Family car buyers have a lot of awkward decisions to make these days, as the market is more complicated than ever. Traditionally shaped family cars, such as hatchbacks and estates, are being pushed out by an endless stream of differently shaped SUVs – and electric cars are still jostling for position with combustion power.
Self-charging hybrid SUVs are the closest to the middle of the market you can get, as they give buyers little bit of everything. The best hybrid SUVs blend the convenience of a petrol engine with the fuel economy of a diesel while also offering some of the benefits enjoyed by electric car drivers, such as the ability to cover short distances on silent EV power.
But the benefits don’t stop there. Because they generate their own electricity using their petrol engines, you don’t even need to faff about with charging cables, as you would with a plug-in hybrid SUV or an electric SUV. Plus, because they use simpler technology, they’re normally less expensive than their PHEV and EV rivals, too.
To help you pick the self-charging hybrid SUV that best suits you, we’ve compiled this list of the top 10 models on sale in the UK now. We think it’ll make a great starting point for your shopping list. Scroll down to learn more.
Best self-charging hybrid SUVs of 2025
Luxurious Lexus is a top choice
The NX’s standard self-charging hybrid system combines a 2.5-litre petrol engine with a large electric motor on the front axle, although you can have an electric motor on the rear to give you four-wheel drive. During our time with the latter car, we managed to average 42mpg on a mixture of A-roads, B-roads and motorways, which is great. Plus, the motors and battery have just enough waft to punt the NX around on electric power alone in town.
To find out more, read our full Lexus NX review
Pros
- Comfortable, quiet and relaxed
- Good hybrid technology
- Excellent safety credentials
Cons
- Practicality could be better
- Not particularly exciting
Seven-seat hybrid is great value
The hybrid model is our favourite option in the Bigster range as it has a lot more power and torque than the standard 1.2-litre mild hybrid. It can also achieve close to 50mpg in everyday driving which, for something with the same aerodynamic profile as a breeze block, is mightily impressive. To top it off, the Bigster is reasonably priced at £27,995 – and you get a lot of standard equipment for the money, including a 10.1-inch infotainment system, 17-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control and an all-round parking camera.
To find our more, read our full Dacia Bigster review
Pros
- Spacious interior, massive boot
- Undercuts lots of rivals on price
- Plenty of standard equipment
Cons
- Interior feels a little cheap
- Lacks refinement at speed
Updated car is even better than before
We love how practical the Sorento is, we like its arsenal of safety technology and we’re big fans of the new cabin (even if the infotainment system’s plethora of menus can be a little daunting to navigate at first). If we’re honest, self-charging hybrid system can feel a little out of its depth on faster roads, but the car’s price more than compensates for that. You can buy a hybrid model for a shade under £44,000, which is excellent value for money.
To find out more, read our full Kia Sorento review
Pros
- Flexible cabin arrangement
- Excellent interior quality
- Good refinement
Cons
- Third row cramped for adults
- Ride can be a little unsettled
Achingly cool looks and solid fuel economy
You can have the Santa Fe as a plug-in hybrid, but we think the self-charging model is the one to go for because the PHEV isn’t exactly class leading. Its 33-mile electric range is outgunned by rivals such as the Peugeot 5008 and Mazda CX-80 – and the standard hybrid is already more than smooth, quiet and powerful to make it an excellent motorway cruiser. Why bother spending the extra money? Plus, it’ll return around 40mpg, which isn’t at all bad for a vehicle that’s large enough to invade a small country.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai Santa Fe review
Pros
- Hugely spacious and practical
- Quiet and comfortable at speed
- Economical for its size and weight
Cons
- Fiddly infotainment system
- Not that interesting to drive
Compact Toyota is appealing and efficient
It’s also comfortable and offers a lot of interior space. It packs a 397-litre boot, too, and there are lots of useful touches – such as 40:20:40 split-folding rear seats. And then there are facets such as the 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty, provided you service the car at an authorised Toyota facility, which will further help keep fuss to a minimum.
Read our full Toyota Yaris Cross review
Pros
- Easy to handle and drive
- Great hybrid technology
- Long warranty
Cons
- Infotainment feels dated
- It’s a bit dull
It’s a bestseller for good reason
The Sportage is much more than just efficient, though. We also like its classy interior finish and intelligently designed infotainment system. There’s an awful lot of space in the cabin, too, with one of the roomiest rear benches and boots in its class. It’s also quiet and comfortable when you’re haring down the motorway.
To find out more, read our full Kia Sportage review
Pros
- Smart, well-equipped cabin
- Clever infotainment system
- Spacious rear seats
Cons
- Overly light steering
- Not engaging to drive
A left-field yet desirable family SUV
It’s also packed with features designed to make family life easier. Take the rear bench as an example. It can be slid forwards to make it easier to get a pushchair in the boot when your kids are young but, once they start growing and demand a bit more legroom, you can push it back to liberate some extra space. Oddment storage is great, too, with massive door pockets and split-folding storage bin at the rear of the centre console.
To find out more, read our full Renault Austral review
Pros
- Well-built interior
- Efficient hybrid system
- Loads of standard kit
Cons
- Lumpy low-speed ride
- Clunky automatic gearbox
Unusual looks and great build quality
Hyundai’s hybrid system offers a decent slug of punch in the mid-range (when you’re not beetling it around in Eco mode) and returns decent enough fuel economy around town. We discovered a slightly odd quirk of the system, however. When we took the Tucson on a longer motorway journey, our average fuel economy plummeted to around 35mpg. It has quite a small fuel tank, too, which meant we had to fill up often when tackling huge miles. The Austral is better suited to motorway drivers.
