Published: September 15, 2018, 10:30 PM
Updated: October 11, 2021, 10:03 AM
No plug? No problem
If all this chatter about electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles leaves you feeling non-committal, you can still buy a more fuel-efficient vehicle without a plug. Here’s a look at every car with a traditional hybrid powertrain you’ll still find on dealership lots across Canada.
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Newly redesigned
Three of Acura’s Sport Hybrid models kick off this list. The first is the redesigned-for-2018 Acura RLX, now sporting the brand’s latest signature diamond pentagon grille among numerous other updates. Both trims come with a 3.5-litre V-6 and a 3-electric-motor hybrid system that makes a combined 377 hp and 341 lb-ft of torque. Pricing starts at $65,490.
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Three rows of fast
If a hybrid 3-row luxury SUV is your dream vehicle, the 2018 Acura MDX Sport Hybrid comes highly acclaimed. It boosts the power output of a 3.0-litre V-6 to give its 7-speed dual-clutch transmission 321 horsepower and 289 lb-ft of torque to play with. You’ll find 2018 models on lots right now priced from $69,990, and the 2019 will arrive later this year.
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Hybrid supercar
A supercar may not be the first thing that comes to mind where hybrid powertrains are concerned, but the 3-motor hybrid system in the Acura NSX is the one on which Acura’s other sport hybrid systems are based. The motors combine with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V-6 to create 573 hp, and all that power can be yours from $189,900.
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Just a little boost
The two entry-level trims of the Buick LaCrosse come with a powertrain that uses GM’s eAssist technology, a mild hybrid system that can’t move the car on electric power on its own but uses regenerative braking and a 20-kW motor to support the engine’s stop/start feature. The LaCrosse’s 2.5-litre, 4-cylinder trims with eAssist start at $37,945.
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Competition in hybrid pick-ups
After quietly launching eAssist as a regional option in Silverado for the 2016 model year, the mild-hybrid option is available to all buyers on select trims as of 2018. It doesn’t add to the power output of the 5.3-litre V-8 engine, but it uses an on-board motor and regenerative braking to aid the added engine start/stop feature. Available only on all-wheel-drive short-box crew cab configurations in LT and LTZ trims, the cheapest of those configurations starts at $47,405 before the $3,415 eAssist package is added.
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Upscale mild-hybrid pickup
Like the Silverado, GMC Sierra trucks equipped with GM’s eAssist mild-hybrid option get the added start/stop feature thanks to an on-board motor and regenerative braking system. It’s available on 4-wheel drive Sierra 1500 SLT crew cab pickups with pricing starting at $57,725.
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GM’s last traditional hybrid
General Motors has largely moved on to its plug-in hybrid Volt and fully-electric Bolt, leaving the Malibu Hybrid as the only traditional hybrid left on its roster. It brings together a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder engine and a 50-kW electric motor for a total system output of 182 hp. With only a single trim configuration, there’s not a lot of decision-making to be done, but it’s well-equipped from $31,895.
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On the chopping block
Ford’s got a big portion of its line-up on the chopping block, including the C-Max hybrid crossover. Production ended earlier this year and sales were meant to be wrapped up by now, but there are still a few new ones kicking around. If the C-Max’s crossover proportions and 188 combined horsepower from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine and an electric motor sound appealing to you, the official starting price is $24,329 – but there should be some good deals to be had.
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Another one bites the dust
The Fusion Hybrid isn’t going to survive Ford’s cull, either –all cars but the Mustang are getting the axe. According to the most recently published timelines, though, the Fusion will be the last to disappear and should hang on at least halfway into 2019. With its 2.0-litre 4-cylinder Atkinson-cycle engine, 88-kW electric motor, and electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, pricing starts at $25,180.
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An uncertain future
Although it shares a platform with the ill-fated Ford Fusion, Lincoln hasn’t yet announced the fate of its luxury version of the sedan, the MKZ. Things don’t look promising for the MKZ or its hybrid version, which has the 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and a combined system output of 188 hp and 129 lb-ft of torque, so if it interests you, get one while you can at a starting price of $40,966.
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The next generation
Honda’s mid-size sedan enters its 10th generation for the 2018 model year, and with it comes an all-new Honda Accord Hybrid. And it’s come in at a lower price point, too – it matches a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle inline-4 engine to an electric propulsion motor to produce 212 hp and 232 lb-ft of torque from a starting price of $33.090.
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It's a different Insight
If you haven’t heard much about the Honda Insight in a couple of decades, the nameplate’s resurgence may surprise you. The new one, launched earlier this year, has nothing to do with the 2-seat, 3-door hatchback of the first generation. Instead, it’s a 4-door sedan closer in make-up to the Honda Civic and sporting a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle inline-4 engine and an electric motor making 197 lb-ft of torque and a total system output of 151 hp. This one’s base price comes in at $27,990.
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Multiple electrified options
Hyundai launched the Ioniq sub-brand in 2016 to set its electrified products apart. On top of plug-in hybrid and battery electric cars, there’s a traditional hybrid variant that delivers the compact car segment’s best fuel efficiency through its full-parallel hybrid drive system, a combination of a 1.6-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and a 32-kW electric motor for a combined output of 139 hp and 195 lb-ft. The Ioniq Hybrid starts at $24,299.
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Right-sized and fun
With the diminutive crossover proportions consumers are looking for and hybrid-driven fuel economy to match, it’s a mystery why Kia doesn’t sell more of these in Canada. The Niro’s 1.6-litre 4-cylinder engine and 32-kW electric motor combine for a total of 139 hp and 195 lb-ft of torque, and interactive gauges and a stout list of features make it a strong contender at an entry price of $24,995.
