Best Value Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Family SUVs

If a switch to a full electric car isn’t feasible for you but you’re still keen on reducing the running costs of your daily-use family car, then a new plug-in hybrid family SUV might be the perfect solution.

Indeed, while huge strides in technology have made BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) a tempting proposition with their increasingly impressive range potential, rapid fast charging capability and eco-friendly zero emissions output, there are other factors – such as regular access to recharging facilities – that must be taken into account when considering an electric car.

It goes a long way to explaining why PHEVs are becoming increasingly popular, offering a degree of zero-emission, cheap-to-run electric power motoring with the reassurance that comes from having a conventional fuel-powered engine to take over as and when.

For many, driving a family car comprises commutes to school, to work or to the shops, daily use that is often covered by a PHEV’s modest but still useful and cost-effective electric-only range.

With this in mind, a PHEV family SUV blends the best attributes of an airy, spacious interior and a confidence-inducing high driving position, but with significantly reduced running costs and impressive total range (EV and fuel combined).

Here, we highlight the best value PHEV family SUVs available to buy at Vertu right now…

Why Choose a Plug-In Hybrid Car?

While pure EVs – which emit zero emissions and cost just pennies to recharge compared to fuel – are an excellent way to significantly change your monthly outgoings, it’s true that limitations, like not having regular access to recharging facilities or a high-mileage lifestyle, won’t suit a switch just yet.

Therefore, PHEVs – which are capable of using electric power only for large portions of a journey – represent an excellent compromise.

While it’s true that PHEVs still require physical recharging, these cars also have a conventional ICE (internal combustion engine) that takes over when the battery has emptied.

What is the Range of a PHEV?

The electric range of a PHEV will depend on the model and how you drive, but it is broadly designed cover the average daily mileage of a car – all without emitting a single emission or using a single drop of fuel.

PHEVs feature relatively small batteries of between 10-30kWh. This is compared to pure EVs, which can have anywhere between around 45-115kWh sized batteries, depending on the model.

While electric range is also more limited by comparison to a pure EV, many PHEVs can still drive around 50-80-miles on electric power alone. This should be sufficient if your daily drive consists of commuting, the school run and/or a trip to the shops.

If you do need to travel further or charging your vehicle overnight isn’t always convenient, you have the reassurance of the petrol engine to take you further.

Better yet, the assistance of electric power means most PHEVs return excellent overall fuel economy on an average cycle of EV/ICE use.

Moreover, total range – that being how far you can drive before your battery and your fuel tank empties – can be as much as 700-miles.

It isn’t just a straight switch between electric or petrol power, either. Indeed, many PHEVs can automatically work out what’s most economical to the car by utilising electric and petrol power at the same time to ensure you’re always getting the best value returns.

The Best Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) Family SUVs

Volkswagen Tiguan eHybrid PHEV

Once upon a time, Volkswagen was considered the aspirational choice for those in the market for a family car. Today, the kudos of the ‘VW’ badge remains as strong as ever even as the market has pivoted towards family SUVs.

The latest generation Volkswagen Tiguan continues the manufacturer’s preference for evolution and refinement on the surface, while strengthening its many attributes under it.

For one, the Tiguan was always considered a premium choice versus rivals, but the latest model consolidates this image with class-leading levels of refinement and interior build quality that you’ll appreciate from behind the wheel. Combined with a vast cabin and mammoth 652-litre boot and the Tiguan is a family SUV that’ll impress drivers and passengers alike.

In eHybrid PHEV trim, the Tiguan combines a 19.7kWh battery with a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine to deliver up to 77-miles of WLTP range, en route to approximately 560-miles of total range.

Ford Kuga PHEV

The option of a PHEV powertrain strengthens the already accomplished Ford Kuga package, one of the most popular and impressive family SUVs on the road.

The Kuga remains among the most engaging SUVs from behind the wheel, be it the agile handling that belies its relative size or the functional, ergonomic interior that is comfortable to sit in.

There are also some thoughtful practical touches dotted about the cabin and boot, namely the heated windscreen, SYNC4 navigation and plenty of storage compartments.

Under the skin, the Kuga PHEV features a 2.5-litre engine combined with a 14.4kWh battery that is good for up to 43-miles.

Geely Starray EM-i PHEV

One of the UK’s newest brands, Geely Auto arrives on these shores with a convincing opening pitch in the Geely Starray EM-i – one of the cheapest and best value PHEVs on the market.

With a starting price below £30k* for the entry-level PRO trim, the Starray makes a strong case as a family-friendly, value-for-money SUV complemented by a spacious interior for five, a 528-litre boot and lengthy specification list that includes 19-inch alloy wheels, LED headlights and heated/electrically adjustable front seats.

Under the skin, you start with a 1.5-litre petrol engine and then have the choice of combining it with either a 18.4kWh (Pro and Max trims) or 29.8kWh (Ultra trim) battery.

The input of the 18.4kWh battery allows for more than 50-miles of driving on electric power only. Upgrade to the larger 29.8kWh battery (£34,990*) for 84-miles of electric driving and a total range (battery and fuel) of over 600-miles.

BYD Seal U DM-i PHEV

BYD might have initially charged into the UK with a flurry of electric models, but it was the launch of its inaugural plug-in hybrid – the top-selling BYD Seal U DM-i – that would prove the driving force behind the firm’s rapid ascent.

