People are becoming more open to the idea of buying and driving an electrified vehicle has become a lot less taboo in recent years. ‘Range anxiety’ seems to be dwindling fixation, while urban areas around the country have been gaining more and more EV chargers. We’ve especially seen carmakers invest heavily in pushing new energy vehicles (NEVs) here in the Philippines, raising the popularity and local accessibility of hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and battery EVs.
Prices of hybrids, too, have considerably come down over the past year as the segment has become more competitive with carmakers adding new models and mildly electrified variants of existing ones. And the consistent fuel savings have always sweetened the deal on hybrid cars.
If you’re thinking about switching to hybrid vehicles, we’ve compiled five options for your consideration. These cars should give you the complete experience of owning a hybrid—at different sizes and price points, of course.
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1) Honda CR-V RS e:HEV
The hybrid Honda CR-V is perhaps one of othe most well-rounded hybrid cars on the market. Its driving experience is just as excellent as its fuel economy—almost 20km/L in our tests—and it also offers generous space and a good mix of tech and safety features. The price might put some people off, but no centavo is wasted on this efficient and dynamic SUV.
2) BYD Seal 5 DM-i
We debated putting the now-ubiquitous Sealion 6 DM-i on this list instead, but the Seal 5 DM-i offers incredible value for money, automatically making it a worthy option. The P948,000 asking price gets you a tech-filed cabin on a 1,000km driving range.
3) Toyota Corolla Cross
The Toyota Corolla Cross is largely responsible for shifting the perspective of Filipinos toward electrified vehicles. The Toyota brand grants a seal of reassurance and reliability on what may be considered relatively new automotive technology in the market. Even better, the Corolla Cross has several variants to suit different budgets and personal styles.
4) MG3 Hybrid+
We love a good hatchback over here at Top Gear Philippines. And thankfully, MG has supplied this segment with a more-than-capable hybrid powertrain that got us around 18.9km/L on a drive from Quezon City to Subic. The MG3 Hybrid+’s body style, fuel economy, and price make it a good candidate for a first car for any buyer.
5) Kia Sorento Turbo Hybrid
The newest release on our list, the hybrid Sorento has the potential to become one of the best-value hybrid crossovers in the local market. The base variant stickers for P2,188,000, which slides right in between the Honda CR-V RS e:HEV and the Toyota Corolla Cross. With test drives showing around 21km/L, this could be the right balance of luxury and practicality.
Bonus: Kia Carnival SX+ Turbo Hybrid
Personally, I am a sucker for minivans and so I couldn’t leave this out. But I do understand that the hybrid Kia Carnival is for a very specific car buyer—families looking for a comfortable or perhaps borderline-luxury van that greatly saves on fuel. It doesn’t really have a direct competitor, putting it in a rubric and price point of its own.
To those in its target market, however, this variant of the Carnival is an exceptional choice as an electrified people mover.
