Last updated April 13, 2022
A hybrid car can be a great option if you’re looking to move to a greener and more economic vehicle whilst alleviating the potential range anxiety for drivers that regularly cover a lot of miles. By choosing a hybrid car, you can often reach diesel level economy figures over shorter journeys and they’re cleaner for the environment. We’ve compiled a list of the cheapest hybrid cars on the market for those who may be looking to switch to a greener vehicle in 2022.
The Honda Jazz has self-charging capabilities, so there is no need to wait for your car to charge or fit a mains electric supply at your home. Honda has developed their e:GEV to draw power from the combustion engine and regenerative braking. The Jazz has also had an upgrade to the exterior with the cross-star model.
The Jazz is fitted with a CVT automatic gearbox making it easy to drive around town, although due to the 1.5 litre engine only producing 109bhp, it may take a bit of a push to sprint along a motorway slip road. The car has an impressive fuel economy and emissions with combined fuel consumption of 62.8 miles and a combined CO2 of 102g/km.
The Jazz has a maximum speed of 108mph and can reach 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds. It is available in 3 additional specifications, however, because of the 1.5 litre engine the performance remains the same. For this reason, the Jazz might not be the most desirable option when choosing a hybrid car. However, being able to enjoy the hybrid technology at less than £20,000 should be a good compromise.
A key selling point beyond the price point, is the practicality of the car. The boot capacity reaches 844 litres with the seats down and 304 litres with them up, which is spacious for a small car. The Jazz has a 9-inch infotainment system which is an improvement on the previous interior set-up. As you move up to the higher-spec models, such as the EX, you get more luxuries such as a rear view camera and a built-in sat-nav. The Jazz had a five-star Euro NCAP rating back in 2020, proving it to be one of the safest superminis available.
You can find out more about the Honda Jazz here.
Similarly to the Honda, Toyota has created the Yaris with self-charging capabilities so there is no need to charge your car. This could save you a lot of time and money installing a charging port at your home, as the battery will be charged through the brake power and occasionally by the fuel motor acting as the battery generator. This is a contributing factor to the cheaper price point as the battery pack can be smaller and cheaper than in a PHEV.
The Yaris also uses a CVT automatic gearbox, which takes away the manual driving experience but also allows for a smooth drive. The Yaris comes in 3 trims and all 3 options have the same 1.5-litre engine. They all boast similar performance figures with a combined fuel consumption of up to 68.9mpg. As Toyota has a comparable 1.5-litre engine, the performance figures are similar to the Honda Jazz, with the car reaching 0-62mph in 9.7 seconds and a top speed of 108mph. When it comes to emissions, the Yaris can emit as little as 92 g/km dependent on your journey and driving style.
The Yaris also beats the Honda in space, with 947 litres of boot space with the rear seats folded down, although it is slightly smaller when the rear seats are up at 286 litres. The entry-level model comes with an 8.7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. By upgrading to the Design trim, you will also get an 8-inch digital instrument cluster and you can also opt for a tech pack with each model which includes an impressive head-up display.
You can find out more about the Yaris Hybrid here.
There are three trim options available in the Clio, the Standard, Iconic edition and E-Tech 140 auto.
Although there have not been many changes to the exterior of the Clio, the interior has had a few upgrades. A 9.3 inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the higher trim versions or as an additional option can be turned to portrait, which gives a more modern feel. The instrument panel on the Clio has been modernised to a digital panel as well. The Clio also boasts a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating which is due to their autonomous braking system as standard and the additional option to add a 360-degree camera to ensure parking is never a challenge.
Again, the battery in the Clio is charged by braking, however, it differs by the fact it has two batteries, with the one at the front generating its power from the front wheels when they reach 40mph. The Clio option is only available as an automatic and front-wheel drive. It is one of the slower hybrids on our cheapest hybrid car list with a 0-62mph of 9.9 seconds and a maximum top speed of 112mph. The emissions are not as low as the Yaris, however, at just 99g/km it is still impressive.
Find out more about the Yaris and any additional options here.
The Yaris Cross won the 2021 European Car of the Year award in 2021, which has increased its popularity.