It’s not hard to see why either, the Seal U convincingly blending impressive electric-assisted useability and strikingly low running costs in a hugely practical, superb value-for-money SUV package.

It’s comfortably the largest PHEV for under £35,000*, which translates to superior rear head and legroom, plus a 425-litre boot (or 1,400-litres with the seats down).

Electric range varies between 43-50-miles (18.3kWh) and 75-miles (26.6kWh), with BYD claiming the larger of the batteries can go 700-miles total alongside its 214bhp 1.5-litre engine.

Skoda Kodiaq iV PHEV

Skoda describes its models as ‘Simply Clever’, which on the surface might come across as ‘understated’ on first impression… but dig a bit deeper and the mantra actually describes a wealth of smart little touches you’ll appreciate day-to-day.

Take the Skoda Kodiaq family SUV, the largest model in the Czechia firm’s range. It might not look like the most exciting model in its class, but that body shape shrouds a vast interior and a boot that measures an enormous 910-litres.

The devil is in the detail for the Kodiaq though, whether you’re marvelling as the usefulness of the umbrella that pops out of the door, the ice scraper that lives in the boot lining, the grips in the cup holders that keep your bottle still or the smart dials that feel like the perfect compromise between tactile and touchscreen controls.

It also has one of the most impressive PHEV set-ups in the family SUV class with the 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to the 25.7kWh battery offering more than 70-miles of electric only range.

CUPRA Terramar eHybrid PHEV

We’ve featured the Volkswagen Tiguan and Skoda Kodiaq on this ranking, so it stands to reason that we spotlight the third model in VW Group’s triumvirate of quality PHEV family SUVs, the CUPRA Terramar.

As the performance-oriented arm of the VW Group, the CUPRA Terramar leans further into the ‘sports’ element of ‘sports utility vehicle’ than its stablemates, as demonstrated by a sharp creases, racy wheel trims and chunky proportions of the exterior.

It’s a similar story behind the wheel too, where you’re greeted by a stylish, well-laid out dashboard brandishing splashes of CUPRA’s signature bronze colourway, while the driving experience delivers an agility that perpetuates its sporty impression.

Like the Tiguan and Kodiaq, the Terramar gets a 1.5-litre turbocharged engine combined with a sizeable 25.7kWh battery that will deliver up to 70-miles of range.

MG HS PHEV

One of the UK’s most popular cars, the MG HS strengthens its appeal as a practical, family SUV in super economical PHEV trim that is priced under £35,000*.

A manufacturer that has placed itself at the forefront of the electric motoring revolution with a growing range of quality EV options, the MG HS PHEV shows the firm can hit the sweet spot with hybrid models too.

As with the standard HS – the eighth best-selling car in the UK last year – the PHEV retains the hallmarks of what has made it so popular, namely its excellent value-for-money, generous standard equipment, 507-litre boot and refined driving performance.

With a 24.7kWh mated to the 1.5-litre turbocharged engine, the HS PHEV has an electric-only range of 75-miles for a total of more than 500-miles, including the ICE.

Hyundai Tucson PHEV

Another family SUV that is a firm favourite in the UK, the Hyundai Tucson impresses with its broad breadth of talents, not least its wide range of powertrain options.

The 1.6-litre turbocharged plug-in hybrid is the most powerful choice in the range with a punchy 249bhp on tap and will travel upwards of 43-miles on electric power alone from the 13.8kWh battery.

Unlike other SUVs here, the Tucson PHEV is available at each trim level, allowing you to spec your car the way you want without having to commit to a higher price tag.

A strong all-rounder, the Tucson is still one of the best-looking family SUVs on the market, while it is also filled with useable technology, gets a huge 620-litre boot and is refined to drive.

Honda CR-V e:PHEV

One of the founding fathers of what we’d consider the modern-day SUV, the Honda CR-V has grown in both size and maturity over the past 30 years.

Today, the CR-V is one of the most spacious, premium feeling SUVs you can buy, while its economic credentials are boosted by its efficient PHEV powertrain that blends seamlessly in a hushed, refined driving experience.

The neatly styled interior is built to a high standard, while there is also no faulting its generous head and legroom for rear passengers, or the 587-litre boot.

In e:PHEV trim, the CR-V gets a 17.7kWh battery mated to a 2.0-litre engine to generate 181bhp and return 50-miles of electric-only range.

Citroen C5 Aircross

One of the cheaper PHEV family SUVs on the market, the Citroen C5 Aircross PHEV is not only frugal, but it also does an excellent impression of feeling like a more premium offering.

With its boxy, utilitarian profile and sharply edged features, the C5 Aircross draws a lot of attention on the road, but from the inside you’ll be more engrossed in how comfortable you are.

And this is not just because the C5 Aircross has soft, pillowy suspension that irons out the UK’s rutted roads, for this model comes with Citroen’s patented ‘Advanced Comfort’ seats that are the nearest thing to an armchair you’ll find on wheels.

The C5 Aircross PHEV mates a 1.6-litre petrol engine with a 13.2kWh battery that will generate 225bhp and travel up to 41-miles.

*OTR prices correct at the time of writing