MG ZS review – even better value than before
Top 10 best hybrid SUVs in 2025
SUV practicality with hatchback economy? You can have both with a hybrid SUV
Hybrid SUVs can make a lot of sense for car buyers. You get the spaciousness and practicality of a big family car with the low running costs more typical of a small hatchback. Gone are the days of big ‘gas-guzzlers’ with thirsty engines – you’ll find that the latest hybrid SUVs are some of the most economical cars on sale.
That’s all thanks to the latest battery and motor technology, which has seen some major advancements in recent years. A greater reliance on electric power in hybrid SUVs means the petrol engine doesn’t have to work quite so hard, saving fuel. Of course, there are different types of hybrid today, each offering a different level of electrification – you can read our hybrid explainer here.
Top 10 best plug-in hybrids on sale today
For this list, we’ve looked at both self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids – we’ve left out mild hybrids as they only provide a small electric boost. Choosing between a self-charging hybrid and plug-in (PHEV) should be your first step when picking a hybrid SUV. The latter will offer a longer electric-only driving range and can therefore be cheaper to run if you keep the battery topped up.
But if you don’t want the hassle of having to plug your car in regularly – or if you don’t have access to a charging point – then a self-charging hybrid will probably make more sense. You’ll get better fuel economy compared to driving a PHEV with a flat battery, plus they’re often cheaper to buy.
We have included a range of models from different manufacturers at varying price points, so there should be a hybrid SUV to suit all buyers.
The best hybrid SUVs on sale today
These are the top 10 best hybrid SUVs on sale right now. If you’re not set on hybrid power, read our guide to the best SUVs on sale, which includes combustion-powered and electric alternatives. Or, if you’re willing to consider cars of all shapes and sizes, read our list of the best hybrids.
- Priced from around £22,000
MG’s rebirth as a budget-friendly family car brand has been nothing short of a huge success. Its affordable electric models have shaken up the market, and now it’s turned its attention to hybrids, too. The MG ZS is a full hybrid small SUV, and we think it’s one of the best-value cars on sale. It represents a huge step forward from its predecessor, offering more kit, more space and better fuel economy.
At the heart of the ZS is a self-charging hybrid system. It’s the same setup found in the MG3 hatchback, pairing a petrol engine with a powerful electric motor. The motor does most of the heavy lifting around town, giving the ZS an EV-lite feel from behind the wheel while also boosting efficiency. MG says it will return over 55mpg in mixed driving – we saw between 45 and 50mpg in our testing, which is still pretty good. It’s pretty nippy, too, with nearly 200bhp and a 0-62mph time of under nine seconds.
That would all be pretty impressive on its own, but the MG earns itself top spot on this list with its price tag. At under £22,000, it’s nothing short of a steal, especially considering that it’s bigger and more practical than rival small SUVs. No wonder it was voted the Carbuyer Best Hybrid for 2025.
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Find new and used deals for the MG ZS on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £44,000
While Lexus has always produced dramatic and contemporary car designs, they’ve also tended to lag behind premium rivals such as BMW and Mercedes when it comes to technology. The latest Lexus NX bucks this trend with a familiar exterior design, but a revolutionised interior. The new ‘floating’ 14-inch touchscreen is a big improvement over Lexus systems of old and the digitised climate control dials are modern, yet functional.
The Lexus NX is offered as both a self-charging and a plug-in hybrid. The 302bhp plug-in has low running costs and an electric range of around 40 miles. While this model is expensive, its low Benefit in Kind band makes it appealing for company car drivers. Private buyers should instead opt for the self-charging hybrid in the NX350h because this is significantly less expensive to buy outright and still remains frugal to run, with fuel economy figures of up to around 50mpg.
To top things off, you get the impeccable build quality that Lexus is famous for, along with stellar reliability and an industry-leading warranty of up to 10 years and 100,00 miles. We reckon it’s the best large hybrid car you can buy in 2025.
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Find new and used deals for the Lexus NX on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £19,000
Dacia is a brand known for its affordable and utilitarian family cars, so you may be surprised to learn that the new Duster is available with a full self-charging hybrid system. This fuel-saving tech – and the 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that it’s attached to – are pinched from parent-brand Renault, meaning you get similar economy figures to the Captur below. Dacia claims you’ll see up to 55mpg – a figure that proved accurate during our testing.
Compared to the old Duster, the new model feels far more refined from behind the wheel, while you still get good visibility and some handy off-road capability, too. The cabin has also taken a big step forward. Sure, there are still plenty of cheap-feeling plastics dotted around, but with a starting price of under £20,000 – or around £24,000 for the hybrid – we can forgive the Duster.
