BEST PHEVs
If you’re shopping for a plug-in hybrid among the sea of new arrivals to the Australian car market, we’ve distilled down a shortlist to make this task emphatically easier. With reviews that will help you understand how a PHEV actually works, we’ll also give you straight advice about how well it will work for you…
The short list
GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV
The GWM Cannon Alpha PHEV might have too many names, but it’s absolutely worthy of your time if you need an extremely good value, functional dual-cab ute with a plug-in hybrid powertrain and which functions as a proper off-roader.
With a firm place in the top 10 carmakers by sales in Australia, GWM has earned its stripes having been selling cars here for 16 years. Sales have increased by 10 times in just the last 5 years alone and there are now over 200,000 vehicles on the road right now proving their reliability. GWM is a powerhouse brand.
You get a capable towing platform, one that can also carry ample kilograms in the tray, or engage on-road AWD in wet conditions, or low-range for hardcore off-roading.
You get plenty of equipment, loads of legroom, good build quality, and an eye-watering value-for-money proposition when you see the price.
Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV
Outlander PHEV offers the best of both: a midsize SUV with proper all-wheel drive, and a plug-in hybrid that runs in EV mode in city traffic. Being from a brand selling cars in Auastralia for decades, and electric/hybrids for longer than almost any other, that’s a bonus.
The 2.5-litre petrol engine is naturally aspirated, and the 38kWh battery+motor combination makes it punchy and frugal as well as smooth and refined to drive in suburban commuter congestion.
Legroom is quite good in the front and second rows, and in the unlikely event you do go off sealed roads, Mitsubishi’s on-demand all-wheel drive system is very competent, handling light mud, wet grassy carparks and steep, slippery driveways or take-offs at the lights with ease.
It’s not a proper 4WD, but it did make it through the Flinders Ranges. (You also get a conditional 10yr warranty.)
Kia Sorento PHEV
A Kia Sorento with hybrid city-driving capability and long-distance petrol-powered cruising potential. Now that’s and interesting prospect.
Sorento is a big vehicle; a full-sized seven-seat SUV - and yet it comes with 169kW of combined power with the electric motor and comsbution engine put together. What this means is that it’s got a torque EV-only style take-off in operation, before the 1.6-litre turbo-petrol combustion engine kicking in to get up to higher road speeds.
Despite having a smaller battery than some, it’s much more accommodating for bigger families thanks to row-three seating with ISOFix anchors and a full-size spare wheel - which is extremely rare in any hybrid.
Sorento PHEV is a spacious, practical and luxuriously equipped SUV that will do limited commuting in EV-only mode, and will eat highway road trips without making you sweat over the availability or operability of public chargers.
Haval H6 GT PHEV
Haval’s H6 GT PHEV is one of the nicest midsize SUV PHEVs to have to ask the price of. Not only do you get a very slick, minimalist cabin that’s quiet to sit in, but it also goes like stink.
There’s a massive infotainment touchscreen with virtually no buttons (if you’re into that kinda thing), you get heated leather seats and decent driving dynamics that are far from perfect, but good enough for most people.
What it lacks for in refinement and handling, which is substantial, it more than makes up for in straight line performance, mundane daily practicality and value for money.
Haval is also a GWM brand, so you’re going to get good customer support from a now-established brand in the market with skin in the game.
MG HS
If you want to spend an additional $15,000 on the equivalent Toyota, Subaru, Mazda or Kia medium SUV, then go right ahead. But you won’t get the same level of razor sharp value that MG has crammed into the HS.
If you want what is effectively a brand-spanking new 10-year-old previous generation Sportage, RAV4 or CX-5, (because having the latest and greatest isn’t your top priority in favour of maximising your budget), then you’ll want to check out the staggering appeal the HS has to offer.
The HS is what mainstream brands should be terrified of in terms of price point. But that low price does come with drawbacks. You won’t find a full-size spare, a 91 RON fuel engine tune, or a particularly refined driving experience, because MG just hasn’t spent the big bucks making HS drive like the others. Or consume our cheapest fuel.
The terms ‘cheap’ and ‘Chinese’ are separated now because of this vehicle. It’s a win-win for consumers who need bang-for-buck.
Toyota RAV4 PHEV
RAV4 is a decent five-seat family vehicle if you’re looking for a general-purpose, straight-forward SUV. A lot of people worship Toyota in Australia: they’re reliable, the dealer network is huge and the resale value is excellent.
The RAV4 is one of those vehicles that does a good job at not offending you with styling or getting in your face with tech or innovation. And that’s okay, because a large portion of buyers don’t care about flashy screens or indulgent styling; they just want an affordable SUV that goes OK. It does.
The boot is a decent size, engines (either atmo petrol or hybrid) are pretty reliable, they’re well built and they drive nicely enough without being anywhere close to ‘performance oriented’. Steering might be considered on the ‘light’ side, so lacking some feel and feedback, the suspension is decent without being uncomfortable, and the range is well priced, if slightly dear.
Popular medium SUVs to avoid
Skoda Karoq/Volkswagen Tiguan: Karoq is just a nastier Tiguan with cheaper plastics and a space-saver spare. Tiguan is a knock-off Audi but without the stylish design. Same car, same criminal parent carmaker that rarely treats customer complaints as legitimate.
Mercedes-Benz GLB: Looks drop-dead gorgeous, but you’ll pay full price because: no negotiating. When you present the dealer with some problem, they’ll find a way to ignore your consumer rights and bill you for poor build quality. Mercedes Australia is well-versed at this gouging tactic.
Nissan X-Trail: Nissan wants you to think its gutless mild-hybrid e-Power X-Trail is a quasi-EV. It’s not. This new generation X-Trail is also very new and the first under Nissan’s alliance with Renault and Mitsubishi, so we don’t really know if it’s any good or reliable, so wait six months at least.
Honda CR-V: Honda is nearly finished in Australia; sales have been down ever year going back almost a decade. Spending $40-$50K on a CR-V is going to be a depreciation disaster in three-to-five years, so don’t get trapped in Honda’s downward sales death-spiral.
Ford Escape: Escape sales are terrible - in a country dominated by medium SUVs. Escape should be selling its socks off for Ford Australia, but it can’t even compete with upstart Chinese brands. Escape is costing Ford, meaning eventually they might stop bothering, which is a resale bomb for you.
Renault Koleos: Koleos is essentially a Nissan X-Trail underneath, but with a bigger pricetag, a more bland interior and weird French steering wheel controls, and a worse local importer. It’s also going to depreciate faster than the rest of the Best Medium SUVs here.
The GWM Tank 500 is so much more than just a copycat Toyota Prado. It offers genuine off-road chops, a serious powertrain capable of heavy towing and a cabin interior that looks a decade more modern than the lady LandCruiser it resembles.