Premium Hybrid Car of the Year 2025: BMW 530e
The BMW 530e is the 2025 Auto Express Premium Hybrid Car of the Year with the Audi A3 TFSIe and Mercedes C 300 e commended
At the top end of the hybrid car market, plug-in powertrains remain the propulsion type of choice – and with EV ranges getting ever longer, these cars now have the near-unique ability to cover all bases. None of them does
it better than the BMW 530e – our Premium Hybrid Car of the Year for 2025.
With a big 19.4kWh battery, the big saloon claims a zero-emissions range of up to 64 miles, and in our testing we’ve seen it come incredibly close to that. Better still, when the battery runs dry, the punchy 2.0-litre petrol engine will keep you on the road longer than any electric car can; it’s the flexibility of these cars – and the 530e in particular – that makes them so appealing. Add low Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) company-car tax rates, and the PHEV takes some beating.
But the plug-in 5 Series boasts so much more than an efficient electric motor. Being a BMW, the 530e is as sharp and fun to drive as any model in the maker’s range, while the long wheelbase, advanced suspension system and peerless refinement make it a fantastically comfortable motorway car.
Inside, the Veganza leather alternative feels plush and the seats are very supportive, while the tech is among the most intuitive of any new car currently on sale – a feature that’s only bolstered by BMW’s excellent console-mounted clickwheel. Factor in fantastic practicality – this is a five-metre-plus PHEV executive car, after all – and the option of a Touring estate body, and there really are very few cars that manage to tick quite as many boxes.
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Our choice
- BMW 530e M Sport (£59,665)
There’s no base-spec Sport spec, as you might find elsewhere in the BMW range, so if you’re after a plug-in hybrid 5 Series then M Sport is the entry point. All cars are well equipped, with full online sat-nav, a Harman Kardon stereo, heated seats and adaptive LED lights, so we’d not bother spending the extra £3,000 on the M Sport Pro package, which brings larger 20-inch wheels, plus slightly different exterior and interior trim.
Commended
Audi A3 TFSIe
If you want the benefits of a long EV range and the safety net of an economical petrol engine, but don’t want or need the footprint of an executive saloon or estate car, then the Audi A3 TFSIe is an excellent choice. With the ability to cover up to 88 miles without using a drop of fuel, this premium-badged family hatchback is a force to be reckoned with.
Mercedes C 300 e
Mercedes has been fitting big batteries to its plug-in hybrids for longer than most manufacturers, and that experience shows with the fantastic C-Class PHEV. As with the award-winning 530e, it’s available as a saloon or an estate, while the 71-mile EV range will allow you to do both short and long journeys emission-free.
See all the winners...
Click on the gallery below to see all the winners of our 2025 New Car Awards...
You can find all the information on our New Car Awards 2025 winners and the reasons why we chose them on the pages below. Just follow the links to read more…
New Car Awards 2025: the winners
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