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Compare the best small hybrid cars

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Rated 4.6/5 from 49,181 reviews

Best small hybrids of 2024

Hybrid cars are arguably at their best when they’re small - with less weight to lug around, the battery and electric motor can do more fuel-saving work. There’s a catch, though - smaller hybrids often have less cabin and boot space. Here are the best small hybrid and plug-in hybrid cars on sale in the UK…

Volkswagen Golf

1. Volkswagen Golf

7/10
Volkswagen Golf review
There are two flavours of hybrid Golf - a 204hp E-Hybrid plug-in hybrid, and a sportier 245hp Golf GTE plug-in hybrid. Both offer decent electric-only range (44 miles for the E-Hybrid, 38 miles for the GTE) and both can be frugal on a long run if driven with a little care (you can potentially squeeze 60mpg out of the E-Hybrid). Both suffer from a small boot though, thanks to the battery packaging — just 273-litres, compared to the 380-litres of a standard Golf, and there’s an argument that you’d be better off just buying an all-electric ID.3 instead.
Toyota Corolla

2. Toyota Corolla

8/10
Toyota Corolla review
Toyota has become the master of hybrids, and the massive-selling Corolla (46 million and counting…) is one of the best. 1.8 Hybrid engine has genuine 60mpg real-world potential, and it’s smoother and easier to drive than before, with surprisingly entertaining steering. The downside is that the hatchback has tiny back seats and a small boot, so get the Touring Sports estate instead.
Cupra Leon

3. Cupra Leon

8/10
Cupra Leon review
Battery range up to 429 miles
The Cupra Leon is from Seat’s sporty sister brand, and it looks good in its GTI-esque bodykit. The 245hp plug-in hybrid system is quick when you put your foot down, and offers a 32-mile electric range, but it’s not quite as much fun in the corners as it ought to be. The Estate is the best version.
Honda Jazz

4. Honda Jazz

7/10
Honda Jazz review
The Jazz has long been one of the most practical small cars you can buy, and that hasn’t changed thanks to a generous 304-litre boot, and those clever ‘Magic Seats’ in the back, that flip up vertically (for tall, narrow loads) as well as folding down flat. The 1.5-litre hybrid engine is very efficient, with an official 63mpg on the combined cycle. Great quality too.
Mercedes A-Class

5. Mercedes A-Class

8/10
Mercedes A-Class review
Battery range up to 40 miles
The A250e’s plug-in hybrid system is one of the more efficient that you can buy, giving you a potential 44-mile electric range, and it’s not thirsty on a long run. Quite the opposite, in fact — you should be able to nudge 50mpg. The boot does shrink compared to the standard A-Class though, down to 310-litres. Not a barrel of fun to drive either, but you’ll love the high-quality cabin.
Audi A3 Sportback

6. Audi A3

7/10
Audi A3 Sportback review
As with the Golf, there are two A3 plug-in hybrids. There’s an A3 40 TFISe, with 204hp and a 40-mile electric range; and a 45 TFSIe with 245hp and a 37-mile range. Both get the same handsome styling outside, and the same gorgeous, high-quality cabin within. Both are also pretty sharp to drive, but like the Golf both also suffer from small boot syndrome.
Toyota Yaris Hybrid

7. Toyota Yaris

7/10
Toyota Yaris Hybrid review
The little Yaris looks sharper now than it has done since the late nineties, and it’s far more enjoyable to drive than you might expect, with well-balanced responses in corners. The 1.5-litre petrol hybrid engine is super-efficient too, and Toyota claims that you can run on electric power for 80 percent of your urban drives, with no need to plug-in. It’s tiny in the back seats and the boot, though.
Renault Clio

8. Renault Clio

9/10
Renault Clio review
The Clio hybrid uses a clever two-motor system, inspired by Renault’s F1 experience, to deliver a real-world 62mpg, and it looks pretty smart doing it. The cabin looks nice, but the overall quality could be better, and the infotainment system is super-fiddly. Decent 301-litre boot though, even if that has shrunk compared to the standard petrol Clio.
Lexus UX

9. Lexus UX

7/10
Lexus UX review
Lexus’s ultra-compact UX250h hybrid mixes sharp styling with a gorgeous, high-quality cabin and excellent efficiency from its 2.0-litre petrol hybrid system. 50mpg on a long run is easy-peasy, and it feels sharp in the corners, too. The downside is that the rear seats are cramped by crossover standards, although the 438-litre boot isn’t bad by hybrid standards.
MINI Countryman (2016-2023)

10. MINI Countryman

7/10
MINI Countryman (2016-2023) review
Battery range up to 28 miles
The Countryman is one of the oldest plug-in hybrid models on sale, and it kinda shows. On the good side, the cabin is roomy and comfortable, and even with the extra weight of the batteries, it’s fun to drive. The downside is that it has a limited electric range (32 miles officially, which would become around 20 in the real world) and it gets thirstier on long runs once the battery runs down, as is true of all PHEVs.

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Small hybrids FAQs

A hybrid car basically has two engines — a petrol one (or, rarely, a diesel) and an electric motor which sits between the petrol one and the gearbox. Both engines working together give you brisk performance, which  means that the petrol engine can be detuned for better economy. A hybrid can also run for short distances (usually about a mile or so) on electric power, and recharges quickly from driving and braking, so that you end up with a good portion of an average journey — especially an urban on — on electric power alone. A plug-in hybrid takes that basic principle and adds a bigger battery which can be charged from mains power, meaning that you can run for much longer distances on electric, but you’re carrying more weight, so economy on longer runs suffers.

A hybrid doesn’t — it’ll top up its battery as you go from driving and braking. A plug-in hybrid does, as the whole idea is to charge it up and use the battery for your regular day-to-day short journeys, saving the petrol engine for longer runs.

Not that far, because there’s not enough room to stash a big battery. A conventional hybrid (a Clio or Yaris, for example) will cover only a mile or so on electric power, but will do that repeatedly on one journey, charging itself as it goes. The best plug-in hybrids — the Volkswagen Golf e-Hybrid and the Mercedes A250e — will go for an official 44 miles on one charge of their bigger batteries, which equates to north of 30 in the real world, but the penalty is that they’re thirstier on long journeys once the battery is run down but the weight still has to be carried.

It’s actually the Honda Jazz, which costs £20,450 in basic SE form, undercutting both the Toyota Yaris Hybrid and the Renault Clio E-Tech hybrid by between £600 and £900.

Mercedes claims a massive 282mpg for its plug-in hybrid, but of course it will depend on how much you plug it in, how often, and how far you drive it. For solid real-world consumption, look to the Honda Jazz or Toyota Yaris, both of which can hit a genuine 60mpg in real-world conditions.

The winner here is the Lexus UX250h, which can swallow 438 litres of whatever you need to carry in its boot.

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