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Top five plug-in hybrids

Image of James Fossdyke
Author: | Updated: 28 Sep 2015 16:23

Plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) are sometimes criticised for being a cop outs and/or ‘half-baked’ electric cars, but we think that if employed correctly, they can offer all the advantages of electric motoring without any of the drawbacks.

Many of them, for example, boast enough electric range to be used as electric cars during the week, yet they still retain the ability to make the longer trips an internal combustion engine allows.

So opting for a PHEV makes sense, but the question of which to go for still burns. Here’s a list of our favourites to help make your decision a little easier.

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

Audi A3 Sportback e-tron

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The real joy of the A3 e-tron is that it’s much the same as any other five-door A3 (apart from the lettering on the car in our image, but never mind that). That might not sound like an advantage to those desperate to show off about their consideration for the environment, but it gives the car a normality that’ll be reassuring to most drivers.

A 31-mile electric-only range should be perfectly achievable for the reasonably light-footed driver, and the 7.9-second 0-62mph time offered by a combination of 1.4-litre 148bhp petrol engine and 53bhp electric motor will please those with hooves of lead.

There’s something for company car drivers too, with the official 37g/km CO2 emissions ensuring the e-tron falls into the lowest 5% company car tax bracket.
Full review…

McLaren P1

McLaren P1 2014 Front Static

Okay, with a tiny all-electric range the P1 is more hyper car than eco car, but it is technically a plug-in hybrid and just about qualifies for this list. However you define it though, the P1 is a demonstration of just how electricity can be a means to speed.

Slap bang in the middle lies a 3.8-litre V8 much like the one found in the old MP4-12C, albeit uprated to produce 727bhp. That’s good, but not that special. What really makes this car tick is a 177bhp electric motor with the ability to provide added boost, a bit like a McLaren F1 car’s KERS system, only better.

A 0-62mph time of 2.8 seconds is impressive, but the P1 comes into its own through the bends, where the carbon fibre construction helped it lap the Nürburgring faster than James Hunt’s 1976 F1 car.

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV

Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV GX5h

Lease a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV: business / personal

When it comes to plug-in hybrid technology, the Outlander is no longer the king of the hill, but it’s still a pioneer and ferociously popular.

Somehow blending the advantages of an electric runabout with the image of a big, rugged SUV has worked a treat for Mitsubishi, and the Outlander PHEV is now among the best-selling plug-in vehicles, only trailing the Nissan Leaf because the Leaf has had four more years on sale.

Admittedly, the 144mpg official fuel consumption is optimistic, but the 32-mile electric range isn’t and the torque of the electric motors comes in handy off-road. Factor in sensible pricing and it’d be a bold gambler who bets against the Outlander’s success continuing.
Full review…

Mercedes-Benz C-Class

Mercedes C350 Plug-In Hybrid Estate 2015 Grey Front Static

Lease a Mercedes-Benz C-Class: business / personal

Another dose of normality in the hippie world of hybrid motoring, the C-Class hybrid is practically indistinguishable from the usual C220d. Styling tweaks are few and far between, and when the engine’s running, it sounds much like any other petrol C-Class.

That’s because it has a fairly standard 2.0-litre petrol engine, but it’s supplemented by an electric motor to bring the system output to 275bhp. The all-electric range is a little on the short side for a plug-in at 19 miles – a pity when the Merc is so well suited to silent motoring – but it’s good for 80mph before the engine starts.

Despite the comparatively short electric range, however, the 48g/km CO2 emissions are competitive, as is the 5.9-second 0-62mph time.

BMW i8

BMW i8-edit

Lease a BMW i8: business / personal

It’s quite difficult to pigeon-hole the i8. On the one hand it’s a four-seat, £100,000 supercar, but on the other it’s an eco-friendly coupe – a hybrid 4 Series, if you like.

The i8 looks more dramatic than the 4 Series though, both inside and out, and with a total of 357bhp taking it to 62mph in just 4.4 seconds, it’s going to embarrass your common or garden ‘4’ in a traffic light drag race, but even the frugal 420d can’t match the i8’s 49g/km CO2 emissions and resultant 5% company car tax.

Yes, the 4 Series is cheaper and the i8’s three-cylinder petrol engine sounds a bit naff at idle, but nothing comes close to its balance of performance and economy.
Full review…

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