Toyota buyers are near-certain to be hit by price rises in 2027 as penalties under the New-Vehicle Efficiency Standard start to kick in.

The push from Canberra is focussed on CO2 emissions, with counting already underway across the new-car showroom contenders.

There are a range of targets which apply to passenger and light-commercial vehicles, and Toyota has admitted it is concerned – despite its long-term emphasis on fuel-efficient hybrids – about likely penalties.

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Some predictions have penalties of more than $10,000 for gross polluters and Mazda Australia has recently predicted that it could be facing a fine of $25 million.

Toyota Australia is not going into detail, and is reluctant to even discuss the topic, but admits it could be in trouble.

“We can’t guarantee that prices won’t go up,” John Pappas, the Vice President of Sales, Marketing and Franchise Operations, told WhichCar by Wheels.

“Our aim is to be as competitive as possible at all times. With the changes in the commercial vehicle line-up we cannot rule it out.

“We always strive to remain competitive and we haven’t announced anything to do with price prices. (But) it’s really hard to advise there won’t be price rises going forward.”

He was speaking at a ‘multi-pathway’ press event, which was staged to highlight Toyota’s varied approach to the greening of its fleet, from hybrids to the long-term drive with hydrogen.

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Pappas said Toyota has been a leader in hybrids since the original Prius, although admitting that it had not gone all-in on electrification like some brands – led by Tesla, which claimed the top spot for passenger-car sales in June with the Model Y SUV.

“We’ve been decarbonising for over 20 years with hybrid. We’re all for it. But with a ‘no-one left behind’ philosophy.”

He said the Toyota approach is to allow people to make their own choices on green motoring, not forcing the change.

“We’ve got the BZ family. The RAV4 plug-in hybrid. Also the performance hybrid LandCruiser,” he said.

“We remain committed to our multi-pathway strategy. As we move forward, Toyota’s focus remains simple. Provide Australians with mobility solutions they can trust. And continue building vehicles that meet the needs of real Australian lifestyles.”