The one thing no one tells you about hybrid SUVs

Shopping for a hybrid SUV for your family adventures? Great call. There’s just one thing to be aware of…

Hybrid SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 , Nissan X-Trail and Mitsubishi Outlander are finding favour with Australian buyers, but they often have one downside: no spare wheel.

As a refresher, hybrid powertrains – whether plug-in (PHEV) or closed-loop – are comprised of both a conventional engine and a hybrid battery.

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While this makes them more efficient on fuel, it does tend to mean hybrid powertrains are heavier and require a bit more under-the-skin space than internal combustion engines.

As a result, manufacturers have to make some sacrifices to accommodate these more complicated systems.

Occasionally, this means hybrids have slightly smaller boots than their full-petrol and diesel counterparts, but it’s usually only a difference of a few litres.

One slightly more important and common omission is a spare wheel, with many hybrids swapping their spare for a tyre repair kit to win back some space.

This won’t be an issue for anyone driving their hybrid vehicle in the inner-city (where a service centre or mechanic is probably not far away), but anyone tackling long-distance drives could view this as a deal-breaker.

Given SUVs are typically the chosen vehicle for family road trips interstate, plenty of shoppers will be looking for the security of a spare wheel.

However, buyers looking for both the efficiency of a hybrid powertrain with the peace of mind of a spare wheel might find their options a little limited.

Here are the hybrid SUVs currently available in Australia that do and don’t offer a spare wheel as standard:

Hybrid SUVs with a spare wheel

Ford Escape PHEV: The plug-in hybrid Ford Escape scores a space-saver spare wheel the exact same size as its non-hybrid counterparts. Boot space is also the same across both hybrid and non-hybrid Escape models.

GWM Tank 300 Hybrid: All Tank 300 models have a tailgate-mounted spare, which means they can all accommodate a full-size spare – whether hybrid or not.

Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid: Those buying the hybrid version of Hyundai’s Santa Fe large SUV will be pleased to hear it receives a full-size spare as standard.

Jeep Grand Cherokee PHEV: All Jeep Grand Cherokee variants come prepared with a full-size spare wheel, including the 4xe plug-in hybrid variant.

Kia Sorento Hybrid: Both hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of the seven-seater Sorento receive a full-size alloy spare wheel.

Kia Niro: Kia’s Niro small SUV boasts a petrol-electric powertrain and – conveniently – a temporary steel spare wheel.

Lexus RX Hybrid: You can have a spare wheel on the Lexus RX large SUV – you’ll just have to pay a little extra. While the RX350h hybrid variant only has a tyre repair kit, the flagship Lexus 500h has a space-saver spare wheel.

Land Rover Range Rover Sport PHEV: This luxe large SUV has managed to retain a full-size spare wheel across its plug-in hybrid variants.

Toyota Corolla Cross: It depends on which variant of hybrid Toyota Corolla Cross you purchase as to whether you’ll get a spare wheel. Front-wheel-drive hybrid variants have a temporary spare wheel as standard, but all-wheel-drive hybrid variants trade this for a tyre repair kit. All full-petrol Toyota Corolla Cross variants receive a temporary spare wheel as standard.

Toyota Kluger Hybrid: All Kluger models, regardless of powertrain, come equipped with a full-size spare stored under the car.

Toyota RAV4 Hybrid: Fortunately, all variants of the RAV4 have a spare wheel, and the GX hybrid grade can even add a full-size spare as an option. Unfortunately, you’d be hard-pressed to get your hands on one as it’s one of the more popular cars in the country.

The Ford Escape PHEV doesn’t sacrifice boot space or a spare wheel.

Hybrid SUVs without a spare wheel

Audi Q5 PHEV: The plug-in hybrid variants of both the Q5 and Q5 Sportback both feature a tyre repair kit as standard.

Audi Q8 PHEV: The plug-in hybrid Q8 TFSI e Quattro features a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare wheel.

BMW X5 PHEV: The plug-in hybrid X5, the xDrive50e, trades the spare wheel found on other variants for a combination of run-flat tyres and a puncture repair kit.

BMW X3 PHEV: All BMW X3 variants including the xDrive30e plug-in hybrid have run-flat tyres and no spare wheel.

Cupra Formentor PHEV: The Formentor VZe plug-in hybrid makes do with a tyre repair kit, instead of the space-saver spare found on other variants.

GWM Haval H6 Hybrid: While regular H6 variants have a space-saver spare wheel, hybrid variants only have a tyre repair kit. However, all H6 variants regardless of powertrain have the same-sized boot.

GWM Haval Jolion Hybrid: Hybrid variants of the Jolion small SUV miss out on a spare wheel and have a 390L boot, compared with the 430L boot available in full-petrol variants.

Honda ZR-V hybrid: The Honda ZR-V e:HEV LX swaps the space-saver seen across the rest of the ZR-V range for a tyre repair kit.

Honda CR-V Hybrid: Five-seat variants of the petrol CR-V have a full-size spare and seven-seat variants get a space-saver, but the hybrid e:HEV RS only gets a tyre repair kit.

Honda HR-V Hybrid: All variants of the Honda HR-V receive a tyre repair kit in lieu of a spare wheel.

Lexus NX Hybrid and Plug-In Hybrid: All hybrid NX variants, whether closed-loop hybrid or plug-in hybrid, come equipped with run-flat tyres instead of a spare wheel or tyre repair kit.

Lexus UX Hybrid: The Lexus UX Hybrid variants either have run-flat tyres or tyre repair kits instead of spare wheels.

Mazda CX-60 Hybrid: Unfortunately, opting for a plug-in hybrid powertrain on the CX-60 means you sacrifice the space-saver spare wheel available across the rest of the range.

Opting for the plug-in hybrid Mazda CX-60 means you sacrifice a spare wheel.

MG HS PHEV: The two variants of the plug-in hybrid MG HS Plus EV only offer a tyre repair kit.

Mini Countryman PHEV: All variants of the Mini Countryman feature run-flat tyres.

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross PHEV: While regular Eclipse Cross variants have a space-saver spare wheel as standard, plug-in hybrid variants do not. A full-size spare wheel kit can be purchased for your Eclipse Cross PHEV for an additional $808.

Mitsubishi Outlander Plug-in Hybrid: Depending on which specification grade you buy, full-petrol Outlander models either receive a full-size spare or a space-saver, but plug-in hybrid models only have a tyre repair kit.

Nissan X-Trail Hybrid: While full-petrol X-Trail variants feature a temporary-use spare, hybrid X-Trail e-Power variants make do with a tyre repair kit.

Subaru Forester Hybrid: While all petrol Forester models feature a full-size spare wheel, the hybrid variants only offer a puncture repair kit. On the plus side, hybrid Forester variants have 11L more boot space than the non-hybrid variants.

Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid: While the petrol Crosstrek variants have a temporary spare wheel, but the hybrid Crosstrek variants swap this for a puncture repair kit. However, hybrid variants have roughly 24L more boot space than full-petrol models.

Volvo XC60 PHEV: Volvo’s mid-size SUV, the XC60, is available as a plug-in hybrid – but those opting for the Recharge PHEV variant will have to swap a spare for a tyre repair kit.

Volvo XC90 PHEV: Much like the X60 PHEV, the Volvo XC90 Recharge large SUV has a tyre repair kit instead of a spare wheel.

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