After 24 years of hybrid dominance, Toyota’s “multi-pathway” strategy cements its reluctance to embrace pure EV motoring by giving buyers a choice between its long-evolved efficiency hybrid system and a new performance hybrid setup, set to debut in the LandCruiser 300 Series in early 2026.

The efficiency hybrid—standard across Toyota’s passenger cars and urban SUVs—is built around a series-parallel layout.

Under the bonnet, the efficiency system uses two electric motor-generators, two planetary gear sets, and a counter gear driving the differential. AWD variants add a third motor-generator to drive the rear axle. The planetary gear sets act as a power-split device, blending torque from the petrol engine and electric motors based on load and speed. Toyota’s hybrid mimics the rubber-banded gear feeling inherent in a traditional CVT—not with belts or pulleys, but by electronically varying motor speeds to simulate gear ratios. It’s smooth, efficient, and eerily quiet, but it won’t thrill anyone who likes to feel a downshift.

Above: This Week’s VIDEO Review – 2025 IM’s new Performance EVs—the IM5 and IM6—are here to challenge Tesla’s dominance.

#IM5 #IM6 #MGMotor #EVreview #TeslaChallenger #ElectricVehicles #MooseTestRecord #IMAustralia #EVPerformance #BatteryTech #SmartSuspension #ADAS #800vCharging #GayCarBoys

ABOVE: Hybrid Toyotas

The performance hybrid, by contrast, is unapologetically mechanical. Already seen in the Tundra and coming to the LandCruiser 300 Series, it uses a parallel layout with a single motor-generator and a clutch system that decides which power source takes the lead. The petrol engine and electric motor can run independently or together, depending on load and throttle input. Below 30km/h, it can run electric-only. Above that, the petrol engine stays active, with electric assist kicking in when needed.

Here, torque is delivered through a conventional 10-speed automatic transmission with a lock-up torque converter. That means actual gears, actual shifts, and actual feedback. No simulated ratios, no planetary trickery—just a gearbox doing what gearboxes do. It’s built for towing, off-roading, and high-speed cruising, where stepped gears and predictable torque matter more than seamless transitions.

Toyota’s hybrid split isn’t just about fuel economy vs performance—it’s a philosophical divide. One system uses planetary gears and motor speed to simulate gear changes; the other uses a clutch and a 10-speed box to deliver them. One prioritises smoothness and savings; the other, traction and torque.

And with a plug-in hybrid RAV4 confirmed for 2026, Toyota’s electrification roadmap remains hybrid-first, gear-driven, and firmly non-EV.

#ToyotaHybrid, #LandCruiser300, #HybridPerformance, #EfficiencyHybrid, #ToyotaAustralia, #MultiPathway, #Prius, #Tundra, #RAV4PlugIn

Other GayCarBoys Toyota Stories:

SHORT Video Review: Lexus LC500 Convertible Roof operation. Mesmerising. Sorry about the rubbish background

@lexus, #lexuslc500convertible, #alanzurvas, #gaycarboys

#automobile #shorts #audietrongtrs #gaycarboys #alanzurvas ##shorts