UK motorists love big SUVs, but legislators are doing their darnedest to stamp them off the roads by introducing ever-tightening emissions regulations and chargeable low-emission zones. The purpose? To try and motivate buyers towards electric cars instead. To dodge the laws, car manufacturers are fitting their best SUVs with efficient hybrid powertrains that promise to slash CO2 emissions and boost fuel economy in one fell swoop.
If you want to reduce your fuel costs (and you’re not prepared to downsize to a smaller family hatchback or saloon), a hybrid SUV could be perfect for you. The best plug-in hybrid SUVs can cover more than 50 miles on electric power alone. That’s enough to offer you a taste of what owning an EV is like without bringing on the crippling anxiety that results in being forced to rely on the UK’s unfinished EV charging infrastructure.
Or, if you’d rather not faff around with charging cables, there are plenty of self-charging hybrid SUVs available that offer diesel levels of fuel efficiency and just enough electric range to potter around your town without burning a drop of petrol. They’re almost always cheaper than their PHEV counterparts, too.
Scroll down for our list of the best hybrid SUVs on sale today. We’ve provided a brief round-up of each cars strengths and weakness to give you a top-level look at the market. However, if you need some extra detail, we’ve included links to our in-depth reviews on each car. Scroll down to learn more then, if you find something that tickles your fancy, head to Parkers cars for sale to start shopping.
The best hybrid SUVs for 2024
Editor's choice: BMW X5
A tremendous all-rounder fighting hard to stay ahead
We also found that, when driven gently, the X5 can cover 50 miles on electric power alone, which meets BMW’s official claims for the car. You won’t get anywhere near the X5 PHEV’s official fuel economy figures in the real world, though. BMW says it can return as much a 350mpg, but that figure expects you to charge up regularly and complete most of your journeys on electric power. On a long motorway jaunt using the petrol engine, expect that to be more like 45mpg.
Read our BMW X5 review
Pros
- One of the best SUVs to drive
- PHEV has a long electric range
- Practical and spacious interior
Cons
- Feels unwieldy in town
- Prices start from £79,000
Porsche Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid
A hybrid SUV that’s quick enough to monster most sports cars
With a full charge, the Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid also has a maximum electric range of 46 miles – and Porsche says it can return up to 166.2mpg on the WLTP combined cycle. Naturally, the harder you drive it, the more that figure will drop. You also sacrifice some of the Cayenne’s cornering ability to the additional weight of the hybrid system. The extra power makes up for that, though.
Read our Porsche Cayenne review
Pros
- Staggering performance
- Surprising fuel economy
- Excellent build quality
Cons
- Expensive options
- PHEV battery blunts handling
Lexus NX
Top-shelf quality and diesel-like efficiency
You can also have the NX with a plug-in hybrid powertrain. Lexus claims the system can return 313.9mpg on the WLTP combined cycle, but you won’t get anywhere near those figures in the real world, especially if you do a lot of motorway miles. Still, it can drive for up to 42 miles on electric power alone and it’s quick in a straight line, dispatching the 0–62mph sprint in just 6.3 seconds. The catch? Well, the NX isn’t a very fun car to drive. But not everyone’s a petrolhead – so, if you value comfort above all else, it could be perfect for you.
Read our Lexus NX review
Pros
- Comfortable ride
- Good electric range
- Great infotainment
Cons
- Average practicality
- Not particularly exciting
Honda ZR-V
The Civic’s excellent running gear in a fashionable SUV body
Honda has made a few oversights, though. Cabin storage could be better and boot space is a little disappointing. The ZR-V’s boot is around 100 litres smaller than the average cars in its class and, crucially, 30 litres pokier than the Civic’s. You also can’t have the ZR-V with a plug-in hybrid powertrain, which is either a blessing or a curse depending on your access to a wallbox charger.
Read our Honda ZR-V review
Pros
- Clever hybrid system
- 50mpg + fuel economy
- High-quality interior
Cons
- Only one powertrain
- Not much boot space
Toyota Yaris Cross
The Goldilocks combo for growing families
It’s also surprisingly good fun to drive. The Yaris Cross doesn’t completely filter out all the sensations of the road and its controls are just heavy enough at speed to feel engaging. The suspension is on the firmer side, too, but it’s seldom uncomfortable – and that added dash of granite in the dampers helps to make the car feel planted when you thread it down a fast country lane. Our biggest criticism is that its cabin is a little dull compared to cars such as the Ford Puma and Mercedes GLA.