The Yaris Cross is Toyota’s new crossover. If the usual hybrid hatchbacks aren’t for you then the Yaris Cross might be better suited as it is a lot roomier. It has a similar look to the original Yaris but in a familiar SUV style with a higher ride height and being available with All Wheel Drive.
For an SUV, the emissions are very close to the level of the hatchback hybrids available at just 100g/km. The Yaris Cross is only available with an automatic transmission. Due to the size of the vehicle and it only being available in a 1.5litre, 3 cylinder petrol-electric powertrain, the speeds are reduced compared to hatchback options with a max speed of just 105mph and a 0-62mph of 11.2 seconds.
Depending on which model you opt for the boot space does change. For the standard model at the price that lands it on our cheapest hybrid list, you will get 460-litres of storage in the boot and 1,097-litres with the seats down, making it a very spacious choice, however, this does drop to 320-litres with the seats up if you opt for the all-wheel-drive model.
Find out more about the Toyota Yaris Cross here.
If a bigger engine is something you are looking for in a hybrid, the Corolla might be the best fit for you as it is available with a 4-cylinder, 1.8-litre engine. As with the other Toyota’s in our list, it comes with a CVT automatic gearbox, which may take a while to get used to. As a saloon, it is heavier than the other cars which means it is slightly slower to accelerate from 0-62mph at 11 seconds and has a top speed of 112mph. However, if you are looking for efficiency, the Corolla could be a great option with the car producing a combined 62.7mph and only emitting 102-116 g/km of emissions.
The interior of the Corolla is where it stands out as it has a lot of equipment as standard. With an 8-inch infotainment system, which has both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Corolla also has Toyota’s Safety Sense as standard and a 5-star Euro NCAP rating, with automatic emergency brakes, auto high beam, lane departure alert, lane keep assist and traffic sign recognition.
As it is a saloon the Corolla has plenty of space, with a boot capacity of 471-litres. However, the downside to the Corolla is that the rear seats do not fold down to create extra capacity that may limit your ability to transport certain large items.
You can find out more about the Corolla here.
Hyundai’s first appearance on our list is the Kona, which is another hybrid SUV. Despite being an SUV, the Kona lacks practicality, space in the rear seats and just 374-litres of boot space compared to others SUV’s on the market.
The Kona is a 1.0-litre T-Gdi petrol engine, and although it is a smaller engine it does have a 6-gear manual transmission giving you more control. The Kona uses a powertrain engine which saves time charging the battery, with the enhanced 48-volt mild-hybrid powertrains allowing you to lower CO2 emissions and burns less fuel. The engine consists of 3 cylinders and performance figures are alike to the other SUVs at a similar price point with the car able to reach 0-62mph in 11.9 seconds and achieve a top speed of 112 mph. The emissions on the Kona are less impressive than the other hybrids we have on our list, with CO2 emissions at 135 g/km, which also increases on the higher trim levels.
The safety features that come as standard on the Kona are Forward Collision-avoidance assist, Lane Keep Assist, Blind Spot Collision Warning, Full LED lights, rear cross-traffic collision warning and driver attention alert, which is helpful for drivers that regularly drive long distances. The Kona comes in 7 trims, therefore there is an option for each of your needs and a range of colours are available to suit your style.
Find out more about the Kona here.
The Ioniq is known to be cheap to run and an easy drive around town. It comes in seven trim levels as is the case with the Hyundai Kona, so there are plenty of options to suit every driver’s needs. Hyundai has also made the Ioniq available as a plug-in hybrid if you would prefer to charge your car and drive on purely electric power for up to thirty-nine miles. However, if you are looking for the cheapest Kona, this is only available as a self-charging hybrid that uses the electric motor to drive at slower speeds.
Unlike many hybrids on the market, the Hyundai’s Ioniq uses a 6-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission which is quieter and smoother than the CVT gearbox used on Toyota’s and Honda’s.
The Ioniq is another car with a 5-star Euro NCAP rating, due to standard features such as automatic emergency braking which can detect an obstacle ahead. This makes it one of the safest family cars that is reasonably priced and has cheap running costs. The Hyundai has a generous boot size of 443-litres with the seats up and can increase in capacity with the seats down to 1,505-litres.
The entry-level model has an impressive amount of equipment as standard, including the futuristic infotainment system, which is controlled by a large tablet-style 8-inch touchscreen placed on the centre of the dash with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities.
