The booming popularity of battery-electric vehicles dominates the headlines, but sales of petrol and plug-in hybrids has also been growing. Petrol-hybrid (non-plug-in, ‘self-charging’) models combine a petrol engine with a battery motor to give you the practicality of a petrol car, low running costs, and a clean car rebate.

Here we take a look at the five best-selling passenger petrol-hybrid models between 1 January and 31 August 2022.

1. Honda Jazz

Jazz e-HEV:
Engine: 1.5L petrol engine
Power: 80kW electric motor
Gearbox: Automatic
CO2 emissions: 64.1g/km
Price: $36,000 + ORC
Clean car rebate: $4,140
ANCAP: Not rated

The Honda Jazz is a clear winner, making up almost a third of all petrol-hybrid sales in the first eight months of the year. Affordable, practical and stylish, it has excellent safety credentials and switches smoothly between its petrol and electric engines. The Jazz is well-known for its Magic Seats, which fold flat or flip up, so you have 18 possible configurations for maximum versatility. The luxurious leather interior, and heated seats, add to the quality of the driving experience.

2. Toyota Corolla

Corolla Hatch SX Hybrid:
Engine: 1.8L petrol engine
Power: 90kW electric motor
Gearbox: Automatic
CO2 emissions: 107g/km
Price: $38,290 + ORC
Clean car rebate: $3,108 (Clean car rebate applies at the time of article published)
ANCAP: 5 star

If you want to buy a Corolla in 2022 it will have to be a petrol-electric hybrid as Toyota has announced that it is dropping all its petrol-only Corollas in New Zealand. That’s good news, though, as the hybrid Corolla is even safer and more efficient than its petrol predecessors, and it remains excellent value for money. This hot hatch has high build quality, which means it upholds the Corolla’s reputation for reliability and longevity.

You can choose a GX, SX or ZR hybrid – and look out for the Corolla Cross hybrid SUV arriving later in the year.

3. Toyota Yaris

Yaris GX Hybrid:
Engine: 1.5L petrol engine
Power: 85kW electric motor
Gearbox: Automatic
CO2 emissions: 84g/km
Price: $31,290 + ORC
Clean car rebate: $4,294
ANCAP: 5 star

The Toyota Yaris is surprisingly spacious for a small car, with a cleverly designed interior featuring plenty of storage space. It has an impressive infotainment system, great safety features, and comes in seven colours. Toyota has been producing petrol-hybrid engines since 1997, and 25 years of experience means the brand has really honed this technology. The Yaris offers a smooth and seamless ride as it swaps between petrol and battery power, particularly at low speeds where other cars can feel uneven.

The Yaris is available in GX or ZR models.

4. Hyundai Ioniq

Ioniq Hybrid Entry:
Engine: 1.6L petrol engine
Power: 77kW electric motor
Gearbox: Automatic
CO2 emissions: 79g/km
Price: $40,4990 + ORC
Clean car rebate: $4,140
ANCAP: 5 star

Aerodynamic and efficient, the Ioniq Hybrid drives just like a standard petrol automatic car, but with the bonus of much lower running costs. Its practicality and size make it the natural successor to the Toyota Prius hybrid, which has been removed from Toyota’s range. The Ioniq has a conventional appearance and works as a city run-around, a road-tripper, or for a small family. It has plenty of boot capacity and fold-down seats and its state-of-the-art safety features have performed very well in ratings tests.

The Ioniq is available in Entry and Elite hybrid models, as well as plug-in hybrid and battery-electric models.

5. Suzuki Swift

Swift Hybrid GLX:
Engine: 1.2L petrol engine
Power: 61kW electric motor
Gearbox: Automatic
CO2 emissions: 94g/km
Price: $27,990 + ORC
Clean car rebate: $3,160
ANCAP: 5 star

The Suzuki Swift has been a fixture on Kiwi roads for many years and its owners are among the most satisfied in the small car category, according to Consumer NZ surveys. It’s affordable, adorable, and the ideal zippy city car. The infotainment system and safety features are up to a high standard, and you’ll be able to squeeze into some pretty tight parking spots. The Swift has a ‘mild hybrid’ system that means it can’t run solely on the electric motor – the petrol engine is doing most of the work, which does mean the Swift’s emissions are higher than other models on the list.

The Swift Hybrid comes in GLX and RS models.

Currently, demand for petrol-hybrid cars is very high so we suggest you have a chat with your local dealership about delivery time frames, or even (if you can) register your interest on the manufacturer’s website. Delivery time frames have been noted to be up to 12 months at the time of article published.