Read our Toyota Yaris Cross review
Pros
- Supremely fuel efficient
- Perfectly sized for its market
- Smooth, predictable handling
Cons
- Interior is a little drab
- Slow infotainment system
Hyundai Tucson
Stylish transport for those prioritising comfort over fun
You can have it with a wide range of hybrid powertrains, too. The most affordable cars are fitted with mild hybrid petrol powertrains but, as you move up the Tucson’s pecking order, you’ll find self-charging and plug-in hybrid variants, the latter of which can drive for up to 31 miles on electric power alone. Just make sure you charge the PHEV variants regularly. Your fuel economy will tumble if you ask the 1.6-litre petrol engine to drag around the dead weight of the battery.
Read our Hyundai Tucson review
Pros
- Spacious interior and boot
- Intuitive infotainment system
- Excellent build quality
Cons
- Efficiency suffers on the motorway
- Adaptive suspension is pointless
Kia Sorento
A versatile and award-winning seven-seat SUV
You can have a Sorento with a self-charging hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain, both of which are based on the same 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. The PHEV is a great choice, offering an easy 80mpg on shorter journeys and around 40–50mpg on longer runs. The self-charging hybrid is less efficient and less powerful which means it labours on faster roads as it relies more heavily on its petrol engine. It isn’t cheap, though. Prices start from £46,495.
Read our Kia Sorento review
Pros
- Flexible interior
- Great fuel economy
- PHEV great around town
Cons
- Expensive
- Limited model range
Mercedes-Benz GLC 300de
Plug-in hybrid diesel SUV that’s great for munching miles
There are faults. The GLC’s low-speed ride is harsher than you’ll find on some track-ready hot hatchbacks and it’s far from being the most gratifying SUV to thread down a country lane. But its ride smooths out well once you hit the motorway, its seats offer loads of support and its cabin is very well equipped.
Read our Mercedes GLC review
Pros
- Great long-distance capability
- Diesel economy when out of battery
- Stylish, well-equipped interior
Cons
- Harsh low-speed ride
- Unrewarding steering system
Range Rover Evoque
British luxury staple with some serious off-road ability
Unlike most hybrid SUVs, the Evoque is much more than a one-trick pony. Its interior technology matches the standard set by the Audi Q3 and it’s as refined as a Porsche Macan. Plus, it can run rings around all its rivals off the beaten track. As far as we can tell, there are just two issues with the car. It’s quite expensive for its size and, although Land Rover has made some great progress over the past decade, its reliability record is still a little patchy.
Read our Range Rover Evoque review
Pros
- Gorgeous interior
- Refined at speed
- Good to drive
Cons
- Expensive to buy
- Costly optional extras
Toyota RAV4
Ruthless hybrid efficiency and a ten-year warranty
It’s worth mentioning that you’ll only draw near to that impressive fuel economy figure if you use the RAV4’s battery power as often as possible. However, even once you’re out of electricity, the hybrid system will still return upwards of 40mpg, which is impressive for a car of this size. If you don’t have a charging point at home, you can also have a self-charging hybrid version of the RAV4 which can also average upwards of 40mpg.
Read our Toyota RAV4 review
Pros
- Excellent fuel economy
- Fastidious reliability
- Industry-leading warranty
Cons
- It won’t excite keen drivers
- Quite expensive
Which hybrid SUV has the most room?
The Land Rover Discovery Sport P300e is an incredibly spacious hybrid SUV. It can carry up to 963 litres in its boot – although it’s worth mentioning that Land Rover measures boot capacity by loading their cars up to the roof rather than the luggage cover (as is normally the case). The Kia Sorento very roomy too and, unlike the Discovery, you can have it with a hybrid powertrain and seven seats. And if you don’t need to use the third row of seats, it can carry more than 600 litres of luggage.
Which hybrid SUV is the most economical?
The Honda ZR-V is one of the most efficient self-charging hybrid SUVs on the market. We managed to extract around 50mpg from the car without trying to drive particularly efficiently. You can get better results from plug-in hybrid SUVs, but only if you’re prepared to regularly charge them up at the mains. The Lexus NX PHEV, for example
What hybrid SUV has the best range on electric power only?
The Mercedes GLC 300e 4Matic AMG Line has the longest electric range of any plug-in hybrid SUV on sale today. Its motor is powered by an enormous 31.2kWh battery pack which, to put that into perspective, is only 4kWh smaller than the battery used to power the fully electric Honda e city car. It means the GLC PHEV can cover 80 miles on electric power alone.
Which hybrid SUV is the most reliable?
The Toyota RAV4 is the best hybrid SUV to opt for if you’re concerned about reliability. Toyota has a great reputation for building dependable cars – and the company wouldn’t slap a 10-year warranty on its vehicles if it thought they would break down all the time.
What is the best hybrid SUV for a family?
The Hyundai Tucson is one of the best family SUVs on sale because it offers a great mix of affordability, fuel economy, practicality, and build quality. It isn’t the most exciting car in its class to drive, but what you sacrifice in driver engagement, you win back in comfort. You also get a very reassuring five-year warranty.
