Ask the average Canadian what factors matter to them when choosing a new vehicle, and great all-weather performance and fuel economy are sure to be at the top of the list. Not so long ago, new car buyers would have had to choose between one or the other. Today, it’s more common for all-wheel drive to be equipped on vehicles that also have hybrid powertrains, offering the best of both worlds from everyday driving to long-distance road trips.
All-wheel drive SUVs are plentiful, even as hybrids. But are there hybrid cars on the market that come with AWD? We found the 11 best hybrid and plug-in hybrid models that come with AWD. These are worth considering as your next vehicle if you’re shopping for a car as opposed to a hybrid SUV or truck. All of these offer touchscreen infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto—often with wireless connectivity—and desirable standard features like long hybrid powertrain warranties, driver assistance and safety features like blind spot monitoring and adaptive cruise control, and heated front seats.
Which brands will you not find on this ranking? Subaru, Hyundai and Kia do not offer any hybrid cars with all-wheel drive systems in Canada. For a look at available midsize compact SUVs with both hybrid powertrains and AWD such as the Ford Escape, Toyota RAV4 Hybrid, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Lexus UX, Kia Niro, and three-row options like the Kia Sorento, Mazda CX=90, and Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid, check out our list of the best hybrid SUVs and trucks available in Canada.
Pricing includes manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) plus destination charges and dealer fees but not sales taxes. These prices were accurate as of the time of publication but are subject to change.
Best AWD Hybrid Cars to Buy in Canada
- 2024 BMW 330e xDrive
- 2024 Lexus LS 500h
- 2024 Mercedes-Benz S 580e
- 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD
- 2024 Toyota Crown AWD
- 2024 Toyota Prius/Prius Prime
- 2024 Volvo S60 Recharge
- 2024 Volvo S90 Recharge
- 2024 Volvo V60 Recharge
2024 BMW 330e xDrive
Nearly every vehicle BMW sells in Canada is equipped exclusively with AWD. The 330e plug-in hybrid compact sedan is one of the few BMW vehicles available in our market with either a front-wheel drive (FWD) or AWD drivetrain. Opt for the latter and you’ll have power to all four wheels, plus power specs of 288 hp and 310 pound-feet of torque from the 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine and electric motor combination. Because it’s a plug-in hybrid, the 330e xDrive also has a 12-kWh battery and an electric driving range of 34 kilometres when you plug it into a charger. Natural Resources Canada gives it an overall rating of 3.4 litres-equivalent per 100 kilometres or 10.6 L/100 km city, 7.4 highway, and 9.2 combined when it’s operating in hybrid mode. Pricing for the 2023 BMW 330e xDrive starts in Canada at $58,255. 2024 prices were not yet available at publication time. (Note that a new generation of BMW 5 Series has launched for 2024 with the full electric i5 replacing the former PHEV option. This makes the BMW 330e your best bet if you want an AWD hybrid sedan from BMW.)
2024 Lexus LS 500h
You’ll see a lot of Toyota and Lexus vehicles on this list. Toyota has been proactive about adding AWD as an offering on its hybrid vehicles in recent years. On the Lexus side, the LS 500h large sedan combines a 3.5-litre V6 with Lexus’s hybrid drive system, and an electric motor powers the rear axle directly to create electric AWD. Combined horsepower comes in at 354 hp, and while Lexus doesn’t publish torque figures in Canada, the V6 itself is good for 258 lb-ft. According to NRCan, you can expect this conventional hybrid to average 10.1 L/100 km city, 8.1 highway, and 9.2 combined. It also has a roomy cargo area with 430 litres of space. This luxury car is pricy, though. The 2024 Lexus LS 500h carries a price of $136,636 in Canada.
2024 Mercedes-Benz S 580e
While we’re in money-is-no-object territory, let’s talk about the sole Mercedes-Benz hybridized sedan sold in Canada. This plug-in hybrid S-Class comes with a 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine matched with both a mild hybrid starter system and a plug-in hybrid powertrain. This combination provides a total system output of 503 hp and 553 lb-ft of torque. The 21.5 kWh battery provides an impressive 90 kilometres of estimated electric-only range while consuming 4.6 Le/100 km on average. In hybrid mode, expect to burn 11.5 L/100 km in city driving, 8.2 hwy, and 10.0 combined. And while you’ll be rolling in the ultimate of style with a luxurious second row and plenty of cargo space, you’ll pay for the privilege. The 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e starts in Canada at $155,600. And that’s before fees, which in Canada are calculated independently by individual dealerships. (2024 pricing was not yet available at publication time.)
2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD
Kudos to Toyota for making hybrid and AWD functionality attainable together in Canada. As of last year, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid is available with AWD, which is now standard in Canada on three of its four trims. In all configurations, the 1.8-litre four-cylinder gas engine combined with the hybrid system produces 134 hp and 156 lb-ft of torque. According to NRCan, you should expect to consume 4.6 L/100 km in city driving, 5.3 on the highway, and 4.9 combined for the LE AWD trim, or 5.0 L/100 km city, 5.7 highway, and 5.3 combined for the SE and XSE trims. Pricing in Canada for the three trims is set at $29,705 for the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid LE AWD, $33,365 for the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid SE AWD, and $37,765 for the 2024 Toyota Corolla Hybrid XSE AWD.
