The best hybrid superminis on sale

Hybrid superminis offer ultra-low running costs with fun driving characteristics.

Recently, there have been an increasing number of choices on the new car market that offer petrol-electric powertrains in a small compact bodystyle.

We’ve compiled a list of the best hybrid superminis on sale today.

The Toyota Yaris is the trailblazer when it comes to hybrid superminis.

Now in its fourth generation, the Yaris looks good and comes with lots of standard equipment.

It’s available with a choice of two powertrains. Both get the same 1.5-litre three-cylinder petrol engine mated to an electric motor, but it’s available with either 114bhp or 129bhp.

The Yaris is great fun to drive and comes with Toyota’s solid reputation for dependability and reliability.

Plus, the car can come with Toyota’s Relax scheme, which covers under warranty for 10 years or 100,000 miles, whenever the vehicle is serviced through a Toyota franchised dealer.

The Renault Clio is a good-looking and well-equipped supermini that has been around for over three decades.

Now, the car is in its fifth generation and boasts some of the latest technology, and the hybrid powertrain is its most efficient engine yet – named the Clio E-Tech.

Under the bonnet, there is a 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine mated to an electric motor that generates 147bhp and 205Nm of torque.

Renault claims the Clio E-Tech Hybrid can do a combined 67.3mpg and has CO2 emissions as low as 95g/km.

The Honda Jazz is one of the most practical small cars on sale, and that’s thanks to its large boot capacity and spacious interior.

The current iteration has been around since 2020 and recently has been given a mid-life facelift to keep it looking fresh. There is a ‘Crossstar’ model that makes the Jazz look more rugged with its plastic wheel arch mouldings and roof rails, too.

Its boxy design means that there is lots of head and legroom for rear-seat occupants, and the backseats can be folded down with just one lever, offering a completely flat loading bay with 304 litres or 1,205 litres with the rear seats folded.

Honda claims the Jazz can achieve up to 62.8mpg on the combined cycle and its CO2 emissions are as low as 82g/km.

The latest Suzuki Swift is a mild hybrid with a small 48V battery to help boost its economy and efficiency.

It’s the only car on this list that is available with a manual transmission (in hybrid guise) and is packed full of standard equipment and technology.

Under the bonnet, there is a 1.2-litre, three-cylinder petrol engine that develops 81bhp and 112Nm of torque.

The Swift handles well and is great fun to drive thanks to its well-setup chassis. Also, prices are reasonable, with the range kicking off at £19,199 – making it one of the cheapest superminis on sale.

The MG3 is the cheapest new hybrid car on sale, with a price tag of just £18,495, and it comes with plenty of standard equipment. The basic SE model features a 10.25-inch colour touchscreen, a seven-inch driver’s display and alloy wheels.

Under the bonnet, the car comes with a 1.5-litre petrol engine mated to an electric motor which generates 192bhp and 250Nm of torque. This puts the car into hot hatchback territory, with a 0-60mph time of 7.8 seconds and a top speed of 106mph.

MG claims that its CO2 emissions are as low as 100g/km, and it has a combined fuel efficiency of 64.2mpg.

Peugeot has been increasing the number of its hybrid powertrains into more of its product portfolio, and the 208 is one the latest to feature a petrol-electric setup.

It’s available with a choice of two hybrid powertrains. Both come fitted with a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine mated with an electric motor that produces 102bhp or 138bhp.

Both powertrains offer low CO2 emissions of 104g/km and 105g/km as well as combined MPG figures of between 60 to 65mpg.

The car has recently received a facelift, featuring a new front end and updated interior design.

To drive, the 208 handles well and is comfortable around town, making the car very easy to live with on a day-to-day basis.