Hybrid is now moving towards mainstream popularity with increased sales this year, writes Trish Whelan.
Toyota Ireland has sold over 1,300 petrol hybrid vehicles so far this year. The hybrid technology that, unlike electric vehicles, you don’t have to plug in, has seen the Japanese carmaker experience a 128pc increase in sales of hybrid vehicles in 2017 compared to last year.
Over 70pc of orders for Toyota’s new C-SUV, the C-HR are hybrid while 40pc of its Auris and 35pc of Yaris sales this year have been hybrid vehicles.
In Ireland, hybrid vehicles now make up a total of 3.5pc of the market, up from 1.5pc last year. In tandem, sales of diesel vehicles have dropped, this year accounting for 66pc of the market - down from 71pc last year.
The 1.2 with 116bhp petrol C-HR with €280 annual road tax is pictured above, and is priced from €26,895. The more powerful 1.8 122bhp hybrid with €180 annual road tax is priced from €29,350.
