Plugin hybrid SUVs for under $40k

A price war is looming at the bottom end of the mid-sized SUV hybrid market, in the wake of the recent announcement of Australia’s cheapest-ever plug-in-hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).

Kicking off from $36,990 drive-away, the Forthing Taikon 5 PHEV officially undercuts the previous least-expensive alternative by nearly $1600 – though limited end-of-financial-year discounting means everyone seems to be slashing prices temporarily at the moment.

To put these prices into perspective, the least-expensive Toyota RAV4 XSE PHEV starts from $59,515 before on-road costs.

As PHEV SUV sales generally continue to skyrocket (this year they’re up by over 150 per cent), more Chinese brands are entering this segment.

Here is a rundown of the current players with their normal recommended retail prices starting from under $40,000 – along with a couple of near-future alternatives as well.

Forthing Taikon 5 2WD from $36,990 drive-away

Provocative pricing is inevitably one way of making yourself heard in a busy segment.

Distributed in Australia by Ateco, which also imports LDV and Foton commercial vehicles from China as well as Maserati, Renault, and Ram Trucks, the Taikon 5 is cheaper than the Sealion 5 PHEV.

With sales commencing at the end of this month, it is produced by Dongfeng, which also has joint ventures with Nissan and Peugeot, among others.

Available in two highly-equipped grades, Luxury and Exclusive, the Taikon 5 pairs a 75kW/130Nm 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 120kW/240Nm electric motor and 31kWh battery offering a pure-EV WLTP range of 170km.

Because only the electric motor sends drive to the front wheels, meaning the engine is purely an electricity generator, this is classed as a range-extender EV. All-up, the combined WLTP range is over 935km between refills.

However, unlike, say the Nissan X-Trail e-Power, the battery also needs to be plugged in to a DC charger.

For another $2000, there will also be a battery EV version of the Taikon 5, offering a 150kW/340Nm electric motor and 64kWh battery capable of a WLTP driving range average of 427km.

Though there is a decent wedge of advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) fitted as standard, there is no ANCAP crash-test rating currently available for the Forthing – though plans are afoot to rectify this.

BYD Sealion 5 2WD from $33,990 before on-road costs/$37,600 drive-away

This is the SUV PHEV that is in Forthing’s crosshairs.

Released earlier this year, the cheapest Sealion 5 PHEV costs about $37,600 drive-away ex-Perth and it too does not come with an ANCAP crash-test rating as yet.

Under the bonnet is a 72kW/122Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, mated to a 145kW/300Nm electric motor, delivering 156kW of power to the front wheels in total.

Two battery pack choices are available – either a 12.9kWh item with a combined range of 1000km in the base Essential, or an 18.3kWh upgrade in the Premium bumping that up by 30km. These are not WLTP figures but the less-accurate NEDC data.

So are the pure-EV numbers, which are 71km and 100km respectively.

Chery Tiggo 7 Super Hybrid FWD from $39,990 drive-away

With sales soaring 200 per cent this year, it is easy to see why this Chinese mid-sized SUV is resonating with so many Australian consumers.

Fitted with a turbo-charged version of a 1.5-litre petrol engine making a healthy 105kW and 215Nm, it is paired to a 150kW/310Nm electric motor driving the front wheels.

With an 18.4kWh battery packed under the floor, it offers an NEDC EV-only range of 120km or an astonishing 1200km of combined range. These are likely sub-100km and 1000km respectively under WLTP protocols.

Note the Tiggo 7 has managed a five-star ANCAP crash-test rating.

Geely Starray EM-i 2WD from $37,490 before on-road costs/$41,281 drive-away

Chinese carmaker Geely offers two versions of its also-ANCAP five-star rated mid-sized SUV PHEV.

Both pair a 73kW/125Nm 1.5-litre petrol engine with a 160kW/262Nm electric motor, but the base Complete offers an 18.4kWh battery pack for an 83km EV-only range and 943km combined. All values here are WLTP rated.

Then there is the recently-released Inspire Extended Range costing $4000 extra, upgrading that to a 29.8kWh battery, bumping EV-only range up to 136km and 996km combined.

The cheapies still to come before 2027

Pricing and other specifications have yet to be confirmed, but expect to see the Deepal S05 medium-sized SUV join the sub-$40K PHEV ranks before the end of the year, along with the Chery-made Omoda 4 PHEV.