EV Reviews

It's small, cool, and this one's powered by a petrol/electric hybrid drive. Toyota's C-HR is a small SUV with a big personality, but does it have the practicality to serve as family transport?

Hyundai's Ioniq Electric Premium brings zero tailpipe emissions closer to the mass market with a practical five-door hatch body and a price that's steep but cheap for a full EV.

Hyundai's three-tier Ioniq electrified range opens with the Hybrid. Does the best seller stack up as the best in the range?

Toyota's new-generation RAV4 first went on sale in May 2019 and is available in 11 flavours, with the top-spec front-wheel-drive version being the Cruiser Hybrid 2WD that retails for $41,990.

The Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV is a plug-in hybrid SUV that promises the best of both worlds; an electric motor for fuel-free motoring, and a petrol engine for when you've drained the batteries. But does it live up to that promise?

The Hyundai Ioniq range has been updated after barely 12 months on sale. The Plug-in Hybrid version has had no changes to its drivetrain, but got the rest of the update. Is it still the best bang for electric buck in the range?

The Corolla sedan hybrid can be had in two grades: the entry-level Ascent Sport for $26,335 and the mid-range SX for $29,735.

There are two grades in the C-HR range and the Koba is the range topper with the hybrid being the priciest version at $36,440. Coming standard is an 8.0-inch touchscreen), sat nav, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, six-speaker stereo, fabric seats, LED headlights and running lights, privacy glass, leather upholstery, heated front seats, panoramic camera and proximity unlocking, and 18-inch alloy wheels. The hybrid Koba combines a 1.8-litre four-cylinder petrol engine (72kW/142Nm) and an electric motor (53kW and 163Nm) while the drive is sent to the front wheel via a CVT automatic. Toyota says the combined fuel economy for the hybrid is 4.3L/100km The Toyota C-HR scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2017. Coming standard across the range is advanced safety equipment such as AEB with pedestrian detection, active cruise control, lane departure alert with steering assistance, auto high beam, and blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert.

The Hybrid is the cheapest way into the Ioniq range, and arrives in Elite ($34,790) or Premium ($39,990) trims.  The Hybrid Elite arrives with cloth seats, LED DRLs, a 10.25-inch multimedia (the biggest that's ever appeared in a Hyundai) screen that's both Apple CarPlay and Android Equipped, and an Infinity eight-speaker stereo. The alloys are 15 inches, and you'll find dual-zone climate control, LED DRLs, push-button start and proximity unlocking. Stepping up the Hybrid Premium adds 17-inch alloy wheels, leather appointed seats, smart cruise, the seven-inch display in the driver's binnacle, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a sunroof.  All Hybrids blend a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with a 32kW electric motor for combined outputs of 104kW and 265Nm. It's paired with a six-speed DCT automatic.

The Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid forms a kind of stepping stone between a petrol-powered engine and an all-electric vehicle, offering an all-electric range of around 60kms. Opt for the Ioniq Plug-In Hybrid Elite ($41,990), and you’ll find cloth seats, LED DRLs, a 10.25-inch multimedia (the biggest that's ever appeared in a Hyundai) screen that's both Apple CarPlay and Android Equipped, and an Infinity eight-speaker stereo. There’s smart cruise with stop and go, too, as well as 16-inch alloys and an electronic parking brake. Stepping up the Plug-In Hybrid Premium ($46,490) adds leather appointed seats, a seven-inch display in the driver's binnacle, LED headlights, heated and ventilated front seats and a sunroof.  The Plug-In Hybrid blends a 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with an electric motor for combined outputs of 104kW and 265Nm. It's paired with a six-speed DCT automatic.