PLUG-IN HYBRID
Audi
The A3 Sportback e-tron compact car ($40,900) is fitted with a 1.4L TFSI engine and generates up to 204 hp. Fuel consumption checks in at 6.9L/100 km when in hybrid mode, and it can of course be driven in all-electric mode for short distances.
BMW
The i8 sports car ($149,900) is a luxurious 357-hp beast, and an exceedingly beautiful one at that. It certainly doesn’t target the average hybrid-car buyer, offering instead a way to enjoy high-level performance in a more fuel-efficient package. Its 24-km all-electric range helps it achieve an average fuel consumption rating of 8.3Le/100 km.
Chevrolet
The next-generation Volt ($38,490) sports a more attractive design as well as an improved EV range of 85 km. GM calls it an electric car because its gasoline engine serves only to charge the battery and not to power the front wheels, but in reality it’s a plug-in hybrid with a total range of hundreds of kilometres.
FCA
The Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid ($50,995) is a minivan lauded for, among other things, its all-electric range of 53 km and its average fuel consumption of just 2.6Le/100 km. The price shown here is that of the new, more affordable base model just recently announced by the manufacturer.
Ford
Again, two models from the American manufacturer: the C-MAX Energi ($29,828), a compact hatchback with a large 545-litre trunk and an all-electric range of 32 km, and the Fusion Energi ($35,088), a comfortable sedan able to cover 35 km before it has to come knocking on the gasoline fuel tank. The former has a fuel consumption rating of 2.5Le/100 km, the latter 2.4Le/100 km.
Hyundai
The Sonata Plug-in Hybrid ($43,999) generates 202 hp, its battery is substantially more powerful than the regular hybrid version of the Sonata, and it has an all-electric range of 35 km. Hyundai offers only a single, fully equipped trim level, and its price is somewhat higher than those of its main competitors. Don't miss the upcoming IONIQ Plug-in Hybrid, too!
Mercedes-Benz
The GLE 550e 4MATIC ($83,000) is the first of the new generation of Mercedes hybrids and electric cars to come. This midsize plug-in hybrid SUV can generate 436 hp and uses an average of 11L/100 km. The S 550e large sedan ($117,900) works on the same system, but the manufacturer has not yet announced its fuel consumption numbers.
MINI
The Cooper S E Countryman will be available on the Canadian market as of June—a significant first for this small British automaker. Stay tuned for pricing information coming soon.
Porsche
The next-generation Panamera E-Hybrid is available in four versions (two with extended wheelbase called Executive). The most affordable is priced at $113,400 and gives 462 hp in return, while the upcoming 680-hp Turbo S Executive will set buyers back $221,700, can go from a stop to 100 km/h in 3.5 seconds, and uses only 2.9Le/100 km! As for the Cayenne S E-Hybrid SUV ($90,400), it can produce 333 hp and travel between 18-28 km in full electric mode.
Toyota
The new Prius Prime ($32,990) arrives on June 1, but Toyota Canada has opted to sell it only in Quebec, given that La Belle Province accounts for over half of plug-in hybrid sales in Canada. Its new Hybrid Synergy Drive system delivers improved acceleration and energy consumption of just 1.8Le/100 km on a full charge. Total range for the Prius Prime extends to 1,035 km, 40 of them in fully electric mode.
Volvo
The XC90 T8 twin-engine large SUV ($73,400) continues to rack up the accolades and awards. This luxury seven-seater delivers 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque, along with five available driving modes. At the 2017 New York Auto Show, Volvo confirmed that its new 2018 XC60 compact crossover will also be offered in T8 trim.
Make sure to check out our Hybrid and All-electric sections!