The Best Hybrid Cars On The Market
There is a lot of uncertainty in the automotive industry at the minute regarding the uptake and demand for electric vehicles. Whilst that lack of confidence has meant that some manufacturers are delaying their adoption of a pure electric vehicle line up, others even at this late stage are pioneering new ways to ensure the combustion engine lives on as long as it can. Manufacturers can only adjust to what their customers want, and it seems that car buyers are just as uncertain about electric vehicles too.
What it does mean however, is that for the time being, the majority of the buying public are taking advantage of the middle ground, the hybrid options. A hybrid vehicle is seemingly the perfect way to see just how suitable an electric vehicle is for your lifestyle and what you need from your vehicle. Many hybrids from the last few years offer an all-electric range of 40 miles or more, meaning they can often mainly be used under electric power. Then at the same time, if you need more range or are occasionally travelling longer journeys, the combustion engine is there to back you up and keep you on the move.
Hybrid Demand Overtakes Petrol
A hybrid vehicle is therefore the perfect solution for many, a fact backed up by the latest industry figures. For the first time ever, hybrids outsold every other type of powertrain across Europe last month. With new registrations down across the board, and by as much as 11% compared to this time last year in countries such as France and Italy, hybrids represented a third of all cars sold, overtaking petrol (30%) for the first time.
With the surge in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and mild hybrid vehicles’ popularity we thought we’d take a look at some of the best hybrid vehicles on the market. What makes them so appealing and what advantages do they have over their pure-electric or electric-only competitors.
Luxury – Range Rover P550e
A Range Rover is already the perfect car for any conditions and any terrain, all whilst cocooning you in swathes of comfort and luxury at the same time. The latest iteration gives you more refinement, more style and more ways to customise your Range Rover just the way you want to. When all of that is combined with their latest hybrid powertrain it also becomes the perfect all rounder on the road too.
With a 3.0-litre 6-cylinder engine combined with electric motor assistance, the flagship SV 550e produces 550 horsepower, taking this 2700kg vehicle to 62 mph in just 4.8 seconds on to a 150mph top speed. Not only that but it can travel on electric power for almost 70 miles, produces just 19g/km of CO2 and has a claimed fuel consumption of over 343mpg. With all the power you’d ever need, levels of comfort that few can match, and the ability to waft around in silence under electric power only, surely the hybrid Range Rover is the most complete car there has ever been.
Sports Car – Porsche 911 GTS
There was a lot of trepidation when Porsche announced that the 2nd generation of 992 911 would include electric assistance for the very first time. After more than 60 years and 8 generations the 911 has seen a lot of change, but none quite so controversial as this. Yet with the way the brand embraced hybrid technology for the Panamera and Cayenne and the game changing abilities of the Taycan when it was launched, surely it was a lot of worry for nothing.
The 992.2 GTS takes a different approach to what everyone was expecting from a hybrid 911. Rather than offer silent cruising ability and range extending fuel economy, the hybrid motors in the GTS are there to make the power delivery and the performance even better than before. With 61 horsepower more than the car it replaces, power is now 541 horsepower and 0-62mph takes just 3 seconds, with near 200mph top speed possible. But it is the urgency and smooth delivery of the T-Hybrid power set up that impresses most. Porsche, like usual, have done things their own way, and once again it was the right call and takes the performance and capability of the GTS even further than before.
Estate Car – BMW 330e Touring
Estate cars have seen quite the resurgence in recent years and their benefits are the reason they have become as popular as saloons now. In a world where the Audi RS6 Avant, BMW M3 Touring and Mercedes Benz C63 S AMG Estate take all the headlines and plaudits from estate car fans, there’s a reason why you still see so many non-‘M’ 3-series Touring iterations around. Nine times out of ten, that 3-series will be a 330e version. The 330e has such a broad spectrum of capabilities that it suits a family looking for that extra space, the business user who is looking to save on his BIK tax, a salesperson who wants to travel up and down the motorways of the UK, and someone who wants style, drivability and convenience all at the same time.
The 330e offers almost 300bhp from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine and electric motor combination. The headline figures are a 0-62mph time of 6 seconds and a top speed in excess of 140mph, an all-electric range of up to 60 miles and at up to 87 miles and hour, as well as claimed fuel consumption of up to 313mpg. It may not be the quickest, the most powerful or the furthest electric range, but its all-round ability combined with its levels of space, abundance of technology, styling (especially in M-Sport trim), driving feel and everyday usability make the 330e stand out comfortably amongst its competitors.
Supercar – Ferrari 296 GTB
The 296 is Ferrari’s modern successor to the iconic Dino of the 1960’s and 70’s. Whereas that was designed as an entry level lower cost model to be sold in high numbers, there is nothing budget about the 296. The Dino at launch produced 178 bhp from its V6 engine, the 296 produces almost the same from its electric motor only, its twin-turbocharged V6 produces a further 654bhp, for a combined 819bhp. The power and acceleration statistics only tell half the story, Ferrari have created a real masterpiece with this car.
The addition of hybrid power to most supercars creates a heavier, diluted, powerful yet numb experience to what a supercar should be all about, thrilling to drive. The 296 brings the thrill and excitement back in abundance. The addition of the technology merely make the performance and capability of the car that bit more impressive, rather than taking the fun away. The fact that it is being compared to the 458 is a sign of just how much of a landmark step the model is for the brand, and how Ferrari have embraced the hybridisation in a way that inly the prancing horse could.
