Electric Car Awards 2025: Best hybrid executive car

In 1945, Finnish writer and illustrator Tove Jansson published her first work featuring the Moomins, a family of roundish, snowy white troll characters resembling hippopotamuses. She coined the name ‘Moomintroll’ with the intention of conveying a sense of softness, and the Moomins became a symbol of benignity and kindness.

Since then, a number of Moomin film and TV adaptations have been produced, yet Jansson always maintained that Moominvalley is a strict vehicle-free zone. But if, one day, the Moomins did decide to take to the road, we think the Mercedes E-Class would be a very good option, because it shares the gentle and easygoing nature that they personify.

Indeed, the E-Class is nothing short of pillowy, tackling both beaten urban roads and wide expanses of motorway with ease. Sure, there are some rivals – such as the BMW 5 Series – that handle the twists and turns of country lanes with more assured poise when pressing on, but the E-Class feels like it was built to be driven in a less hurried manner. 

And if you drive like a Moomin might, the E-Class excels, combining that eiderdown-soft ride with a quietness that even some much more expensive luxury cars struggle to match. It’s a long-distance companion par excellence.

So, the E-Class is sumptuous and refined by any standard, but it’s also an excellent plug-in hybrid (PHEV). It marries a 2.0-litre petrol engine to a 25.4kWh battery under the boot – and with that electric power, it can officially manage up to 69 petrol-free miles. That beats the BMW 530e PHEV, which can officially travel for 64 miles on electric power in its most efficient form, and the resultant low benefit-in-kind tax will please company car drivers.

It’s no sluggard, either; in fact, the E-Class’s PHEV set-up packs a proper punch. The petrol engine is quick to step in when you decide to put your foot down, and with a total of 328bhp, the 0-62mph sprint takes a hot hatch-rivalling 6.5sec. It’ll easily keep up with the 530e, then, if the Moomins ever take up drag racing.

Interior space is another thing that the E-Class doesn’t scrimp on; with the latest model having expanded in every direction compared with its predecessor, our tall and portly heroes would be comfy in its front or rear seats. They’d find a little more luggage room in the 530e’s boot, though.

In a world where everything seems aggressive and fast-paced, we think the E-Class is a real breath of fresh air. Perhaps we’re Moomins at heart.

Best used hybrid executive car

BMW 330e (2019-present)

Price from £13,000

One of our very favourite used cars, the efficient 330e is a bargain, with the usual 3 Series driver appeal and plush interior.

Used BMW 3 Series buying guide >>

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