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Well-equipped contender
Hyundai also has an entry in the highly competitive hybrid mid-size sedan segment, which also uses a 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine, adding a 38 kW electric motor to make a total of 193 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. But buyers of the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid may be more attracted to things like the standard heated front seats, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel, and alloy wheels. The base GL trim is priced from $29,649.
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Another Korean candidate
In some ways, the Kia Optima Hybrid isn’t so different from its Hyundai cousin. It has the same 2.0-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and 38-kW electric motor and very similar power figures of 192 hp and 271 lb-ft of torque. And it’s arguably more stylish, too. But it’s missing a couple of the niceties like a heated steering wheel at a slightly higher starting price of $29,995.
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Leading the charge
Although the Q50 mid-size sedan is currently the only hybrid option Infiniti has, that’s set to change: the brand has announced that its entire line-up, save for large SUVs, will be fully or partially electrified as of new model launches from 2021 onward. For now, the Q50 offers a 3.5-litre V-6 and a 50-kW electric motor for a total system output of 360 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque to go with its 19-inch tires and sport suspension, starting from $56,495.
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Another more efficient pickup
Here’s another pickup that’s entering the mild hybrid game, the new Ram 1500. Both the V-6 and Hemi V-8 engines are available with eTorque, and while the system doesn’t increase the truck's overall power, the former gets a 90 lb-ft launch boost and the latter gets a 130 lb-ft boost, while both gain some fuel efficiency. The most affordable Ram with eTorque starts at $35,595.
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Still going strong
From here on out, this list becomes dominated by a single company: Toyota, the one that comes to mind first for many people where traditional hybrids are concerned. This is the car that started it all by being the first mass-produced hybrid vehicle when it hit the market in 1997. Today, the Prius starts at $27,650, and the standard body style comes in three different trims, all powered by a 1.8-litre, Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and electric motor for a combined system output of 121 hp.
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A new generation
The Toyota Camry entered its eighth generation for the 2018 model year, bringing the hybrid version along with it. The upgraded hybrid system pairs an Atkinson-cycle 2.5-litre 4-cylinder engine with an electric motor and other components to give the Camry Hybrid a net system power of 208 hp. Three trims are available with the lowest starting at $31,550.
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The new Lexus gateway
On the luxury Lexus side, the departure of the CT from North America means that the ES mid-size sedan is now the brand’s entry-level hybrid offering. It has a total system output of 200 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque from a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and comes in three different trim grades, starting at $47,050.
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With performance in mind
Step up to the GS 450h and you get a rear-wheel-drive, performance-oriented sedan with a 3.5-litre V-6 and high-torque electric motors that deliver 338 net system horsepower and 257 lb-ft of torque, and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 5.6 seconds to go with class-leading fuel economy. The GS hybrid’s single trim starts at $77,300.
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Beauty and efficiency
The Lexus LC 500h may be one of the most attractive cars on the market today. The 2-seat rear-wheel-drive coupe uses a 3.5-litre Atkinson-cycle V-6 engine and two electric motors to produce 354 net system horsepower and a 0 to 100 km/h time of 4.7 seconds – figures that don’t look as impressive as the full-gas LC 500 but translate to a still-quick and less thirsty vehicle on the road. Pricing begins at $118,600.
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A hybrid flagship
It was the LS that first introduced the Lexus brand to the world, and now its redesign for the 2018 model year has brought with it an updated hybrid luxury car for consideration. With three different trim levels to choose from, the LS 500h starts at $134,050 and integrates a multi-stage hybrid powertrain to make 354 net system power and take the car from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.5 seconds.
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For the city dwellers
Over to the Lexus SUVs now, starting with a vehicle that is quite rightly popular in urban Canada, the Lexus NX 300h. Refreshed for 2018, it combines luxury appointments with fuel efficiency and a compact size, and its 2.5-litre Atkinson cycle 4-cylinder engine works with an electric motor and electronically controlled continuously variable transmission to generate a combined 194 hp. Two trims are available starting at $55,300.
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A rare mid-size hybrid
There aren’t a lot of SUVs with hybrid power units, but if it’s room to move, upscale design, and respectable fuel economy you crave, the Lexus RX 450h gets a combined 308 hp and 247 lb-ft of torque from its 3.5-litre Atkinson-cycle, aluminum alloy block V-6 paired with an electric motor. Available in short and long-wheelbase variants and three trim levels on the former, including an F-Sport version, pricing starts at $71,150.
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An efficient people mover
The Toyota Highlander Hybrid, with its 3.5-litre V-6 engine and electric motor combination that produces 306 net horsepower, is one of the most fuel-efficient ways to get a large family around without making the switch to a plug-in. There are two trims on offer, and the entry-level XLE starts at $50,950.
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Affordable and efficient
The Toyota RAV4 has been one of the best-selling compact SUVs in Canada for several years, and the RAV4 Hybrid version offers a compelling alternative to eco-conscious families. Three different trims starting from $34,790 take the RAV4’s dimensions, compact but with room for five, and match them with a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine and hybrid system for a total output of 194 hp.
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Subcompact fuel savings
The smallest member of the Prius family, the Prius c, pushes Toyota’s hybrid technology into a hatchback with even smaller dimensions. Both trims come with a 1.5-litre Atkinson-cycle 4-cylinder engine that pairs with the hybrid system to create 99 net horsepower. Pricing starts at $22,350.
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More space to fill
And finally, there’s the Prius v — the model designed for people who need to spread out a little more. Its gasoline engine is the same as in the Prius, a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder, but total system output gets a bump up to 136 net horsepower. This one comes in a single model priced at $29,850 but with luxury and technology packages to choose from.
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