familiar nameplates are sold. Models including the Camry, Land Cruiser, RAV4, Sequoia, and Sienna, once offered with gasoline engines, can now only be purchased with a hybrid setup.
Hyundai has not announced a full hybrid-only transition. Yet comments from Hyundai Australia CEO Gavin Donaldson show that the company is now openly weighing a broader move from internal combustion engines toward hybrids and electric vehicles.
Toyota’s Hybrid-Only Shift Is Shaping Hyundai’s Thinking
Toyota’s move toward hybrid-only versions of several models has “seemingly worked so well” that Hyundai is considering a similar approach.
Donaldson told CarExpert that Toyota has done “exceptionally well” with its switch to hybridization. He added: “Would we consider making our mainstream cars more hybrid? I think that’s inevitable. I think moving out of ICE into hybrid and EVs [electric vehicles] is inevitable.”
In the United States, Toyota still sells seven models with both gasoline and hybrid versions. Eight Toyota models are now hybrid-only. Among gas-only models, just four remain if the Corolla Hatchback and GR Corolla are counted separately.
Hyundai’s Current Strategy Still Includes Several Powertrains
Hyundai’s approach has not matched Toyota’s exactly. The company has pushed more aggressively toward full electrification while still offering hybrids, plug-in hybrids, hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, and internal combustion engines.
Donaldson’s comments mark the first meaningful sign of a possible shift away from ICE vehicles within Hyundai’s broader lineup.
He also left room for caution, saying: “Right now, we have some other products that are ICE powertrains, [and] unless there’s an alternative we’ve got to consider where we want to keep them in the portfolio.”
No Hyundai Model Is Hybrid-Only Yet
Hyundai currently has no hybrid-only models. Like Toyota, it has four vehicles that are strictly ICE: Kona, Elantra N, Santa Cruz, and Venue.
Keeping smaller, affordable cars with ICE powertrains could make sense because of pricing. Larger models such as Sonata, Santa Fe, and Palisade are identified as vehicles that could more easily move to a hybrid-only lineup structure.
Hybrids operate like ICE vehicles while offering improved fuel economy. Aside from some enthusiast performance vehicles, heavy-duty trucks, and affordable economy vehicles, there are few reasons why most vehicles should not use a hybrid powertrain in 2026.
