
In association with MotorEasy
Car of the Year Awards 2021: Plug-in Hybrid of the Year
The best plug-in hybrid cars offer a long all-electric range, reducing fuel consumption, emissions and tax bills. Yet they must still drive well and not compromise on practicality...
Skoda Octavia Estate 1.4 TSI iV SE Technology


Like a leading brand of washing-up liquid, this Skoda Octavia Estate proves that a little goes a long way. It’s money and petrol that we’re talking about here, though.
The iV model is one of the more expensive Octavias, but it’s still one of the cheaper plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) out there, and for many the investment will pay back dividends. Its official 282.5mpg fuel economy shows what’s possible if you do lots of short journeys, while a combination of an official electric range of 41 miles and CO2 emissions of 31g/km allows the Octavia to drop into the exceptionally low 6% benefit-in-kind bracket.

This pares company car tax payments to the bone, yet the car can still dash from 0-62mph in a nippy 7.8sec – a consequence of its innards being related to those of the sporty VW Golf GTE.
You also get the usual Octavia fringe benefits with the PHEV version, including loads of standard equipment (among its highlights, SE Technology trim gives you a digital instrument panel, parking sensors all round and a 10.0in touchscreen infotainment system with sat-nav) and masses of interior space. On top of that, the estate car version gives you a boot in which you could build a barn.
We like
> Very low company car tax
> Competitive price
> Lots of standard kit
For all the latest reviews, advice and new car deals, sign up to the What Car? newsletter here