18 hybrids with long electric ranges if you're not quite ready for a full EV

The arrival of the Mk8.5 Golf brought with it a range of updates, including a longer range plug-in hybrid good for up to 89 miles of electric range. That’s in the eHybrid, which outputs a combined 201bhp courtesy of its 1.5-litre 4cyl turbo, electric motor and 19.7kWh battery (nearly double that of its 10.6kWh predecessor) setup. Alternatively there’s the sportier GTE, which gets a combined power upgrade to 268bhp but slightly reduced – if still very impressive – 82 miles of e-range. Oh, and a Benefit in Kind (BiK) rate of just five per cent should appeal to company car buyers too.

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The fourth generation Skoda Superb gets a plug-in hybrid powertrain in estate form only. It offers an impressive 84 miles of electric only range (over double the 35-mile range of its predecessor) courtesy of its 19.7kWh battery (up from its predecessor’s 13kWh unit). It also shares the same 1.5-litre, 147bhp 4cyl turbo engine and 114bhp gearbox-mounted electric motor with the Golf eHybrid above. Boot space still measures in at an impressive 510 litres (1,770 litres with the rear seats folded), while a 10-80 per cent juice on a 50kW charger takes just over 25 minutes.

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Something of a theme, here, isn’t there? The third car to feature on this list from the VW Group megacorp, the Passat – which now only comes in estate guise – manages 82 miles of electric range in eHybrid trim. It’s a familiar setup under the skin too, identical to that of the Golf and the Superb, and shares an identical 510-litre boot with the Skoda too. If it were our money? We’d likely go for the Czech car: not only does it have a cheaper starting price (you’re looking at a low versus mid £40k region) but the infotainment is less annoying to use too.

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The BYD Seal U DM-i is the Chinese carmaker’s SUV version of its Seal flagship saloon (the U stands for Utility, makes sense), and the only non-EV it currently sells. Don’t sweat it though, it’s still a PHEV, pairing a 1.5-litre 4cyl engine with single or dual electric motors plus 18.3 or 26.6kWh battery capacities. For maximum electric range you want the mid-spec Comfort, which gets you a front-wheel drive Seal U with the bigger battery for up to 78 miles on battery power alone. Indeed, BYD says it'll act as an EV for 90 per cent of the time, with the engine largely acting as a range extender.

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The Mercedes GLC has solidified its position as the firm’s bestseller in recent years. The current electric range topper is the 300e, which features a 2.0-litre petrol engine paired with a 134bhp electric motor and offers up to 78 miles of electric range courtesy of a 31.2kWh battery. A full recharge takes around 30 minutes using the optional 60kW CCS fast charger, or, er, slightly longer using the standard 11kW AC charger. Just imagine the moral high ground over the other parents at the school gates.

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Another day, another… Volkswagen on this list. Little surprise to hear that its hybrid setup is identical to the others, complete with a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo, electric motor and 19.7kWh battery, though you’re looking at a slightly reduced all electric range of up to 77 miles here. That’s still plenty to cover the average 26-mile UK commute, and taking advantage of off-peak tariffs that start from under 10p per kWh, you’re looking at around £2 for a full charge. Or completely free if you can charge at work.

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A fully electric version is set to land later in 2025, but anyone looking to get their electric kicks from the Range Rover Sport will have to make do with a plug-in hybrid for now. There’s two to choose from - the P440e or P510e, both of which get a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine mated to a 141bhp electric motor and 38kWh battery. Total output is 434 and 503bhp respectively, though the more pertinent figure is the 76 miles of claimed electric range, enough to enable the typical Range Rover owner to complete up to three quarters of trips without waking the engine, Land Rover reckons.

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Looking for something a little… plusher? The fifth-generation Range Rover comes in like-for-like plug-in hybrid guises as the Range Rover Sport, but manages 75 miles of claimed electric range due to its heavier weight and reduced aero efficiency. The 38kWh battery will charge from flat to full in around an hour on a 50kW DC charger, or five hours if you plug it into a 7kW home wallbox. The best luxury car in the world? We spent six months with one to find out. 

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Skoda’s second generation Kodiaq also brings with it the Czech firm’s second generation hybrid treatment, promising up to 75 miles of all electric range. It combines a 1.5-litre four-pot turbo engine producing 147bhp with a 114bhp electric motor mounted in the gearbox for 201bhp and 258lb ft torque totals. The 25.7kWh (19.7kWh usable) battery, located under the rear seats, supports up to 50kW charging, meaning a 10-80 per cent juice takes under half an hour. One of the most eminently sensible family cars just got even more sensible.

