Best small hybrid SUVs 2025
High-quality compact hybrid SUVs from rated and reviewed dealers
Best small hybrid SUVs of 2025
Hybrid power makes great sense for those looking to switch away from diesel, but who aren’t quite ready to go fully electric just yet. You get some short-bursts of electric running but without the plugging in, and you’ll keep your fuel consumption under control while trimming CO2 emissions. Which are the best small hybrid SUVs around? Read on…
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Kia’s good-looking Sportage combines plenty of cabin space with a dashboard design lifted from the high-end EV6 electric car. The Sportage drives neatly (although it’s not really thrilling in any sense) and is well made, and it comes with that long Kia warranty. Kia quotes an official 49mpg for fuel economy, but you might do better than that if you’re gentle.
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Nissan’s new Qashqai hybrid uses an unusual setup — the 1.5-litre petrol engine is only there to top up the compact 2.1kWh battery, which in turn drives the 187hp electric motor. So it’s not so much a hybrid, more an electric car that carries around its own power station. It’s odd, but Nissan reckons that it’s a better solution than a plug-in hybrid and it’ll do 53mpg on the official economy combined cycle.
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What's good
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Like Honda, Nissan has fitted the Juke Hybrid with an oddball gearbox (four gears for the engine, two for the electric motor) but the overall effect isn’t bad. 56mpg is the official figure, and you should be able to get close to that in the real world. Spritely to drive, but space in the back and boot is lacking.
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Toyota has more experience than anyone with making hybrids, and that shows in the RAV4. It’s no sports car to drive (although it’s not as boring as you might think) but its hybrid system is efficient, and capable of up to 50mpg fuel economy on the combined cycle.
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The Tucson is basically the same, under the skin, as the Kia Sportage, so all of the same good stuff applies here — a quality, comfort, space, and an efficient hybrid system capable of hitting 50mpg on the official fuel economy test. The Kia’s cabin looks a little bit nicer, though.
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The UX is basically either a RAV4 in a smaller, sportier suit or a C-HR that’s been to a posh school. Either way, it’s hard not to like the smart-looking (and beautifully-made) cabin, and the UX is pretty sweet to drive, too. The UX250h hybrid version returns 53mpg on the combined fuel economy test.
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Honda’s HR-V gets a complex engine setup that does away with a conventional gearbox and instead uses a pair of electric motors, powered by a 2.0-litre petrol engine. It’s a bit old-school hybrid to drive (droning engine, slow acceleration) but it’s economical — an official 53mpg — and the high-quality cabin is lovely.
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Ageing now, and due for replacement next year, the CR-V still has much to offer. It’s hugely spacious inside, and has that typical bomb-proof sense of Honda quality. It’s not as sharp to drive as you might hope, but the combined fuel economy of 42mpg isn’t bad for something this big.
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Toyota’s C-HR is almost over-styled, inside and out — as if Toyota just wanted to prove once and for all that it could make a truly stylish car. The effect is quite nice though, and the quality levels are nicer. Even nicer again? 57mpg on the combined cycle test and a sense of sparky enjoyment to the steering. Small back seats, though. Small boot, too.
Battery range up to 36 miles
You can buy the Niro as a hybrid, plug-in hybrid, or fully-electric model and it’s the EV that draws more of the headlines. The hybrid is still a good choice, though, as it’s simpler to use and can easily break the 60mpg barrier in daily driving. The new model gets chunkier, more SUV-ish styling and classier, roomier cabin.
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