Best plug-in hybrid cars 2024

Throughout the ages, the BMW 5 Series has always been an incredibly difficult car to fault, and the latest one arguably ticks more boxes than ever.

The traditional 5 Series traits of a spacious and practical cabin with flawless quality are all present and correct, while plenty of luxury kit is provided as standard, including a very sophisticated infotainment system.

The latest Five also delivers the typically dazzling driving experience you expect from a 5 Series (at least in the form we've tried it, with adaptive suspension), with a plush ride that makes long-distance drives a breeze, allied to a level of agility that a car of this size has no right to.

Where the latest plug-in 5 Series improves most, however, is on its electric range, with its official figure of up to 63 miles being way more than the previous-generation 530e gave you. All that, and its combined power output of 299PS can get you from 0-62mph in just 6.3 seconds. Not bad, eh?

What two things do company car users love? Cars with class and style, and saving money. That's why a plug-in hybrid compact executive like the Mercedes-Benz C 300 e might be the ultimate company car.

Plug-ins like this C-Class offer massive Benefit-in-Kind tax savings as a company car. What's more, the C 300 e sits in a super-low tax band because its electric range is so impressive: it'll do 70 miles on a charge, which is among the best of any plug-in hybrid.

Even the petrol version has a range nearly twice that of the BMW 330e, making it quite a bit cheaper to run for business users. But it's not just the money-saving aspect, though: there's plenty to like besides, for both company car drivers and private buyers alike. Like the posh mini S-Class design, the luxurious and high-tech cabin and the excellent refinement. 

To drive, the C 300 e is quicker than you might think thanks to a combined output of 312PS. It also has a lovely cushy ride for long motorway schleps, and tidy handling, too. It's not exactly cheap, but it's half the price of an S-Class and doesn't feel it.

There are plenty of plug-in SUVs in this list, but only one of them is a seven-seater. Say hello to the Kia Sorento.

We could make a good case for the Kia Sorento PHEV being one of the best all-rounders you can buy for below £55k. It's a proper seven-seater in that it can take adults in the third row without too much complaint, but it also comes with a classy cabin absolutely packed to the gills with standard equipment, and impressive tech. 

The plug-in hybrid is more expensive and rarer than the self-charging hybrid and diesel Kia Sorentos, but if you can find a nearly new one for a good price, you'll be getting a very strong do-it-all family car. With 265PS from a 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor, it's reasonably perky, while it'll officially manage 35 miles on a charge, and deliver triple-digit MPG. 

The Sorento PHEV is not a cheap option, with petrol or diesel versions of the SEAT Tarraco and Skoda Kodiaq undercutting it on price. But neither feel as upmarket or offer the same level of equipment, comfort and space.

The BMW X5 is already one of our favourite large, posh SUVs, and its refined driving experience is made even better in the plug-in hybrid X5 xDrive45e. 

The key thing about the xDrive45e model is that its electric range of between 50-54 miles is over double that of the old model, the xDrive40e. Even in a worst-case scenario with cold weather and high speed driving, it'll be high thirties, which for many will let them commute both ways without the engine ever starting. 

The 200mpg-plus official fuel economy figure is pretty impressive for a two-tonne-plus luxury SUV. It's also good to drive with a smooth 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine, while its 394PS output means it's quicker than you might think. It handles well for a tall and heavy car, and if you avoid the biggest wheel options, it rides superbly. 

Combine all that with a cosseting, premium and high-tech cabin with plenty of space for five adults, and it's nearly the full package. We say nearly, because its big battery pack means a smaller boot and no seven-seat option unlike other X5s. 

It's hard not respect how accomplished the Skoda Octavia Estate is. It's got loads of space for passengers and luggage, plenty of technology and equipment, it's refined and comfortable to drive and – in plug-in hybrid iV form – offers a decent turn of pace. 

All this, yet it's pretty affordable to buy and very cheap to run. You can have your Skoda Octavia Estate as a cheaper petrol or diesel model, but you can also have the 1.4 TSI iV PHEV that mates a 1.4-litre turbo petrol engine to an electric motor and battery pack.

It'll do 43 miles before the battery is depleted, yet it also puts out 204PS, enough for a 0-62mph time of 7.8 seconds. If that's not fast enough for you, check out the sportier vRS model: it can also be had as a plug-in hybrid, but with 245PS and a 38-mile electric range. Admittedly it's not quite as fun as the regular vRS, but it's still a hot estate car with no efficiency downside. 