Family SUV – Volvo XC90
If you want a vehicle that is designed and built to offer everything a family car requires, you buy a Volvo XC90. It’s that simple. Since it was launched over 20 years ago the XC90 has been the one to beat for the perfect family car, and over time it has only got better. Being a Volvo it is now even safer, crammed with more useful technology and comes with more storage solutions and capability than you could ever need. The fact that it offers one of the most seamless hybrid powertrains around merely adds to its appeal.
Volvo, with sister company Polestar, have a very impressive range of all-electric vehicles. As such you can get your XC90 in electric (EX90), hybrid and mild hybrid forms, depending on exactly what you are looking for with your family car. They describe their plug-in hybrid as ‘electric driving with a back-up plan’ highlighting the impressive nature of the car and the fact that for most people it can be used as an electric vehicle until you need to travel further afield. Everything from the adjustable 7-seat potential, the fact that the rear suspension lowers to allow ease of boot loading, the improved sound insulation and advanced suspension technology for a more refined interior experience, and the fact that the brand takes safety beyond any other manufacturer means that the XC90 is all the family car you would ever need, and so much more.
Performance SUV – Lamborghini Urus SE
Much like Ferrari, Lamborghini have recently taken to embracing hybrid technology in their supercars, but not necessarily in an eco-friendly range-extending type of way. Their biggest selling model of all time, the Urus, has recently been announced as a hybrid, and extends the performance credentials and the ‘super’ part of the super-SUV even further than before. The previous flagship ‘Performante’ version of the Urus produces 666CV (656hp), yet the hybrid ‘SE’ version now comes with 800CV (788hp) thanks to the 4.0-litre V8 now coming with electric assistance.
The results mean a supercar rivalling 0-62mph time of 3.4 seconds, and a top speed just short of 200mph, yet a reduction in emissions of some 80%. The Urus SE also features genuine all-electric usability thanks to the fact it can also run on electric power only for up to 40 miles, not something you often get from such a performance minded vehicle. As well as focusing on its hybrid abilities, Lamborghini have also taken the time to make the Urus even more impressive at everything it does too. With improved handling, chassis tweaks, suspension set up changes, aerodynamic efficiency and downforce improvements, the Urus raises the bar even further than ever before.
Luxury Saloon – Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
Before the Taycan Porsche was pioneering the luxury performance saloon sector with the Panamera. Whilst many thought that that Taycan was intended to replace its larger sibling, the Panamera still has more than plenty to offer the line up. Especially from its performance hybrid specification. The Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid is a statistician’s dream. Powered by a variation of the 4.0-litre V8 engine found in the Urus and in various Audi/Bentley/Porsche performance models, as well as a 140kW electric motor, the figures are more than impressive.
0-62mph takes just 2.9 seconds, top speed is 202mph, electric range is up to 55 miles and at up to 87mph, combined power output is over 750bhp whilst fuel consumption is claimed at just over 200mpg. In an out and out sports car that would be quite something, yet in a comfortable 4-seater luxury executive saloon it is very spectacular indeed. Whether you are sat in the driver’s seat or relaxing in the rear, you cannot fail to be impressed at how the Panamera manages to be refined and opulent at the same time as sports car sharp and infinitely capable. If you had to pick one car that can offer everything in one package, little could come close to the Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid.
Convertible – Mercedes AMG SL 63 S E Performance
Unless it also needs to be a convertible that is. The Mercedes-AMG SL 63 S E-Performance could be the car that rivals the Panamera for all-round ability (aside from the electric range, but read on) and that goes a step further by offering the ability to remove the roof in the summer sun.
In terms of lineage, the current SL could not be further from the ‘Sport-Leight’ or ‘Sport-Light’ intentions of the original 1950’s original. Thanks to all that luxuriousness and comfort combined with the weight of the batteries and hybrid drivetrain, the SL now tips the scales at almost double what the original car did. But these days that isn’t really the point, the SL has become a byword for comfortable grand tour cruising, advanced technology and sports car driving with the wind in your hair.
The current SL 63 S E-Performance takes that ideal to the next level with even more power that you could ever need. Thanks to a combined 816 horsepower, the car is capable of just under 200mph and can accelerate to 62mph in less than 3 seconds. Whilst the hybrid capability sure adds to the power and performance capabilities, the limited all-electric running of just 8 miles seems weak compared to its competitors. But don’t let that put you off, the SL these days is twinned with the AMG GT meaning performance and handling capabilities are a huge step up from previous generations. The fact that it can also waft through town or off your driveway in near silence should be seen as a bonus and a contrast to what lies beneath this exceptional vehicle.
Oracle Car Finance Hybrid Funding
Whether you are looking at purchasing a hybrid for your next car, or whatever powers the vehicle you can rest assured that Oracle Finance have your funding covered. Our expert Account Managers are well equipped to help you find that perfect finance package bespoke to you and your circumstances.
If you are looking at purchasing any of the above vehicles, or something completely different, our expert team have over 19 years’ experience in sourcing tailored car finance products, including these models mentioned above. Whatever type of car you’re looking for, you can get in touch with us either by calling 0800 012 6666 or clicking here.
With over 2,500 Trustpilot reviews and as four-time consecutive award winners of the Best Specialist Car Finance Provider award from 2020 onwards, as well as providing over £2billion of funding for our customers and counting, you too can find out why thousands of people trust us time and time again to find a smarter, tailored funding solution when looking for your next dream car.
Make sure you follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn and Facebook to keep up to date with what’s happening in the market and to see some stunning photos and videos of the amazing cars we fund.
