These are the best new hybrid cars coming before 2030
Car changing is a big deal
With a potential ban on new petrol and diesel cars looming in 2030, a lot of people are switching to hybrid models. These are 10 of the best new hybrid cars coming before 2030.
More and more people are buying hybrid cars these days, with sales up by over 30% in July year-on-year, and it’s easy to see why. They offer similar efficiency to diesel models, but petrol is much cheaper to buy and company car drivers can enjoy lower tax rates as well. Hybrid power also has the potential for huge performance gains in sports cars.
There’s also some uncertainty around the future of petrol and diesel cars, with the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate potentially banning the sale of non-hybrid models after 2030.
This means there are lots of new hybrid cars coming in the next few years, and we’ve picked out 10 of the most important ones.
10 of the best new hybrid cars coming before 2030
- Audi RS6 Avant
- BMW X5
- BYD Ti7
- Denza Bao 5
- Hyundai Tucson
- Kia Seltos
- Lepas L6
- Omoda 4
- Renault Clio
- Zeekr 8X
1. Audi RS6 Avant
The new hybrid Audi RS5 Avant is already on the road, but the bigger, more powerful RS6 Avant is also on the way. Like the outgoing car, we expect it to use a V8 engine – probably the 4.0-litre, twin-turbocharged unit used in various Porsches and Lamborghini models.
It’ll be paired to a plug-in hybrid system, and it could produce as much as 800hp. We’ve spotted this car testing a few times now, and we’ve also created some exclusive images to preview the new RS6’s beefy design.
2. BMW X5
This is the new BMW X5, and it’s a radical departure from the car we know and love today. The styling is pretty much the same as the bold-looking iX3, just on a larger scale, and the interior features BMW’s latest panoramic infotainment display.
It’ll be available as a plug-in hybrid, as well as a pure EV and a diesel. The former has 63 miles of all-electric range, which is around the same as the Mercedes GLE PHEV. Order books for the new X5 will open soon, and prices are expected to start from around £80,000.
3. BYD Ti7
BYD is launching a new alternative to the Land Rover Defender. The Ti7 is a big, boxy, seven-seater off-road SUV with a 1.5-litre plug-in hybrid petrol engine and enough power to do 0-60mph in less than five seconds.
It’ll also do more than 100 miles on electric power alone, and prices start from £47,995. That’s £24,000 less than a plug-in hybrid Defender, but we’ll have to drive the BYD Ti7 to see if it can compete out on the road, as well as off it.
4. Denza Bao 5
From one Chinese off-roader to another, the Denza Bao 5 is also going after the Land Rover Defender. It’s priced much closer to the Land Rover at almost £70,000, but it also comes with more kit as standard.
We’ve driven the Bao 5 in the UK, and while the interior is really posh, it’s not quite as comfortable on the road as the Defender. It’s an interesting left-field choice nonetheless.
5. Hyundai Tucson
This is your first look at the new Hyundai Tucson, and it looks just as outlandish as the outgoing car. It’s awash with bold angles and creases, and the interior looks much more modern than the current Tucson thanks to the massive screen and layered dashboard.
It’s worth noting that this is the Korean market version of the Tucson, so the European one is likely to differ slightly when it comes to market in the next year or so. What is a safe bet is a range of hybrid and plug-in hybrid engines.
6. Kia Seltos
Kia keeps finding new gaps in the market to fill, and this time it’s the new Seltos which sits between the small Kia Niro and the mid-sized Kia Sportage. It doesn’t look anything like either of those cars though, with rugged styling cues coming from the EV2 and EV3 electric cars.
The interior looks similar to those models as well, with a dual-screen infotainment system and physical buttons for the climate control. It uses a 1.6-litre hybrid engine, and order books will open in October with prices starting from around £30,000.
7. Lepas L6
Lepas has already launched in the UK with the L8, and the smaller L6 will join the lineup in the next few months. It shares parts under the skin with the Jaecoo 7, because both cars are made by Chery International,meaning it’ll use a 1.5-litre petrol plug-in hybrid system with around 56 miles of electric range.
The L6 will go on sale as an electric car first, with 279 miles of range and a starting price of around £32,000. The hybrid will come along later, possibly in mid-2027, and it should cost closer to £25,000.
8. Omoda 4
The Omoda 4 is another car from Chery International, and it’ll essentially serve as an alternative to the Lepas L6. We expect it to be offered with the self-charging hybrid engine from the Omoda 5, rather than the PHEV setup you get in the Lepas, and an EV will also be available.
The interior looks pretty sporty, with its carbon fibre-looking trim and Lamborghini-style red flip-up starter switch. Expect a starting price of around £25,000 when this car goes on sale next year.
9. Renault Clio
This is the all-new Renault Clio, and the French brand’s answer to the Vauxhall Corsa and Toyota Yaris has been given a thorough overhaul. Not that it needed one, because the current model is one of our favourite small cars.
The new Clio is still available with a hybrid engine, and we got an impressive 56mpg from it when we tested the car late last year. The interior also looks more modern than the current Clio’s thanks to the upgraded technology and posher materials. Order books will open next year, and prices are expected to start from around £20,000.
10. Zeekr 8X
Zeekr is another new Chinese brand with its sights set on the UK within the next few years, and Mat Watson has tested one of its flagship SUVs: the 8X. It’s a plug-in hybrid with a whopping 1,400hp, and it beat a Ferrari Purosangue in a recent Carwow drag race.
It’s not just fast either. The Zeekr 8X has a lovely interior with cutting-edge tech, and it’s really spacious inside as well. In China, this car costs around £55,000. We expect it to cost closer to £70,000 when it comes to the UK in a few years time.
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