Your questions answered: Which is the best hybrid compact SUV?

Our mailbox this week is one indication of why car-makers are falling over themselves to introduce hybrid powertrains, which Aussies are currently lapping up.

The lure of lower fuel bills with easy refuelling is clearly capturing the attention of plenty of new-vehicle shoppers.

But as with EVs, there are compromises with making the shift to hybrid cars, as one reader is discovering with the search for a spare wheel.

We also delve into tyre pressures and even AM radio.

Question: I’m looking for a smallish SUV to reduce my fuel bills around town but also allow me to drive between Sydney and Brisbane a few times a year.

That’s why I don’t want to switch to an EV just yet – I’m not quite ready for the charging challenges. What are my options and which is best? – Harry

Answer: A few years ago your choices would have been Toyota and… Toyota. But now you have a lot more options.

The Toyota Corolla Cross is a good place to start, though. It’s a terrific hybrid system and stacks up well on practicality and value, the latter slightly diluted due to price rises in recent years.

There are still stock shortages though, so you may have to wait to get behind the wheel, in which case it’s worth looking at alternatives.

A great option is the Honda HR-V hybrid (or the slightly larger ZR-V), currently available in runout with an eight-year warranty. While it’s only available in a top-of-the-line trim level, it’s still a decent package – especially considering the great hybrid system.

Also check out the Nissan QASHQAI e-POWER that has an interesting hybrid system in which only the electric motor drives the wheels (the engine is purely a generator).

And the Hyundai Kona Hybrid is also solid buying.

But a left-field option worth checking out is the BYD Sealion 6. It has an impressive plug-in hybrid system that drives much like an EV but with some petrol back-up for longer distances and a hint of additional performance.

It all works nicely and delivers on efficiency while also allowing for some EV-only running (upwards of 70km). But aside from its hybrid system it’s not as sharp to drive as some of its prime rivals.

And, yes, the Sealion 6 is more expensive than entry versions of some of those mentioned above, but it’s also larger and comes loaded with equipment. So if you are looking at a car with a full bag of fruit it may fit the bill nicely.

Question: I am having a great trouble finding the PHEV (or EV) vehicle that ticks all the boxes for me. I’m hoping you can help me identify it.

My criteria:

I had a Range Rover Evoque PHEV which ticked all the boxes except within three months of purchase it had caused multiple problems so I asked for a refund. Very, very disappointing.

I think maybe my only option is a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV but I have driven Mitsubishis before and am not keen on them (tinny and fairly poor quality).

I have ruled out a Toyota RAV4 hybrid (and a Nissan X-Trail hybrid) because it is not PHEV and I absolutely want to be able to drive in EV mode around town.

I have looked at various EV SUVs eg Volvo XC40 and XC60 Recharge, but they don’t have a spare tyre! – Jane

Answer: Yep, the spare tyre is the thing that will catch you out.

Most EVs don’t bother, although with PHEVs you can have more luck.

The Hyundai Kona Hybrid and EV both have space-saver spares.

The upcoming Chery Omoda E5 will also come with a spare.

And the Subaru Solterra will soon offer an option pack that allows the fitment of a spare, albeit at the expense of boot space.

The Solterra is also semi-decent at off-road work, in part because it has Subaru’s X-Mode traction system that helps apportion drive to the wheels with grip.

Also check out the BYD Sealion 6. No spare, but it has a great PHEV system and is packed with value, although its soft suspension and lifeless steering takes the edge off the driving experience.

Of course, one option is to buy a spare and either keep it at home or take up a swag of boot space with it. That would allow you to stick with the XC40 or consider other options such as the BMW iX2.

Question: I'm now in the market to trade up our old 2007 diesel Volkswagen Passat for an EV. I'm a bit anti SUVs and appreciate a low riding smooth ride, which the Passat has been amazing for.

My question for you is total vehicle weights. I'm looking at the Tesla Model 3, Kia EV6, Polestar 2 or BYD Seal, but I'm finding it hard to find good information on gross vehicle weights.

Can you please point me to a chart or good site with weight comparisons of various EV models over the years?

The weights don't seem to be published as freely as previous ICE cars once were.