2024 Toyota Crown AWD
The Toyota Crown, which returned to North America in 2023, is an interesting thing. It’s a car, but it’s vaguely crossover-ish. And it’s a hybrid, but one of the trims is tuned for frugality while the other is performance oriented. We mentioned we’d focus on fuel efficiency here, so that means we’re looking at the Limited trim with its 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine producing 163 lb-ft on its own and 236 hp when combined with the electric motors. Choose this version, and you’ll average 5.6 L/100 km in city driving, 5.7 on the highway, and 5.7 combined. Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Crown Limited starts at $55,205 including fees.
2024 Toyota Prius/Prius Prime
If you’re not used to thinking of the Toyota Prius as a fun-to-drive car, think again. The 2023 redesign completely transformed the Prius, and it’s now much easier on the eyes and delivers better power and drive dynamics, too. In the Prius conventional hybrid (or “self-charging hybrid” as Toyota likes to call it), a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine combines with two electric motors for an output of 196 horsepower. You’ll see fuel economy on this one average 4.8 L/100 km city, 4.7 highway, and 4.8 combined, making it one of the most efficient vehicles on the Canadian market that doesn’t require a plug. Pricing on the 2024 Toyota Prius starts in Canada at $40,365. Opt for the Prius Prime plug-in hybrid and you’ll see 220 hp, plus the 13.6 kWh battery lets it go up to 72 kilometres exclusively on electric power. This delivers a combined average of 1.8 Le/100 km and figures of 4.4 L/100 km city, 4.6 highway, and 4.5 combined in hybrid mode. Pricing for the 2024 Toyota Prius Prime PHEV starts at $42,265 in Canada. Better yet, it’s affordable enough to qualify for the full rebate amounts available through federal and provincial/territorial electric vehicle incentive programs.
2024 Volvo S60 Recharge
We’ll bet Volvo’s smallest sedan isn’t on your radar at all, but it should be. The Volvo S60 Recharge is an AWD plug-in hybrid, and its 2.0-litre turbo four-cylinder engine and hybrid system produce a combined 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque. For a compact sedan, this is a ton of power, and this car is plenty of fun to fling around on winding roads. Plus, Volvo increased the battery sizes in its PHEVs last year, so the S60 Recharge now comes with an 18.8 kWh battery that allows it to go 64 km on a single charge. Overall, it averages 3.0 Le/100 km or 8.0 L/100 km city, 7.2 highway, and 7.6 combined in hybrid mode. Pricing on the 2024 Volvo S60 Recharge in Canada starts at $58,389.
2024 Volvo S90 PHEV
Need something a little larger? Volvo has you covered there, too. The Volvo S90 Recharge is the brand’s mid-size plug-in hybrid sedan, and it comes with a 2.0-litre turbocharged and supercharged four-cylinder engine and hybrid system producing a combined output of 400 hp and 472 lb-ft of torque. The 11.6 kWh battery gives the S90 a 61-kilometre electric-only range, while the car averages 3.4 Le/100 km or 8.5 L/100 km city, 7.6 highway, or 8.1 combined in hybrid mode. In Canada, the 2024 Volvo S90 Recharge starts at a price of $82,289.
2023 Volvo V60 Recharge
We round out this list with another example of what Volvo does best: an AWD plug-in hybrid wagon. The Volvo V60 Recharge takes the same powertrain found in the S60 Recharge—complete with its combined output of 455 hp and 523 lb-ft of torque—and places it into a beautiful and practical wagon body style with plenty of cargo space behind the hatchback. The same 64 km range applies, as do the fuel economy ratings of 3.0 Le/100 km or 8.0 L/100 km city, 7.2 highway, and 7.6 combined in hybrid mode. For the V60 Recharge, the Polestar Engineered trim is the only model available. Pricing in Canada for the 2024 Volvo V60 Recharge starts at $80,939.
Frequently asked questions (FAQs):
What are the advantages of owning an AWD hybrid car?
Owning an AWD hybrid car lets you minimize fuel costs while still having traction available at all four wheels. This offers a balance between all-weather capability and fuel efficiency.
What are the most popular AWD hybrid cars in the market?
The Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD, Toyota Prius, and Toyota Prius Prime are some of the best-known and most popular AWD hybrid vehicles on the Canadian market.
What is the average price range for AWD hybrid cars?
Pricing for AWD hybrid cars can vary widely. On the most affordable end of the scale, the Toyota Corolla Hybrid AWD starts at $30,605 in 2023, including fees. Many more vehicles fall within the $40,000 to $80,000 range, while the 2023 Mercedes-Benz S 580e tips the scales at a before-fees starting price of $155,600.