Hybrid cars combine electric motors with conventional fossil-fuelled engines. Working together, the two powerplants can be more flexible and efficient than either working alone. There are lots of hybrids on the market – below are a few that have been poked and prodded by GreenMotor.co.uk...
Honda CR-ZRating:
Price: £17,695 to £20,820
UK availability: Now
Cramped and not as fast as its looks might suggest, the Honda CR-Z is nonetheless a very compelling proposition. It’s stylish, distinctive, great to drive, and can be either effortless and economical or carefree and charismatic, depending on your mood (and which of the three mode buttons you’ve pressed). With just two useable seats it isn’t the most practical hybrid on the market, but it is the most fun. Highly recommended.
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Vauxhall AmperaRating:
Price: £28,995 (after grants)
UK availability: Spring 2012
With a 1.4-litre petrol engine on standby to supplement its battery and motor, the Ampera is an extended-range electric car to its maker, but a glorified hybrid to others. Divisive labels aside, this is a well-sorted plug-in car that can drive up to 50 miles on battery alone, then as far as you like on petrol when the need arises. It’s clean, comfortable and stylish. What’s not to like? Well, all that kit and complexity is both weighty and pricey, unfortunately. Those reservations aside, the Ampera defines the state of the art in extended-range EVs.
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Volvo V60 PHEVRating:
Price: TBC (£45,000 estimated)
UK availability: Autumn 2012
Charge up the Volvo V60 Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle for up to 30 miles of silent electric motoring, or switch to hybrid mode and add in 200bhp of five-cylinder diesel. Volvo has aimed high with its modified medium-sized estate but appears to have succeeded in producing a fluid through-the-road hybrid, or range-extended electric car, depending on your label preferences. It promises to meet a very wide brief, including towing 1,800kg loads with its electric back axle supplementing the diesel front end for all-wheel-drive. But as with the Ampera the V60 PHEV is going to be fearsomely heavy and far from cheap.
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Toyota Auris HSDRating:
Price: £19,895 to £21,675
UK availability: Now
Toyota has taken the Hybrid Synergy Drive powertrain from the angular Prius and plonked it into the bulbous body of its Auris hatchback, creating the first British-built hybrid. And the result is not quite the Frankenstein’s monster such a transplant might suggest. There are a few too many compromises – most notably when you peer into the drastically reduced boot – but the overall package is persuasive, especially given the price. The Auris hybrid is easy to drive, reasonably refined, and very economical on real roads.
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Lexus CT 200hRating:
Price: £23,485 to £30,635
UK availability: Now
The CT 200h is the smallest Lexus and the only premium small hybrid currently on sale. It’s mechanically similar to Toyota’s pious Prius, but with an estate-ish body and plenty of added plushness. Also with added sportiness, which unfortunately brings a jittery, overly firm ride. The cabin is artfully executed, the exterior less so, but the overall package is beguiling if a little pricey. It’s Congestion Charge exempt to boot. Unexpectedly appealing.
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Honda InsightRating:
Price: £16,995 to £20,995
UK availability: Now
The Honda Insight was designed to undercut Toyota’s popular Prius on price, but fulfilled that mission a little too well. The result felt a little too cheap to tempt buyers in numbers, leading Honda to rush out an early update that improved the ride and interior. A cut-price hybrid package with weedy motor and small battery remains, however, letting the Insight slip behind its rivals in fuel efficiency. That said, this is is still a very economical car with hatchback practicality and the promise of Honda reliability.
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Honda Jazz HybridRating:
Price: £15,995 to £17,995
UK availability: Now
The Honda Jazz Hybrid shares its petrol-electric powerplant with the slightly larger, slightly more expensive Insight. The Jazz feels more normal and less overtly green, but actually turns in roughly the same level of economy - both Jazz Hybrid and Insight fall just the wrong side of the 100g/km CO2 score that would grant them a tax disc waiver and immunity from the London Congestion Charge. If this were a school report it would read, “Must try harder”.
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