All of the Corolla Cross models in Australia that don't use the hybrid driveline are front-wheel-drive. Which suggests that you need to pony up for an all-wheel-drive variant to get the petrol-electric hybrid driveline. But that's not the case, because you can get the hybrid driveline in GXL and range-topping Atmos trim levels with either front- or all-wheel-drive. The exception is the entry-level hybrid, the GX, which is front-drive only.

For our money, the hybrid driveline is the bargain of the century as it adds only $2500 to the price of the non-hybrid Corolla Cross, yet should drop fuel consumption from around six litres per 100km to less than 4.5 litres for the same 100km. Stump up for the all-wheel-drive version and you'll also get a car with more grip on loose and slippery surfaces.

The default purchase for somebody looking for a mid-sized hybrid SUV is the Toyota RAV4 Hybrid. But if that’s too big, there’s the Toyota Yaris Cross Hybrid, C-HR Hybrid and even the Corolla Cross Hybrid which sounds like the marketplace is getting crowded but is really just a reflection of the appetite right now for cars like these. And that’s the catch; the waiting times for a brand-new example of some of these cars is out to many months and even years. So your plan to shop second-hand makes plenty of sense, but don’t expect any bargains in a market currently being dominated by lots of demand and less supply.

Beyond the Toyota brand (which has been doing hybrids longer than just about anybody else) there’s also the Mazda CX-30, Subaru XV Hybrid, Haval Jolion Hybrid, Kia Niro, Subaru Forester Hybrid, Nissan Qashqai e-Power, MG HS, Honda HR-V e and more. For something a bit bigger, try the Kia Sorento or Hyundai Santa Fe hybrids. There are others out there, too, that are probably bigger or more expensive than you need, but it's very much a growing scene in the Australian marketplace.

The official response from Toyota Australia was that orders were not yet being taken. The closest I could pin the Toyota spokesperson down to was that an announcement will be made closer to the on-sale date of the car itself which will be in the fourth quarter of this year.

In the meantime, it would be a wise move to keep a close eye out for that announcement as Toyota's popular models are all experiencing huge waiting lists of months or even years. In some cases (the 70 Series commercial range, for instance) Toyota has even – temporarily - stopped taking orders because it knows it simply can't fill them.

Other sought-after models such as the RAV 4 Hybrid and the new 300 Series SUV are also experiencing huge waiting times. With that in mind, the closer you can be to the head of the order queue, the less time you'll have to wait.

Meantime, Toyota has confirmed that Australian-delivered Corolla Cross variants will have the American-Thai market single frame-style front end, rather than the double-frame set-up destined for Japanese and European-market versions. Rest assured, Carsguide will be lining up to drive and review the new Toyota the moment head office throws us the keys.