Luxury Hybrid SUV Roundup: Plug-in Edition

The Luxury Hybrid SUV has been around for quite sometime, with nearly all the major high-end manufacturers producing at least one example.

But advancements in technology continues at a rapid pace, and many of these brands have transitioned from hybrids to full fledge battery electric SUVs, or will be in the very near future. Not all consumers are ready for this change though. They aren’t willing to commit to a pure electric vehicle (EV) as of yet. The benefits of an EV do appeal to them, but they still want to retain the familiarity and comfortableness of a traditional gasoline powered SUV.

Enter the Plug-in Hybrid.

Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles, or PHEVs for short, are nothing new either. They have been on market for over a decade. But lately their popularity has been growing as they strike a nice balance, offering pure electric driving for shorter trips and traditional gasoline range and ease of refuelling for longer journeys. The luxury automakers are well versed in this technology, with no fewer than ten plug-in hybrid SUVs currently on sale today. Below, in alphabetical order, we have a made summary of each vehicle and what it has to offer.

Audi has pared down the brand’s plug-in hybrid offerings as the company begins to ramp up production of fully electric vehicles. That leaves the Q5 as the sole SUV available as a PHEV. The 55 TFSI e Plug-In Hybrid comes with a turbocharged four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor that is good for a total of 362 hp. Audi claims the Q5 can drive upwards of 23 miles on all electric power before the gasoline engine needs to be operated.

BMW is another manufacturer that is transitioning from plug-in hybrids to full-fledge electric vehicles. The X3 used to be available as a PHEV in the United States, but has since been discontinued. Canadians though are still able to walk into their local BMW showroom and purchase one, for the time being at least. Power comes from a turbocharge four-cylinder engine and electric motor combination that is good for a total of 288 hp. All-electric range of this BMW is 41 km (25 miles).

Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus, is synonymous with hybrids, so it’s a bit shocking that only one crossover/SUV is available as a Plug-in. But despite the fact nearly every model in the company’s lineup can be had with hybrid drivetrain, the NX 450h+ is indeed the only current hybrid crossover that can be plugged in. A 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine is matched up to an electric motor that combine to make an impressive 304 hp. This powertrain enables the compact crossover to get from 0 to 60 mph in six seconds, or when driven more conservatively, achieve upwards of 37 miles on a single charge of the battery.

Who would have guessed a few years ago that Lincoln would be a front-runner in the luxury Plug-in SUV market? But here we are, with Ford’s luxury brand offering a pair of PHEV SUVs. The Aviator is the larger of the two SUVs and uses a turbocharged V6 engine mated to an electric motor. Total system output is an impressive 494 hp and 630 lb-ft of torque. Lincoln claims the big SUV can go an estimated 21 miles on a single charged before the gasoline engine needs to be turned on.

Porsche approaches plug-in hybrids a bit different than most other manufacturers. The Cayenne can be had in two levels of PHEV, the E-Hybrid or the crazy Turbo S E-Hybrid. The more mild E-Hybrid has a 455 hp powertrain thanks to a turbocharged V6 paired to an electric motor. The Cayenne E-Hybrid can got from 0-60 mph in 4.7 seconds. But if monstrous amounts of power is what you’re after, there’s the 670 hp Turbo S E-Hbrid that adds an electric motor to the turbocharged V8 found in the regular Turbo S. This makes it the most powerful Cayenne model and the second quickest, only beat by the specialty Cayenne Turbo GT. Either Cayenne Hybrid can be had with the regular body style or the sportier, yet less practical, coupe body.

Volvo is quickly moving to the forefront of the electric revolution, offering plenty of fully electric and plug-in electric hybrid vehicles. Two of the brand’s SUVs can be ordered as a PHEV, the XC60 and the XC90. The smaller XC60 has a supercharged and turbocharged four-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor. This is good for a combined 400 hp, or 415 hp in the Polestar Engineered trim level. Volvo claims the XC60 can travel up to 19 miles on a single charge.