The commercial success of the hybrid car has been quite a thing to witness over the past couple of decades. It has created a broad and varied patchwork of models to choose from for private buyers and company car owners alike.
And it’s that varied selection - at the more compact and affordable end of the spectrum - that we’re getting in among here. If you're after bigger and more luxurious electrified models, we rank those on our Best Hybrid SUVs page.
As zero-emission sales laws tighten over the coming years and we move closer to the total phasing out of combustion-engined new cars across the UK and the EU by 2035, it’s impossible to say how long the hybrid powertrain will remain such a dominant force - but it must already be considered to be on borrowed time.
Car makers are now required by law to register an increasing proportion of their total UK sales volume as zero-emission all-electric cars, on a sliding scale from 2024 onwards that’s set to rise to 80% by 2030 and 100% by 2035. And while PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles) and HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) may help customers prepare for the idea of a fully electrified car, they won’t help their makers to avoid hefty fines if they fail to meet those deadlines.
For now, of course, a hybrid powertrain may simply be the right choice for your next car – perhaps because it saves you money at the petrol pump, or helps drive down how much benefit-in-kind (BIK) company car tax you pay, or gives you a car with a low emissions rating and a useful electric range with which to access a low-emissions zone, or to make most of your daily motoring emissions-free. These are our favourites.
1. Mercedes-Benz C300e
Pros: great electric range for the price, little practicality compromise, lots of digital cabin tech
Cons: doesn't handle like a sports saloon, slightly disappointing cabin quality
Packing a drive battery twice the size of many of its PHEV rivals', the current Mercedes C300e has a claimed WLTP electric range of up to 69 miles. That's enough not only to make the car particularly tax-efficient, but also to make a big difference to the savings it could deliver for drivers who pay for their own fuel.
The C300e's powerplant comprises a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine and a 127bhp electric motor and makes 308bhp in all, in a car that can crack 62mph from rest in just 6.1sec. The model is available in both saloon and estate bodystyles with no significant compromise to either passenger or boot space from its extra PHEV hardware.
The C300e has impressed our road testers with its refinement and isolation, and also with its laid-back, luxury-first, Mercedes S-Class-in-miniature vibes. Keener drivers with less of an eye on their tax bills may probably still prefer to consider the likes of the BMW 330e or Peugeot 508 PSE, but for most fleet drivers and operators, the C300e’s excellent electric range is sure to make it a popular option.
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Unfortunately, this is primarily a PHEV review and, therefore, of little interest to private buyers, unless they do 10,000 local miles a year and keep their cars for 10 years, otherwise the additional cost of a PHEV will never be recovered. I've not seen a PHEV that has boot space for a even a space-saver spare wheel. Few hybrids have the space either. Given today's appalling roads, the need for a spare wheel has never been greater. I'd not buy a car without a space-saver spare wheel. So, choices are very limited, hence Niro 3 HEV on order, a sensible car with spare wheel and circa 60 mpg, for under £30k.
More like top 10 tax dodgers, these cars would go out of production tomorrow if tax incentives were removed. A private buyer can make no case for one.