What you do get is a large 10.1-inch infotainment display in all but the entry-level model, plus easy-to-use physical buttons for the climate controls and a big 517-litre boot. As a complete package, the Duster is hard to beat for the money, so it’s no surprise it picked up the Carbuyer Car of the Year award for 2025.
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Find new and used deals for the Dacia Duster on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £32,000
The Hyundai Tucson impresses with its striking exterior and plush interior, which puts many more premium rivals to shame. All trim levels get an impressive widescreen dashboard with a pair of 12.3-inch displays which are crisp and intuitive to use. The Tucson is spacious, too; the small transmission tunnel makes it easy to seat five and the boot is one of the best in class at 620 litres, although this drops to 558 litres for the PHEV model.
All models barring the entry-level version of the Tucson come with some form of hybrid assistance – whether that be the 48-volt mild hybrid, self-charging or plug-in. We recommend opting for the frugal 212bhp 1.6-litre self-charging hybrid. This has plenty of motorway pulling power and is quiet and economical around town, managing around 50mpg. While the PHEV offers an impressive 200mpg and 38 miles of pure-electric range, this model is quite expensive and is only recommended for company car drivers.
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Find new and used deals for the Hyundai Tucson on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £39,000
The Subaru Forester has always been a bit of a left field choice in the family SUV market, but the latest model is a more complete and competent package than ever. All models come with Subaru’s long-serving four-cylinder petrol ‘boxer’ engine, now connected to a self-charging hybrid system. On paper, it’s far from the most efficient setup, only returning around 35mpg, but we actually achieved more than this during around-town driving.
Unlike virtually every other hybrid SUV on this list, the Forester features four-wheel drive. That gives it some serious all-weather, all-terrain credentials, which will be particularly handy if you live somewhere prone to slippery conditions. Sure, it’s a bit sluggish and the dashboard doesn’t look quite as cutting-edge as some rivals, but we can fault it for quality. The Forester feels like it’s built to last, and we have no doubt that it will be able to handle everything a family can throw at it.
It’s worth mentioning that Subaru was voted the best car brand to own in the UK in the latest Driver Power survey, proving that drivers had few regrets about their purchase. The Forester was also awarded a five-star safety rating by Euro NCAP – a big tick for family car buyers.
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Find new and used deals for the Subaru Forester on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £47,000
Being a large seven-seat SUV, you’d expect to find a big thirsty diesel engine under the bonnet of the new Hyundai Sante Fe. Open it up, and instead you’re greeted by a 1.6-litre four-cylinder petrol engine. While that may sound relatively puny, the Santa Fe comes with either a self-charging or plug-in hybrid system, boosting both performance and fuel economy, and allowing for electric-only driving at low speeds.
Love or hate the chiselled styling, we can’t imagine anyone complaining about the Santa Fe’s interior. There’s masses of space across all three rows of seating and the material quality and technology are on par with offerings from more upmarket brands. Plus, the suspension has clearly been set up for comfort over sportiness – a decision that your passengers will appreciate. The cabin is quiet and, importantly, the transition from electric to petrol power is smooth.
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Find new and used deals for the Hyundai Santa Fe on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £22,000
If style is your motivation for buying an SUV, then you’ll love the chic looks of the Renault Captur. Essentially a jacked-up version of the Renault Clio supermini, it shares many of that car’s benefits such as a portrait-style touchscreen – similar to that you’d find in a Tesla. Another benefit is the standard sliding rear bench seat which can recline for maximum passenger comfort or slide forward to allow for an impressive 536 litres of boot space.
For buyers looking to keep running costs to a minimum, Renault offers an ‘E-Tech’-badged hybrid version of the Captur with a self-charging hybrid system. A plug-in hybrid model with 30 miles of electric driving range was previously offered, but it was discontinued following a facelift in 2024. We don’t think that is any great loss, however, as the self-charging hybrid is more affordable and still returns impressive economy figures. This model starts from around £25,000 and still returns nearly 60mpg.
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Find new and used deals for the Renault Captur on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £42,000
A favourite among families, the Kia Sorento has grown in popularity over its four generations and has recently been treated to a mid-life facelift, bringing updated styling and the South Korean brand’s latest interior tech. Buyers can choose between a self-charging petrol hybrid or a conventional diesel. There’s also a plug-in hybrid petrol with 35 miles of electric driving range, which is likely to be the pick of the bunch for business drivers.
