Top 10 best hybrid SUVs 2024

A refreshed version of the BMW X5 landed in showrooms in 2023, and as before the star attraction of the plug-in version is its creamy smooth 3.0-litre straight-six, which works in tandem with an electric motor to give both a startling turn of speed and surprisingly low running costs.

Given its head, this combination musters an impressive 485bhp, while the electric motor has enough urge to make the car feel brisk enough while mooching around. Speaking of which, thanks to a 25.7kWh battery the X5 can travel on pure electricity for up to 66 miles, which is both nifty and allows the car to qualify for the UK government's 8% BIK tax bracket.

In spite of the increase in kerbweight (this BMW causes the scales to creak under strain of 2495kg), the 50e drives as well as any BMW X5 there's ever been; and, for those who don't know, that's a high dynamic marker for a large SUV. It's polished, slick and refined, but also controls its mass well and handles neatly and with compelling poise for a big car. 

Inside, cabin quality is good enough to compete with anything else on this list, and practicality is strong despite the fact that the packaging of the PHEV drive battery robs the car of its third-row seats, and a little of its cargo capacity.

Cars with two engines rather than one, as well as enough drive battery for a significant amount of electric running, typically don't come cheap. It can also be tempting to look past the list price of a plug-in hybrid to its benefit in kind bracket, without realising the defining impact that former has on how much it may take out of your monthly pay packet.

And so, for a PHEV to be really tax-efficient, it must offer a blend of electric range and value: which is precisely what the Kia Sportage PHEV does. You'll have to look long and hard for a family car as practical as this, that has more than 40 miles of lab-test-certified electric range and so qualifies for 8 per cent BIK, and that can also be snapped up for little more than £40,000.

It is a fairly compact SUV but offers adult-appropriate passenger accommodation in both rows of seats, and a robust and high-quality cabin. It can be bought with a 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrain; as a 'HEV' full hybrid with only limited electric range and 'no plug'; or as a 1.6-litre PHEV with a certified 42 miles of electric range. The PHEV has the most power, and also better performance and drivability than the cheaper 'HEV'.

The Sportage's slightly anodyne handling is unlikely to excite you, but its styling remains really distinctive, and its ownership credentials are clear.

Now in its third generation, the most dynamic of all Range Rovers is, unsurprisingly, the best 'Sport' yet. At the heart of the car’s appeal is the brand’s latest plug-in hybrid drivetrain that combines a lusty turbocharged Ingenium 3.0-litre straight-six with a gearbox-mounted electric motor and very generous 38.2kWh battery.

The result is an impressive electric only range of up to 74 miles. That means, provided you don't put too many heavy options or big alloy wheels on your car, it could become the only other way in this top ten, along with the Mercedes GLC 300e, to get access to a five-per-cent BIK classification.

In terms of cosseting luxury there’s not a car on this list that can match the Range Rover, its spacious and opulent interior dripping in rich materials and the sort of slick tech that adds plenty of showroom appeal. On the move it’s nearly as quiet and comfy as its big brother, but the addition of four-wheel steering and active anti-roll adds an extra dimension of agility and driver engagement.

It’s not cheap, but the best things in life rarely are. A shoo-in for pride of place in the directors' car park, then.

The Porsche Cayenne remains the segment's defining performance SUV. It has always offered knock-out performance powertrains, of course; but in this latest, facelifted third-generation version, it puts at least as much emphasis on tax-savvy plug-in hybrid power, in order to keep the car relevant as the high-powered business executive's status SUV of choice.

Between Cayenne E-Hybrid, Cayenne S E-Hybrid and Cayenne Turbo E-Hybrid versions, there are now three PHEV models to choose from - and, while none quite compete with rivals of the longest electric range on this list, all qualify for an eight-per-cent BIK band. The two lesser models combine V6 turbo petrol engines with their electric motors, the S E-Hybrid making a little over 500bhp, and managing 0-62mph in a little under 5.0sec; while the Turbo E-Hybrid is one of few V8-hybrid PHEVs on the market, with in excess of 700-horsepower, 0-62mph in just 3.7sec, and a top speed beyond 180mph.

