Premium Plug-In Hybrid SUVs You'll Want to Be Seen Driving

Starting off with the most accessible Hybrid SUV on the market, the Mitsubishi Outlander is a big, green gadget-fest which starts from the very reasonable price of just £32,305. The Outlander PHEV has proven to be hugely popular since its inception. In fact, it was Europe’s best-selling plug-in hybrid in 2014 and 2015 when the model was fresh on the scene, and now there’s been a recent facelift to carry the new model even further into the future.
 

So what’s all the fuss about? Well, beneath the gloss-black chrome-clad front grille lies a wonderfully smooth petrol engine which, when mated to the electric motor, will return around 144 mpg. Then, inside the PHEV there is high-quality leather all over the interior which was purpose-built for family use. While the Mitsubishi brand might not have been the most ‘premium’ on the market in years gone by, the Outlander PHEV has certainly raised the brand-image to a point where it will soon be considered alongside the likes of Lexus in terms of Japanese luxury
 

We tested the new Volvo XC60 last year and, put simply, we were blown away. The Scandinavians have done it again. A steady supply of high quality, reliable and supremely comfortable additions to the Volvo lineup over the last 10 years have put the brand at the forefront of premium buyer’s minds. The Volvo XC60 features autonomous driving modes, customisable driving characteristics and a huge, centrally-mounted tablet screen in the dashboard. Not every XC60 is hybrid-powered, only the range-topping T8 Twin-Engine hybrid that starts from £57,600, which isn’t exactly cheap, but this is a car from the very top of the market and it comes with bags of performance. The XC60 will do the 0-60mph sprint in just 5.2 seconds thanks to a combined petrol-electric output of 400 horsepower. Hybrids aren’t as boring as people might have thought, are they? The green credentials look good too, with the XC60 returning a healthy 134 mpg and only putting out just 49 grams per kilometre of CO2.

With prices starting from £55,810, the BMW X5 iPerformance offers particularly good value when lined up against its competitors. We all know the score by now with the X5. It’s a sophisticated and desirable 4x4 that offers a sporty-yet-smooth drive in all environments. The X5 may fall slightly behind the Mercedes counterpart in terms of luxury, but it surpasses most of the market in terms of practicality. There’s up to 1,720 litres of space in the back of the X5 which is the most luggage room you’ll likely find anywhere short of a transit van. The rear seats also have loads of legroom and headroom too. The green credentials aren’t quite as mindblowing as the rest of the pack, though the quoted 83 mpg isn’t something you would turn your nose up at. There is also up to 19 miles of purely electric powered range on offer, which is ideal for city dwellers and those with a short commute. 

Like the XC60 mentioned previously, the XC90 T8 hybrid is a similarly overwhelming package. It’s the most expensive car in the Volvo lineup, but it is more than justified. The entry-level Momentum model starts from £62,505 but is already extremely well equipped, and only the most demanding of customers need to look further up the trim lineup. Like the XC60 T8, it packs a heck of a lot of power, but due to the added weight, it will take you an extra 0.2 seconds to get from 0-62mph, now up to 5.4 seconds… which is still silly-fast for a car which is simply colossal. While footballers daren’t look elsewhere than the Range Rover brand, the XC90 is genuinely one of few cars that offer real competition to the Rangey.

While the Mercedes-Benz range has grown and grown with more models than ever before, the GLE is currently the only SUV that they have turned into a hybrid so far, but it is an absolute monster. The GLE ‘500e’ uses a 3.0litre V6 petrol engine which puts out a massive 328 horsepower, and then combines that with an electric motor offering a further 114 horsepower. All this adds up to a 0-60mph time of just 5.3 seconds, which is incredibly fast considering this Mercedes doesn’t actually boast an AMG badge. We daren’t think how quick an AMG version would be. The ‘On The Road’ price does start from £67,675 which is a whole £12,000 more than the BMWs offering, but a lot of people would argue the Mercedes is considerably more desirable and, maybe even better looking? The claimed fuel economy is at 76 miles per gallon with an extra 18 miles of Electric-only driving when fully charged.

The biggest, baddest and one of the most environmentally responsible cars Audi have ever produced. Shifting such a huge beast like the Q7 requires a lot of power, which has traditionally demanded a lot of fuel. Not anymore! Unlike most plug-in hybrids, the Q7 E-Tron actually pairs an electric motor to a diesel engine, instead of a petrol unit. It’s a big diesel too, a 3.0 litre V6 which has a total output of 373 horsepower and is capable of a quoted 157 miles per gallon. Onew of the best statistics about the Q7 E-Tron is actually the EV only mode, which is capable of driving 34 miles without sipping a drop of fuel. This might not sound like a huge distance but it’s better than most hybrid-hatchbacks, and this thing weighs a chubby 2,445 kilograms!

A quick disclaimer; the Cayenne S E hybrid isn’t currently on the market from new. Porsche ceased production last year following a relatively successful stretch and we’re awaiting the launch of a new model, but that means there are deals to be had on the used-car market. Titled the ‘Cayenne S E Hybrid’, the big, green Porsche is widely considered among the motoring press to be one of the best driving hybrid SUVs on the market, and naturally, it comes with a Porsche exterior and interior which are simply alluring. The S E Hybrid was actually launched way back in 2010, yet it still offers up to 22 miles of electric-only driving and a quoted 83 mpg!

Let’s be honest here, the Range Rover is widely considered to be the most desirable SUV on the market. That’s not just on our shores either, the Range Rover is a status symbol across the globe and now it is finally being served in its most agreeable form, under the name ‘p400e’. It boasts the same level of superiority in terms of the materials and technology, but it is now a lot nicer to planet earth and owners fuel bills. The P400e will return up to 101 mpg while only blowing out 64g/km of CO2 which is less than a 1.0 litre Fiat 500! All this does come at a price though and the Sport PHEV is available from £70,000. If that’s somehow not quite big enough for you then the full-size Range Rover is available from £86,000.