The best plug-in hybrid SUVs offer enough pure electric running to cover most routine journeys on EV power alone, and then a petrol or diesel engine to keep you going on longer journeys.
For those motorists who can charge easily at home or at the office, a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) can offer the low running costs of an electric vehicle for local trips, with the convenience of a petrol car on longer journeys. Not to mention the low company-car tax that PHEVs also offer, making them a great option for those who pay Benefit-in-Kind tax on a company car but who don’t want an EV.
The downside is that PHEVs are typically more expensive to buy than self-charging hybrid cars, mild hybrids or non-electrified petrol- and diesel alternatives. Not only that, but they’re often not very economical when the battery power has been depleted – as such, always take the WLTP claimed fuel economy figure with a large pinch of salt, because to achieve it would mean doing the vast majority of your driving within the pure electric range.
If you’re worried about any of that, or if you’d rather have a hybrid SUV that you don’t need to plug in, you should check out our guide to the Best Self-Charging Hybrid SUVs.
However, if you’re one of the many people for whom a PHEV does make sense, here’s our guide to the best plug-in hybrid SUVs on sale right now.
Best Plug-in Hybrid SUVs 2024
- Ford Kuga PHEV
- Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid
- Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid
- Kia Niro PHEV
- Mercedes GLC 300e and 300de
- Lexus NX Plug-in Hybrid
- Volvo XC90 T8
Ford Kuga PHEV
The Ford Kuga is right up there as one of our favourite family SUVs of all. List prices and monthly finance deals are all extremely competitive for a mid-sized plug-in hybrid family SUV like this, and it’s remarkably efficient even with the petrol engine running. Don’t be fooled into thinking that this 2.5-litre petrol engine, which has 222bhp with the electric motor also chiming, will be less economical than the smaller petrol engines you see in rivals like the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. We’ve done lots of miles in the Ford Kuga plug-in hybrid, and even with the battery drained its hybrid system will still easily manage 50mpg in the real world. Ford claims an official electric range of 28-41 miles for the Kuga PHEV, but in our experience you’ll more likely see 25-32 miles. It’s fun to drive, but with 412 litres of boot space behind the rear seats it’s not the roomiest SUV for luggage.
Ford Kuga Review
Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid
The Hyundai Tucson looks really striking – we particularly love the unusual headlight design. What’s also great is the amount of space it offers inside, with a huge 558-litre boot capacity, masses of rear passenger space and a really classy cabin up front. The big touchscreen infotainment system is one of the best in this mid-sized PHEV family SUV class, too. Official figures would have you believe that the Tucson PHEV will do over 201mpg, but expect more like 35mpg in the real world after you’ve exhausted the electric running of around 25-34 miles (you’ll get better electric range in the summer, as lithium-ion batteries such as those in all of our plug-in hybrids are always more efficient when it’s warm). The Tucson is comfortable to spend time in, with a cushy ride and plenty of seat adjustment. All of that comes at a bit of a price, though, as the Tucson is more expensive than the Ford Kuga PHEV – if very similarly priced to sister brand’s Kia Sportage, which has the same platform and powertrain, and is similarly recommendable to the Hyundai Tucson.
Hyundai Tucson Review
Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid
The Renault Captur is a compact SUV that’s available with plug-in hybrid technology; that makes it a fairly rare thing in a class that’s dominated by small SUVs and crossovers like the Ford Puma and Nissan Juke, which are only offered as mild- or self-charging hybrids. The Captur gets a 379-litre boot capacity, plus the rear seats slide so that you can trade rear legroom for more boot space – another rare, yet useful feature in this class. Mind you, you’ll want them slid as far back as possible to make the most of the rear passenger space most of the time, especially if you’ve got chunky car seats or older kids to fit in.
While the official WLTP figures would have you believe that the Renault Captur E-Tech Hybrid will do 190mpg, in practice expect the 1.6-litre petrol engine to deliver more like 40mpg after the real-world pure electric driving range of 20-27 miles is used up. It’s a smart-looking car, the Captur, not to mention one of the most compact and affordable SUVs on sale that offers a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
Renault Captur Review
Kia Niro PHEV
The Kia Niro is smaller than SUVs like the Ford Kuga and Hyundai Tucson, but is a bit bigger than the Renault Captur; it actually has a similar ‘footprint’ on the road to conventional family hatchbacks like the Volkswagen Golf. It’s quite unusual in that you can get it as a self-charging hybrid, a PHEV and as an EV. The plug-in hybrid version gets WLTP economy of 353mpg, but you’re unlikely to get more than 40mpg from this 1.6-litre petrol engine when the battery power is depleted. The Kia Niro PHEV will manage around 25-32 miles of electric running depending on the conditions.
