If you want to own a more fuel efficient car than your current petrol-powered one, you have three options; diesel, hybrid, or fully electric. Diesel has been the go-to option for most European customers for decades but it’s slowly starting to lose its luster, now that other alternative fuel options are becoming better and better. In this new three-way test from Auto Express, we get to see each of the three aforementioned petrol alternatives go head-to-head-to-head; the Mercedes-Benz C220d Estate, BMW 330e Touring, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The Mercedes-Benz represents the old-school (sort of), with its 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine, paired with a nine-speed automatic. The only thing keeping the C-Class’ diesel engine from being completely obsolete is its 48-volt mild-hybrid system. The BMW 330e Touring represents the middle ground, with a plug-in hybrid powertrain that uses both the past and the future. It’s a 2.0-liter turbo-four with an electric motor and battery pack that sends power through an eight-speed auto. Lastly, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the future, the all-electric hatchback with Minority Report-looks.
But which one is best to drive and own? Auto Express put all three cars to the test, to see which one, comprehensively, was the best car. It wasn’t an apples-to-apples-to-apples comparison, as the Merc and Bimmer are five-door wagons while the Hyundai is a hatchback. However, they’re all practical and they’re all priced within striking distance of one another. So each car is an effective, practical, and efficient means of daily transportation.
Blah, blah, blah, though, which one is best? Well, it wasn’t the Bimmer. The BMW 330e Touring came in second place, which is fitting because its fence-sitting powertrain gets a fence-sitting placement on Auto Express’ podium. That leaves either the past of the future as the winner of the test. Check it out to see which car won.
[Source: Auto Express]