Inside the Sorento, passengers are welcomed by an excellent interior, with premium materials and a minimalist design. It follows a similar layout to other Kia models, featuring a pair of 12.3-inch displays on the dashboard, with a row of physical buttons for the climate controls. Buyers will be most impressed by the Sorento’s practicality; there’s over 600 litres of boot space in all models, and passenger room in the third row of seats is better than many rivals. A 2024 facelift reintroduced some more affordable trim levels to the Sorento, too, making it an even more appealing option for family-car buyers on a budget.
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Find new and used deals for the Kia Sorento on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £53,000
The Mercedes GLC is perhaps the most tech-packed SUV on this list, with a bank of interior displays to rival NASA mission control. While the central ‘hyperscreen’ certainly looks impressive, it’s the plug-in hybrid tech under the skin that really sets the GLC apart from other premium SUVs. Using a giant 31kWh battery pack, this PHEV Merc can travel nearly 80 miles on electric power alone – enough for a few trips around town during the week and more than practically all of its rivals. The GLC ticks all the normal SUV boxes, too, with a big boot, comfy ride and high-quality interior materials.
Interestingly, Mercedes sells the GLC as both a petrol and a diesel plug-in hybrid. Badged 300 de, the latter combines the PHEV tech with a fuel-sipping 2.0-litre diesel engine, resulting in a WLTP-tested fuel economy figure of over 700mpg. That may be hard to believe, but like any plug-in hybrid, that figure will only be achieved if you remember to keep the battery topped up.
If that all sounds a bit boring, there is another plug-in hybrid option for the GLC: the AMG GLC 63 Performance. You won’t see much change from £110,000, but you’ll get supercar-beating performance and respectable fuel economy.
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Find new and used deals for the Mercedes GLC on our sister site Auto Express
- Priced from around £30,000
The latest Kia Sportage is one of the most distinctive-looking SUVs on sale thanks to its quirky, angular design and boomerang-shaped headlights. On the inside, the Sportage feels just as special thanks to several ideas taken from the brilliant Kia EV6 electric car. The optional dual-screen 12.3-inch infotainment system is slick and easy-to-use and the touch-sensitive climate control panel feels futuristic. Underneath, the Kia shares many of its parts with the Hyundai Tucson and has similarly roomy rear seats and only a slightly smaller boot, at 591 litres.
Just like the Tucson, the Sportage is available with both as a 212bhp self-charging hybrid or as a plug-in hybrid, also with 212bhp; however on the Sportage, the PHEV boasts a respectable 40 miles of pure-electric range. One drawback of the Sportage is its slightly harsh ride quality around town, but it should still remain comfortable over long distances on faster roads.
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Find new and used deals for the Kia Sportage on our sister site Auto Express
Best hybrid SUVs price and score list
The table below includes the starting price and Carbuyer score for the 10 best hybrid SUVs listed above.
| Best hybrid SUV ranking | Make and model | Priced from | Carbuyer rating (out of 5) |
| 1 | MG ZS | £22,000 | 4.1 |
| 2 | Lexus NX | £44,000 | 4.3 |
| 3 | Dacia Duster | £19,000 | 4.2 |
| 4 | Hyundai Tucson | £32,000 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Subaru Forester | £39,000 | 4.5 |
| 6 | Hyundai Santa Fe | £47,000 | 4.4 |
| 7 | Renault Captur | £22,000 | 4.3 |
| 8 | Kia Sorento | £42,000 | 4.3 |
| 9 | Mercedes GLC | £53,000 | 4.2 |
| 10 | Kia Sportage | £30,000 | 4.2 |
Hybrid SUV buying guide
Thanks to the extensive implementation of hybrid and plug-in hybrid technology, SUVs are now more fuel efficient than ever. The best hybrid SUVs combine the rugged looks, raised ride height and off-road capability of an SUV with lower fuel consumption and – in the case of plug-in hybrids – the ability to drive short distances on electric power alone.
If you’re looking to buy a hybrid SUV, you first need to decide whether a self-charging hybrid or a plug-in hybrid is right for you. Both will offer improved fuel economy over a traditional combustion engine, but, as the name suggests, a plug-in hybrid will need to be topped up via a charger to get the most out of the system. If you’re not able to plug in your car to charge it, you’ll probably be better off with a self-charging hybrid, although you’ll be sacrificing the extended electric-only driving range of a PHEV.
The electric-only range offered by the batteries used in these plug-in hybrids has come on a lot over the years, with some of the best plug-in hybrid SUVs capable of up to 70 miles or more on electric power alone – gone are the days when the trade off for a larger, more practical SUV meant paying over the odds to run it. Plus, company-car drivers’ Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) liabilities are based on CO2 emissions; this means the extra cost of hybrid SUVs over their petrol or diesel counterparts can often be offset against your obligations to the taxman.
Why not read our list of the best plug-in hybrid cars?
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