To find out more, read our full Hyundai Santa Fe review
Pros
- High-quality interior
- Lots of features
- Big 616-litre boot
Cons
- Rivals are better to drive
- Hybrid model's range
Lexus RX
Classy premium SUV that’s vying for the X5’s crown
It’s got some great mechanical credentials, too, because its hybrid system comes from parent company Toyota. That means it’s efficient (with real-world fuel economy figures of around 45mpg) and an excellent reputation for reliability. Plus, you get access to Toyota’s industry-leading 10-year warranty, providing you get it serviced at a main dealer.
To find our more, read our full Lexus RX review
Pros
- Spacious interior
- Great build quality
- Refined at high speed
Cons
- Poor suspension control
- Not exactly exciting
Honda CR-V
An excellent hybrid SUV at a high cost
The hybrid model is powered by the same sort of e:HEV system you get in the Civic hatchback, which we like an awful lot. When you’re pottering around at low speeds, the engine simply generates power to feed the electric motor which drives the wheels, as that’s a more efficient method of tapping the energy stored in the petrol. It means you can get 43mpg from this massive seven-seat bus, which is great.
To find out more, read our full Honda CR-V review
Pros
- Smooth hybrid powertrain
- Brilliant fuel efficiency
- Well-designed interior
Cons
- Rivals are cheaper…
- … and quite a bit faster
Self-charging hybrid SUV buyers’ guide 2025
Aside from the obvious questions, such as how many seats do you need, how big a boot is required, and what equipment you want, there’s one criteria that should really steer your SUV buying decision: whether a self-charging hybrid will actually benefit you or not.
While self-charging hybrids can cut your running costs, for some owners they might not prove as advantageous as hoped. If you do lots of long journeys, for example, the fuel-saving benefits of self-charging hybrids tend to be negated – in these cases, an efficient diesel could prove the better option, and be more flexible and better to drive.
If you’re doing lots of shorter trips, or lots of stop-start driving, then a self-charging hybrid SUV could lower your fuel bills. But, in any case, you need to carefully crunch the numbers – and look at the expected real-world fuel consumption – to make sure that a hybrid SUV is the right choice for you.
FAQ: self-charging hybrid SUV questions answered
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How do self-charging hybrid SUVs work?
Self-charging hybrids combine a conventional petrol or diesel engine with an electric drive motor and a small drive battery. This allows them to drive for short distance on electric power alone, unlike mild hybrids, and for the engine to be assisted by the electric motor when accelerating.
Unlike plug-in hybrids, self-charging hybrids – as the name suggests – don’t need to be plugged in. Instead, self-charging hybrids top up their batteries by recovering waste energy, such as that generated when the vehicle is slowing and braking, or have them charged by the output of the engine. And because they capture otherwise wasted energy, which is then deployed to aid the engine or move the car around for short distances, they are less polluting and more efficient.
You may also hear them referred to as strong hybrids, or full hybrids, because they are capable of moving on electric power alone, albeit for short distances. The term ‘self-charging hybrid’ might sound a little ridiculous but it’s an easy way to different the technology from the weaker mild alternative and the longer-range plug-in hybrid system. -
Which hybrid SUVs charge themselves?
There are several self-charging hybrid SUVs on the market, including the premium Lexus UX, NX, RX and RZ, the affordable Dacia Jogger, the Ford Kuga, the Kia Sportage and Sorento hybrid, the Renault Austral and the Hyundai Tucson. Toyota, which is well known for its self-charging hybrid options, also offers several models, including the Yaris Cross and RAV4. The number of self-charging hybrid SUV models available is continuing to grow, too, driven by ever-changing emissions regulations and customer demand.
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Are self-charging SUVs worth it?
A self-charging hybrid SUV can be a good alternative to a conventional petrol or diesel alternative if you do lots of low-speed or around-town driving. In these conditions, they offer reduced emissions and improved fuel consumption while still delivering decent performance.
If you’re regularly driving at higher speeds for longer distances, or along country lanes, where a self-charging hybrid system isn’t as effective, you may find a conventional and lighter petrol or diesel option better. Alternatively, a plug-in hybrid with a longer pure electric range could be a worthwhile alternative to investigate. -
Which car manufacturers make self-charging hybrid SUVs?
Self-charging hybrid SUVs are produced by several manufacturers. Toyota is best known for its self-charging hybrid offerings, and it offers a wide range of models powered by the technology, including the C-HR, Yaris Cross, RAV4 and Highlander. Other manufacturers that make self-charging SUVs include Lexus, also well-known for such vehicles, along with Kia, Suzuki, Renault, Ford, and Honda.
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What is the difference between hybrid and self-charging hybrid?
A hybrid is the same as a self-charging hybrid, and vice versa. Toyota, which has a lot of experience and history with hybrid powertrains, came up with the phrase ‘self-charging hybrid’ to describe its technology in advertising, hence its prominence these days.
Both, however, differ from mild hybrid and plug-in hybrid systems. Mild hybrid systems provide only momentary electrical assistance to drive the car, and they can’t drive on electric power alone. Plug-in hybrids, on the other hand, have larger batteries and are designed to allow longer-distance driving on electric power, often for north of 30 miles.
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