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The HS is one of MG’s best sellers and underwent a significant glow up in 2024, but that’s only half the story. Available in pure petrol or plug-in hybrid guise, the latter gets a 1.5-litre engine mated to an electric motor and 24.7kWh battery for a combined 303bhp total output and an e-range of up to 75 miles. But this car avoids its predecessor’s pogo-ing effect making it hugely better to drive. Plus, it notably now gets vehicle-to-load (V2L) technology, so you can power your campsite and suchlike using the battery. And priced from £31.5k, it’s also one of the cheapest options around.

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OK, this is getting tedious now. The Tayron essentially replaces the Tiguan Allspace, and is positioned between the Tiguan and Toureg, measuring around 25cm longer than the former, and roughly 10cm shorter than the latter. Brilliant, because another Volkswagen SUV was just what we needed… but we digress. Like the other VWs on this list it gets two plug-in hybrid options, both combining a 1.5-litre petrol and e-motor for 201bhp or 268bhb outputs, plus a 19.7kWh battery for up to 75 miles of electric range. Worth noting that in PHEV guise you’re limited to five seats, mind. 

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We’ve already seen one Mercedes on this list, now prepare yourself to see… several more. First up is the sixth-generation E-Class saloon, which is available in the UK with three powertrains: a 2.0-litre turbo petrol, a 2.0-litre turbo diesel, or a 2.0-litre turbo petrol combined with a 127bhp electric motor for a total output of 308bhp. The PHEV is the quickest, capable of 0-62mph in 6.4 seconds, while its 25.4kWh battery is good for a claimed 70 miles of electric-only range. It comes in estate guise too, though due to the extra weight that car will only manage up to 68 miles of range.

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“The C300e might well be the world’s best PHEV,” TG’s Ollie Kew concluded when Merc’s eco-conscious saloon faced off against its arch-rival the BMW 330e, highlighting the C300e’s impressive 69-mile range. Like the E-Class above, there’s also a C300e estate, which offers up to 67 miles of range and of course a bigger boot, meaning there’s room to bring any four-legged friends along for the ride too. 

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Style a priority when it comes to getting your plug-in hybrid kicks? Try the Mercedes-Benz CLE Coupe for size. It replaces the two-door versions of the C-Class and E-Class, and while you only had mild hybrids to choose from at launch, it’s now available with the same PHEV powertrain as the E-Class. It's a privilege the Coupe enjoys over its Cabrio sibling, while Merc also tells us the Coupe can ‘easily’ carry three golf bags in the boot – though we’d say that depends on how big the golf bags are, really. 

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Like the sound of the Merc GLC, but after something slightly bigger? Mercedes also offers its mid-size GLE as a plug-in hybrid, which in 400e guise gets an uprated 2.0-litre petrol engine but otherwise identical electric gubbins to its smaller sibling, and offers a decent slug of electric only range too – up to 68 miles, to be precise. Worth noting, however, that it only comes with five seats (as opposed to the optional seven elsewhere in the GLE range) due to the battery’s position below the boot floor, but how often are you really carrying people back there anyway?

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Audi’s A5 saloon and Avant lineup has gained a PHEV option. The powertrain combines a 2.0-litre turbo four-pot petrol engine with an e-motor and a 20.7kWh battery, providing up to 67 miles of all-electric range. That’s a fair chunk better than its BMW 3 Series plug-in rival, which only manages between 52 and 62 miles. What’s more, the A5 PHEV puts out a very respectable 295bhp/332lb ft of torque, good for 0-62mph in under six seconds. 

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The BMW X5 received a mid-life facelift in early 2023, but it was the updates under the skin that caught our eye – specifically those to the xDrive50e plug-in hybrid. The 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six and electric motor now output an extra 95bhp and 74lb ft over the outgoing model, while the 25.7kWh battery is almost 25 per cent bigger and now has a 7.4kW maximum charging capacity, double what it was previously. The result is a 0-62mph time of just 4.8 seconds and an all-electric range of up to 67 miles – not bad for a car weighing two and a half tonnes.

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Bet you didn’t see this one coming, did you? The Renault Rafale E-Tech PHEV 300 combines a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with three electric motors (one at the front, one at the rear, plus a gearbox integrated starter generator) with a 22kWh battery for a combined output of 296bhp and a claimed electric range of up to 65 miles. Renault reckons on combined fuel consumption of 403.5mpg (!) or 48.7mpg even when the battery is flat, while additional goodies include four-wheel steering, four-wheel drive and a self-adjusting suspension system.

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