Top 10 cheapest hybrid cars

Price from: £22,630

Close behind the Clio is the venerable Toyota Yaris, which these days is hybrid-only.

It packs a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a single electric motor, putting out either 114bhp or 128bhp. The motor provides especially good response around town, making this a great pick for city use.

Fuel economy is impressive, consistently yielding more than 60mpg in the real world. Emissions are also lower than from the Clio, at 92g/km of CO2.

Just ensure you can deal with the ride, which is especially prickly on the bigger wheels offered on higher trim levels, and the limited practicality.

Price from: £22,995

One of the most affordable hybrids money can buy, the Dacia Jogger is also one of the most practical, with seating for seven and a whopping 2085 litres of storage capacity when the second and third rows are folded down. 

It uses exactly the same hybrid system as the Clio, as well as the Renault Captur and Renault Arkana that feature later on this list, giving it an easygoing character and plentiful power.

That said, it’s not the best choice of hybrid if saving fuel is your absolute priority and you don’t need the extra interior space: it’s rated at 56.5mpg, more than 10mpg below the Clio.

Price from: £24,130

Don’t worry, you haven’t accidentally scrolled back up to the Toyota Yaris’s entry: the Mazda 2 Hybrid is just a restyled Yaris. Unless you prefer the Mazda's slightly different look, you might as well buy the cheaper Toyota.

Price from: £24,795

The Renault Captur E-Tech uses the same hybrid powertrain as several other cars on this list, including its smaller sibling, the Clio.

We would recommend the smaller supermini, because the crossover is £3500 more expensive yet loses 7mpg in fuel economy and emits an extra 10g/km of CO2, while you get only a tad more interior space and a higher driving position in return.

Price from: £25,500

The Yaris Cross is pitched similarly to the Captur, as the taller twin of an established supermini. It does better in the fuel economy stakes than its French rival, however, easily delivering more than 60mpg around town in real-world conditions.

Indeed, when we ran one for more than 6000 miles, our tester found the Yaris Cross would indicate more than 100mpg if driven especially carefully on slower roads.

However, it’s nearly £3000 more expensive than the regular Yaris and doesn’t offer a great deal more interior space, so we would be inclined to pick the cheaper option.

Price from: £26,395

The Honda Jazz e:HEV uses a 1.5-litre petrol engine and a lone electric motor – a similar set-up to that featured in the Yaris.

The Jazz averaged 61.0mpg in the hands of our testers, beating the Yaris by 10mpg. It's also surprisingly practical, thanks to a flexible rear seat arrangement in which the cushions can fold up independent of one another.

It’s much more expensive than its classmates, though, and doesn’t offer much to excite keen drivers, ultimately limiting its appeal.

Price from: £26,599

We wouldn’t recommend the Suzuki Vitara Full Hybrid, because it’s £1750 more expensive than its mild-hybrid sibling yet just 3.5mpg more economical. It’s less efficient than the cheaper Captur and Yaris Cross hybrids, too.

On the road, the case for the Vitara hybrid is further dashed by its automated manual gearbox, which responds to sharp inputs at a snail’s pace. That can make busy junctions or roundabouts especially tricky.

Price from: £26,995

The Arkana gets the same hybrid powertrain as the Captur and Clio but provides a useful step up in size, making it a better option for families.

It’s officially more fuel efficient than the Captur too, rated at 58.1mpg. In our real-world experience, however, it was closer to the 50mpg mark.