Don't be fooled by the similar styling, the latest Lexus NX is a much better premium SUV than the old Lexus NX. It's also available as a PHEV as well as with the brand's familiar self-charging hybrid tech, so there's a choice to suit every buyer. 

Behind the angular, striking exterior is an impeccably built, posh cabin, with greatly improved infotainment. There's also more room for passengers and luggage than before. But it's the improvement in the driving experience that's been the biggest revelation. 

The old NX wasn't very enjoyable to drive and rode pretty poorly, which meant it was wholly outclassed by the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Volvo XC60. The new model manages to offer a much more sorted ride and better handling, alongside improved performance and refinement. 

The NX350h self-charging hybrid is a decent buy, but if you can stomach the price jump, the NX450h+ plug-in hybrid is an excellent choice. Its electric range on a charge is a very impressive 47 miles, but it's also pretty punchy thanks to a power output of 309PS. 

A DS has always been a left-field choice. The French firm doesn't have the brand recognition of, say, Volkswagen, Ford or Toyota, but the DS 4 is a solid, stylish machine, and the E-Tense plug-in hybrid version is the best of the breed. With a 38-mile range from its battery and electric motor, coupled to a 1.6-litre engine, it's got the potential to be extremely easy on fuel.

It's a very nice car to be in, too. Quite aside from the eye-catching looks, it's very comfortable, with several models to choose from, and you can specify something called Active Scan Suspension, which reads the road ahead using a camera and adjusts the suspension to optimise the ride quality. Clever. The cabin is beautiful, full of premium materials and technologies to make life more relaxing.

The driving experience is definitely more comfort-focused than exciting, but there's a decent amount of power with 225PS driving the front wheels through an automatic gearbox. That means you can waft along in effortless serenity, thinking about all the fuel you're saving.

Remember when the Hyundai Tucson was dependable, inoffensive and - frankly - bland? Those days are gone with the latest model thanks to its in-your-face styling.

That striking, love-or-hate design hides an impressively complete SUV, however. We like its sophisticated air for something that's still decent enough value, particularly inside where it has an upmarket yet spacious and practical cabin. 

You also get eager handling and good refinement, although be wary of models with the biggest wheels, because these can feel rather firm on the ride comfort front. The plug-in hybrid Tucson also comes with four-wheel drive as standard, meaning it'll be capable of doing a lot more than just the school run if needs be. 

The Hyundai Tucson PHEV uses the same 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine and electric motor combo as the bigger, heavier Sorento. That 265PS is enough to make it feel reasonably potent, plus officially, you'll get over 200mpg and an electric range of 38 miles. 

The latest Kia Sportage builds on what made its predecessors so desirable: it's good at just about everything needed for family life. But now it's more stylish and more desirable, with even more equipment included as standard. And, of course, it's now available as a plug-in hybrid.

The Sportage PHEV uses a 1.6-litre petrol engine with an electric motor and a battery that can deliver up to 43 miles of electric-only driving on a full charge. It comes in a choice of top-end trims, which means loads of the latest features and infotainment capability, but that, combined with its more sophisticated running gear, makes it relatively pricey compared to the regular petrol and diesel Sportage models.

On the move it's an oasis of calm, despatching long motorway journeys with ease and serenity, and there's loads of room inside for passengers and luggage. The boot, while smaller than regular Sportage's because of battery storage, is still more than capacious enough for family life.

Oh, and did we mention the brilliant seven-year warranty?

You'll notice that this list is littered mainly with SUVs of various shapes and sizes -largely because that's what most buyers want these days - but for us, there's still plenty of appeal in a big, old-fashioned estate car. And the latest Volkswagen Passat Estate is one of the best.

Not that there's much old-fashioned about it, mind. As you'd expect, the new car is brimming with advanced safety and infotainment technology: indeed, the latter could even be accused of being too advanced for its own good, because the system is quite complicated to use. It's a comfortable and relaxing car to drive as well, just like any family wagon should be, and there's acres of space inside.

The plug-in eHybrid versions can be had with either 204PS or 272PS, and depending on spec, can travel between 77- and 82 miles on a full charge. Unusually for a PHEV, it can also take DC rapid charging at a rate of up to 40kW, giving the 19.7 kWh battery a 5-80% charge in just 26 minutes. However, those looking for maximum load-carrying capacity from their estate car should bear this in mind: the petrol-powered Passat Estate has an enormous boot of 690 litres, but in the PHEV, that's cut to 510 litres. That's still big, but it's quite a large loss.