The Niro PHEV offers a good balance of a fairly compact body and useful practicality, with 348-litres of boot space, and enough rear passenger space for two average-sized adults to sit comfortably – again, it’s a comparable amount of space to what you get in a traditional family hatchback. In fact, while the Niro has crossover-like styling and slightly higher ride height than a normal hatchback, it doesn’t feel very SUV-like. Even the Captur has a slightly higher, SUV-like driving position. Still, that’s not necessarily a bad thing, and more importantly list prices, specs, and monthly finance deals are competitive.
Kia Niro Review
Mercedes GLC 300e and 300de
The Mercedes GLC 300e plug-in hybrid has a large, 31kWh battery pack that means it can do a claimed 80 miles of electric-only range. In real world driving you can expect 65-80 miles of electric mileage, which will be enough for many buyers to do the majority of miles on EV power. Not only that, but you can have the GLC PHEV with a 2.0-litre petrol- or diesel engine; Mercedes is the only manufacturer that offers diesel engines in its plug-in hybrid models. Ignore the official fuel economy of 706mpg for the GLC 300de diesel and 506mpg for the 300e petrol. Instead, figure out how much of your mileage you’d be able to cover on electric power alone, and then consider the sort of fuel efficiency you’ll get after that – some 55mpg in the diesel, and more like 38mpg in the petrol.
Provided you can charge regularly (and the GLC also charges at 7kW, which is double the charging speed of many plug-in hybrids and will get you a full charge in around four hours on a normal home or office charger). With a 470-litre boot, spacious rear seats, decent equipment levels and a really classy cabin and infotainment system, the GLC is also a very practical SUV. The almost inevitable consequence of this is that the GLC plug-in hybrid is really pricey to buy, so it likely makes most sense for company car users.
Mercedes GLC Review
Lexus NX Plug-in Hybrid
The Lexus NX is available as a plug-in hybrid and as a full hybrid, and it’s a really quiet, smooth, comfortable car to spend time in whichever option you go for. The NX is a rival to other mid-sized, premium SUVs including the Mercedes GLC, BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Toyota RAV4. The Lexus NX 450h+ PHEV will officially manage 47 miles of electric running and CO2 emissions of as low as 21g/km, making it one of the cheaper company car options in this class. You can expect more like 35-40 miles of electric running in the real world, while the petrol engine will deliver some 35-40mpg after the zero-emissions mileage is used up. It charges at 7kW, too, which is usefully faster charging than you get with the Volvo XC40 PHEV that we also rate highly in this class.
There’s plenty of room in the NX for rear passengers, and the boot has a useful 520 litres of space, which makes this one of the bigger boots of these mid-sized, PHEV SUVs. The Lexus NX isn’t as efficient as the longer-range Mercedes GLC, but running costs are low and it’s really easy to drive and live with. Provided you have the car serviced at an official dealership, the Lexus also comes with a very compelling 100,000 mile, 10-year warranty.
Lexus NX Review
Volvo XC90 T8
The Volvo XC90 is soon to be joined by a new, fully electric large Volvo EX90 luxury SUV, but the fact that the XC90 is near the end of its life doesn’t mean that it’s a bad purchase – even as a brand new car. In fact, the XC90 T8 Recharge remains one of very few large, plug-in hybrid SUVs that also has seven seats; the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe are also great options if a seven-seat PHEV is what you’re after. We’ve picked the Volvo here as it’s well-priced considering the size and level of luxury on offer - largely as Volvo is incentivising it given it's nearing the end of its life.
It’s also classy inside with all the safety and infotainment features that you'll likely want, and the seven-seat layout is flexible and spacious with roomy middle seats that fold and slide, and a third row of seats that folds flat to leave a vast, 775-litre boot in five-seat mode. Real-world electric range is underwhelming, at around 20-25 miles, but charging of up to 11kW is usefully quick. With the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine in action, expect fuel economy of around 28mpg (not unusual for SUVs of this size).
There’s no denying that the Volvo XC90 T8 Recharge is not the most efficient plug-in hybrid SUV - the BMW X5 xDrive45e, Range Rover Sport PHEV and Mercedes GLE PHEVs will go much further on electric power. But, this one of the most practical PHEV SUVs out there, and for this type of car it’s well priced by today’s standards. It hasn’t aged badly at all, either - the cabin is still really lovely and plush.
Volvo XC90 Review