Small cars are easy to drive in tight city streets, and hybrid power takes the strain out of crawling through traffic.
That's why small hybrid cars make sense for drivers who tackle a mix of urban and extra-urban driving, with easy-to-park dimensions, no clutch pedal to worry about, and wallet-friendly fuel costs.
Here are our 10 favourite small hybrid cars – we've picked a mix of self-charging hybrids and plug-in hybrids. Most are available as great-value nearly new and used cars from Motorpoint.
Honda Jazz
The Honda Jazz easily earned places on both our list of best small cars and best hybrids so, naturally, it has to feature here. As a small car, it's pure genius, packing way more passenger space and cargo area into its tiny form than you'd believe – thank Honda's clever packaging and the car's tall body for that. The self-charging-hybrid setup is brilliant too, with rapid off-the-line acceleration from the electric motor and a seamless transition as the 1.5-litre petrol engine joins in to assist. Keep an eye out for Jazz Crosstar models, which gain SUV-style cladding, handy roof rails and a taller ride height.
Search used Honda Jazz cars for sale or read our Honda Jazz review
Renault Captur
There are plenty of reasons to like the Renault Captur, but its sluggish entry-level TCe petrol engines aren't one of them. Thankfully, the Captur is also available with the brand's 1.6-litre E-Tech self-charging and plug-in hybrid engines, which help it feel much more lively and dramatically improve fuel economy. Our favourite is the 145hp self-charging model as it's the most flexible for the most buyers. Renault's clearly spent the time to make sure that the Captur's blend of hybrid and petrol power is perfectly balanced, with no jerkiness when the car swaps between them. This engine is also available in the compact Clio hatchback.
Take a look at used Renault Captur cars or read our Renault Captur review
Toyota Yaris Cross
The regular Toyota Yaris would have made a great choice on this list, but we think its SUV sibling, the Yaris Cross, is even better. Where the Yaris feels cramped by its small body, the Yaris Cross musters up just enough space for a small family, despite barely taking up that much more space on the road. The engine choice remains the same regardless of which car you pick – a 1.5-litre self-charging hybrid with 116hp. It's not exactly a tower of power but you get swift city acceleration thanks to the electric motor, with the petrol engine backing it up as you ask for more power. More than 60mpg should be achievable, even in stop-start traffic.
Browse used Toyota Yaris Cross cars or read our Toyota Yaris Cross review
MG3
MG's recent cars have really impressed us, with the MG3 hatchback being one of the most compelling. Like older versions, it's thousands of pounds cheaper than direct rivals like the Honda Jazz and Toyota Yaris but, this time, the interior quality, on-board technology and driving experience are all up there with the best-in-class. There's an impressive amount of rear-seat space given its small stature, and just enough soft-touch materials to avoid feeling like a budget alternative. The 1.5-litre hybrid setup makes 192hp in total – comfortably more than its Japanese rivals – but it's the MG3's 134hp electric motor that really helps makes everyday driving easy.
Search used MG3 cars or read our MG3 review
Audi A3
Plenty of hybrid choices are sensible but there aren't many that are also stylish. Enter the Audi A3, which can be specced with the 40 TFSI e plug-in-hybrid engine. This 1.4-litre turbo unit is paired to a fairly punch electric setup and a big battery, which means 40 miles of electric driving without starting the engine. Use the two power sources in concert and Audi reckons you'll see north of 280mpg, but you'll need to regularly recharge at home or at work to see those kind of figures. If you forget efficiency and plant your right foot, you'll be met with more than 200hp combined and an swift 7.6-second 0-62mph time.
Shop used Audi A3 cars for sale or read our Audi A3 review
Honda HR-V
At more than 4.3 metres long, the Honda HR-V is pushing our definition of 'small' a little, but we'll give it a pass thanks to its raw quality. It takes the excellent 1.5-litre self-charging-hybrid setup from the Honda Jazz and fits it to a more family-friendly format. That means there's even more room in the back to wrestle kids into their car seats, and space in the boot to fit a pushchair and baby clobber. There's the same robust build quality as the Jazz, plus the same straightforward dashboard layout so you're not hunting around for the function you want. Standard-fit parking sensors mean you shouldn't struggle to park the HR-V in a tight city car park.
Check out used Honda HR-V cars for sale
Lexus LBX
The Lexus LBX borrows mostly the same self-charging hybrid system as the Toyota Yaris and Yaris Cross, but ramps up the luxury and features. As a result, this is a very comfy place to tackle city driving, with a cosseting, comfortable cabin, and the quick-witted reactions of Toyota's hybrid tech which makes it easy to jump through gaps in traffic. Here, the output is boosted to 136hp over the Yaris Cross, which makes the LBX a little more relaxing on the motorway – a trait that's enhanced by the Lexus' better overall refinement, tuning out some of the gruff engine noise that you'll find in its Toyota cousins.
View used Lexus cars for sale or read our Lexus LBX review
Volkswagen Golf
For years, the Volkswagen Golf was the yardstick for other small family cars to match. It's still a meaningful contender in the class today, thanks to a simple, spacious cabin with the same sturdy build quality we've come to expect. Bringing the Golf into the 21st century are a pair of plug-in-hybrid engines – the 204hp eHybrid and 272hp GTE. The former comes with a somewhat ludicrous claimed economy above 900mpg – you'll need to regularly recharge and drive like a saint to match it, but it's safe to say running costs will be extremely low. Meanwhile, the GTE is quicker and more exciting to drive, while still claiming more than 700mpg on average.
See used Volkswagen Golf cars or read our Volkswagen Golf review
Toyota Corolla
If the compact Yaris or Yaris Cross SUV aren't your cup of tea, consider the more traditional Toyota Corolla hatchback. This has many of the same benefits, including the robust build quality and straightforward user experience, but presented in a more traditional 'two-box' small family car. As a slightly bigger car, the Corolla comes with a bit more muscle – relatively speaking – with a choice of either a 140hp 1.8-litre or a 196hp 2.0-litre model. Both make heavy use of their electric motors so acceleration is smooth and swift, and both should see more than 50mpg in mixed driving. There's also the Corolla Touring Sports estate if you need a bit more room.
Check out used Toyota Corolla cars or read our Toyota Corolla review
Mercedes GLA
The Mercedes GLA SUV is actually a few millimetres shorter in length than the A-Class hatchback it's based on. It's probably the small plug-in-hybrid Mercedes we'd pick too, thanks to its more spacious cabin. The 250e PHEV model can average as much as 200mpg with lots of recharging, and claimed EV range of 37 miles means you might manage your entire commute without firing up your engine. Pin the throttle to awaken both electric and petrol power and you'll get a total of 215hp – more than enough grunt to reach fast motorway speeds. As you'd hope from the badge on the bonnet, material quality is excellent and there's plenty of up-to-date tech.
Find used Mercedes GLA cars or read our Mercedes GLA review
Say hi to a nearly new hybrid
Browse a huge choice of nearly new and used hybrid cars at Motorpoint. For more compact cars, check out the best cars for city driving.