Find out more on the Ioniq here.
Renault’s compact SUV has a starting price of under £25,000. It has one of the largest engine choices in its class, is only available with an automatic gearbox and has a 140bhp output. The emissions figures for the cheapest Captur are a respectable 113 g/km.
The Captur comes with a 7inch portrait touchscreen as standard with navigation and DAB capabilities. You can increase the size of the screen to 9 inches by upgrading the trim, however, this is more of a luxury than a necessity. The Captur also boasts more room than many other SUVs at this price point. Renault have included a clever feature where the rear seats slide forward to create more boot space when you are not carrying any rear passengers, which increases the capacity from 404-litres to a very respectable 563-litres.
The Captur is available as both a petrol or diesel and dependent on the engine you can choose from automatic or manual transmission. The E-TECH Hybrid has a 1.6-litre petrol engine combined with a 1.2kWh battery and two electric motors that deliver the 56.5mpg. The hybrid technology switches between the engine and electric motor for the most efficiency. The performance of the Captur is average for a hybrid SUV, with a not so impressive 0-62mph time of 11 seconds and a top speed of 112mph.
Find out more about the Captur here.
The long-standing Ford Mondeo range now includes HEV options, with a range of engines and four different trim levels to choose from, there is enough choice to suit whatever you need from a hybrid vehicle.
The Mondeo has two sources of power from the combustion engine and a battery driven electric motor. The system will automatically switch between the powertrains or will use a combination of both. The regenerative braking is used to power the battery through recycling energy that would normally be lost. Therefore, you will not have to spend time or money charging up your Mondeo’s high-voltage battery. The hybrid Mondeo is only available with a CVT automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. With a max speed of 116mph and a 0-62 mph figure of 9.2 seconds, it one of the faster hybrids on our list.
Not only does it have good performance figures for a hybrid in this price range, but the Mondeo is also extremely practical, with a spacious interior and a luggage capacity of 654-litres with the rear seats up and up to 1,437-litres with the rear seats folded down. Alongside the very spacious boot, it also has smart safety features to proactively help drivers avoid incidents with brake assist, traffic sign recognition and lane keep assist.
The Mondeo uses a Sony operating system for the infotainment, which is operated through an 8” touchscreen. The SYNC 3 capabilities allow you to send destinations from your smartphone using the Ford Pass app to the navigation system. The infotainment system also has Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard and voice command options.
The Suzuki Swace is the cheapest estate with hybrid technology in the UK, with Suzuki positioning the car as a functional yet sporty car. The self-charging hybrid has a focus on spaciousness, comfort and high-quality finishes. The Swace is only available in two trim levels, with both only being available with the same 1.8 petrol/electric engine.
Despite being the entry-level model, the Swace comes with a range of components such as heated front seats and a heated steering wheel which is often a paid for addition for many manufacturers. The SZ5 does have additional features that may sway you to spend the additional £2,000 such as parking sensors and the park assist function. The SZ-T has a 7-inch digital display and an 8-inch infotainment system. Despite being a decent-sized screen, the graphics aren’t top spec and neither trim level come with navigation capabilities; however, you can overcome this by connecting your smartphone via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system does include a hybrid-system monitor, which will show real-time data of how energy is flowing to and from the petrol engine, electric motor and battery. This can help you to monitor how economical your driving is and helps you make the most of the hybrid technology. It is also possible to switch to a fully electric mode in the Swace, but this will only have a range of a few miles before the battery dies and switches back to the petrol engine.
The Swace has a 1.8-litre petrol engine in both trim levels, with a CVT automatic transmission and 3 optional driving modes to suit your conditions or preference. It is one of the more efficient cars on our list as well, with the second-highest fuel consumption at 64.2 mpg. In terms of performance figures, the Swace will not win any awards with a top speed of 112mph and an acceleration of 0-62mph in 11.1 seconds. However, Suzuki have clearly opted for a more practical look and feel for the Swace, with a great offering of space and functional kit over speed and style. As it is an estate, the Swace boasts a generous sized boot, with 596-litres with the rear seats up and 1,232-litres with the rear seats down. However, the seats don’t go completely flat which can make it difficult to load some items.
Find out more on the Suzuki here.