WIth a renewed interior packed with material quality and digital technology, and bristling with driver appeal, there's no other PHEV quite like this - and few that justify a high price in such clear and direct sporting terms.

BMW's second entry in this top ten really proves how quickly PHEV technology is improving. Three years ago, only a handful of electrified mid-sized SUV were rated for more than 40 miles of electric running, and most of those priced at a premium even when sold by non-premium brands.

Today, however - even with the rampant inflation we've seen since then - you can pay less than £45k for a mid-sized SUV rated for more than 50 miles of 'EAER' electric range, provided you know where to look.

The BMW X1 is where. It is offered with two PHEV powertrains in addition to cheaper 'ICE' powertrains: the X1 xDrive25e and xDrive30e. Both use 1.5-litre, three-cylinder turbo petrol engines for the front axle, and electric drive motors over their rear ones; both can be equipped just so for a little over 50 miles of EAER electric range; and while the -25e offers 242bhp of total system power, the -30e increases that to 321bhp.

The X1 has an especially spacious cabin for a mid-sized SUV, and handles with plenty of grip and precision; although its multimedia usability isn't great. But it is one of the smarter ways to get lots of electric running in a smaller and more affordable package.

Refinement feels like it should be a natural quality of the hybrid SUV, but few of them offer as much of it as the Lexus NX. Lexus has been making electrified SUVs for longer than most car companies, of course - but it's the company's habitual focus on filtering out the outside world, and lavishing fine attention-to-detail on producing a really relaxing driving experience, that shines through in the NX.

This is a mid-sized, five-seater SUV sized to compete with anything from a Range Rover Evoque to a BMW X3. Available with a choice of electrified powertrains - as a 350h self-charging four-cylinder hybrid, or a 450h+ plug-in option - it doesn't railroad private buyers into living with a PHEV option that may not suit them. If you go for the pricier PHEV, you'll get a car rated for 45 miles of electric range; but if you can't charge it, and don't pay company car tax anyway, you could have the regular hybrid instead, save a few quid, and know that you're not lugging around so many kWh of battery ballast that isn't really useful to you.

Lexus's familiar hybrid drive system makes for a slightly distant-feeling driving experience, but it doesn't want for outright performance; while the handling of F-Sport grade cars, on adaptive dampers, is neat, tidy and precise.

When you read the word Volkswagen, the next word that springs to mind is most likely Golf. But those in the know know that the Tiguan is in fact VW’s best-seller. Has been since 2018. 

And this latest third-generation model is better than ever. Engines come in two by two. There are two mild-hybrid petrols, two PHEVs, two turbocharged petrols and two 2.0-litre diesels.

Both PHEVs use the same sizeable drive battery and are rated for more than 70 miles of electric range, allowing them to qualify for benefit-in-kind company car tax of 5%.

Models fitted with the Golf-GTI-proven DCC Pro adaptive dampers hold the road exceptionally well, with crisp turn-in and well-contained body movement. This family SUV can really hide its bulk and does a passing impression of something lighter and smaller.

Like the rest of the Volvo plug-in range, the handsome XC60 boasts an 18.8kWh drive battery, which takes the car's EV range capability to around 50 miles according to WLTP figures. Not only does that make this sybaritic SUV an even more relaxing companion, it drops it into a wallet-friendly 8% BiK band for business users - and also means you can use plenty of short-range electric running to save money on fuel.

The flagship T8 version serves-up petrol-electric combined might of 395bhp, but it weighs in with a price tag that's uncomfortably close to XC90 money. Better is the T6, which musters a still very respectable 345bhp and a 0-62mph time of 5.7 seconds, which is plenty for a near two-tonne SUV, especially one that prioritises cruising comfort over the high-jinx cornering antics that rivals such as the BMW X3 target.

Better still, its motor and battery are identical to the more powerful version, so you get the same refined and effortless urge when you're travelling on electricity alone.