I would happily forgo km range for less kg mass to keep agility alive. – Tim

Answer: It can be tricky getting reliable weight comparisons between any cars, including EVs.

The weight of an EV is obviously generally related to its size and also its battery capacity. Batteries are heavy and the more kiloWatt-hours of capacity – as a general rule – the more weight.

That said, lithium ferrous phosphate (LFP) batteries tend to be heavier than nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) batteries, because the chemistry tends to have a lower energy density.

And one area Tesla performs very strongly is efficiency. As you’ve noted, Teslas tend to be lighter – and also tend to have lower-capacity batteries.

Having said that, don’t be too put off by the weight of an EV when it comes to its agility.

One advantage electric cars have is having a low centre of gravity because the battery – the really heavy bit – typically lines the floor of the car.

So an EV6 or Model 3 can feel quite agile, even with its nuggety kerb weight.

And the new Porsche Macan is amazing in the way it masks the considerable increase in mass with its athletic dynamics.

But it terms of finding comparative weight figures, check out Redbook. It has plenty of data and makes it easy to find the kerb weights for EVs like the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Kia EV6, Polestar 2 and Tesla Model 3.

Question: I’m looking at the new Polestar 4 but notice it doesn’t have an AM radio. Why? Surely there can’t be a huge saving by stripping out something that cars have had for years!? – Jemma

Answer: A lot of EVs do without AM radio tuning because of the challenges with shielding the antenna from electromagnetic interference.

You know when you’re listening to AM radio and you drive under high-voltage power lines and there’s lots of static? An electric car can produce the same interference from the power flowing through its electrical system.

It can be countered with shielding, but that adds complexity and weight so a lot of brands – including Polestar and Tesla – don’t bother, instead incorporating apps to allow people to stream their favourite AM stations using the onboard data connectivity.

Granted, that’s not particularly useful if you’re out the back of Bourke with no mobile coverage, but the bean-counters in head offices may not think about those situations too much.

Oh, and it’s not just EVs. Some new cars aren’t bothering with AM radio these days. The Porsche 911 is one of them.

Question: I’ve heard about all these new Chinese brands coming. Will that make existing cars cheaper?

I’m looking to buy a new car later in the year but don’t want to go jumping in if we suddenly see a price war taking off. – Janet

Answer: It’s impossible to say what will happen with all these new arrivals.

It’s fair to assume the competition will heat up when around a dozen new brands arrive, each with their own ambitions of carving out a little slice of the market.

But will that make the existing brands drop their prices? Who knows.

You can guarantee they’ll do everything they can to resist that, not only to protect their margins but also the residual values of their respective carparks.

But, equally, they won’t want to go shedding market share. And at the very least they’ll want to ensure the cars that are on boats heading to Australia aren’t sitting around too long before they find buyers.

If we’re guessing, we reckon the top-end of town is the least likely to be impacted. European luxury brands are unlikely to be overly fazed because they’ve built up brand loyalty and reputations over decades.

You could argue the same with many of the mainstream brands, although the ones focused more on value – rather than vehicle substance and overall brand reputation – will arguably come under the most pressure.

So while it’s impossible to say exactly what will unfold – remembering that some of the newcomer brands are planning to play more in the premium end of the market with EVs – there’s a fair chance the increased competition will see some sharpening of pencils at some point.

But there are other factors that could have an equally big impact and broader cost-of-living pressures, exchange rates and the New Vehicle Efficiency Standard could be among them.

Question: I’ve just taken delivery of a new Tesla Model 3 and notice the tyres are pumped up to 42psi. That’s a lot higher than I’m used to. Is that normal? What pressures would you recommend I run? – Jamie

Answer: EVs often run higher pressures than you may get in an equivalent petrol-powered alternative, in part because they tend to be heavier.

The Model 3 Rear-Wheel Drive recommends pressures of exactly 42psi (if you click on ‘Controls’ in the Tesla app, then click on the tyre pressure symbol you can see them in real time, as well as the recommended cold pressures).

So that’s exactly what we’d be running to get the best compromise between efficiency, grip, comfort, etc.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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