Go Green with These Exciting Hybrids
Not ready to go electric? These hybrids present a nice compromise and are truly fun to drive as well.
Nice Compromise
There are still a lot of folks out there that aren't quite ready for full-blown electric vehicles, as many remain leery of limited range and infrastructure, as well as price. That's understandable, of course, but it's worth pointing out that hybrids present a nice middle-ground. With a combination of electric and gas motors, these cars are economical, greener than standard ICE vehicles, and a whole lot of fun, to boot.
Photo: BMW
BMW i8
The BMW i8 is a gorgeous car that will be mistaken for a much more expensive exotic everywhere you go, even if it won't blow you away with its performance. The car's 1.5-liter gas engine is paired with an electric motor to produce 369 horsepower 420 pound-feet of torque, which isn't amazing but also not bad. But who cares when you're enjoying solid fuel economy in such a great-looking vehicle?
Photo: BMW
Ford Puma Hybrid
Sadly, Ford doesn't sell the Puma in the U.S., even though we think the funky and fun hot hatch/crossover would do quite well here. The Puma utilizes a tiny 1.0-liter turbocharged three-cylinder and 48-volt hybrid system to offer either 123 or 153 horsepower, which obviously isn't much. But this is also a lightweight package with an excellent chassis, making it a blast to drive despite its power limitations. Even better, it's available with a six-speed manual gearbox.
Photo: Ford
Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid
On the opposite end of the price spectrum, we have the amazingly quick Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid, which features a twin-turbo, 4.0-liter V8 and electric motor duo that produce a combined 689 horsepower and 642 pound-feet of torque. That will propel that large sedan from 0-60 in three seconds and up to 196 mph, but the car can also travel up to 14 miles on electric power alone.
Photo: Porsche
Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 4matic+
The slick-looking Mercedes-AMG CLS 53 pairs the automaker's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline-six with an electric supercharger and 48-volt hybrid assist system called EQ Boost to provide 429 horsepower and 384 pound-feet of torque, plus another 21 hp and 184 pound-feet from the electric assist, which will propel the car from 0-60 in 4.0 seconds and down the quarter-mile in 12.5 clicks.
Photo: Mercedes
Volvo S60 T8 Polestar
The electrified Polestar version of the Volvo S60 offers quite a bit of performance from the brand known for its excellent safety features. The top of the line version is the Recharge T8 Polestar, which produces 415 horsepower and 494 pound-feet of torque from its 2.0-liter turbo-four and electric motor combination, which flows to all four wheels for brisk performance.
Photo: Volvo
Polestar 1
The Polestar 1 is one of the best-looking plug-in hybrids on the market today, but it also isn't cheap, with a starting price nearing $150k. Regardless, Polestar is only making 150 examples per year, so it's also exclusive. And quick, thanks to a turbo- and supercharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor that make a combined 375 horsepower, plus a pair of electric motors out back adding 114 hp each, which totals out to 619 horsepower and 738 pound-feet of torque.
Photo: Volvo
