Market Watch: 3 Pre-Owned Plug-in Hybrids We Would Buy At Different Price Points

An introduction into the world of plug-in hybrids doesn't sound groundbreaking in 2023, but it still marks a worthy milestone in Singapore’s car industry. We have not attended a media launch featuring both a pure ICE car alongside a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) variant, until the Mercedes-Benz GLC pair in early May. This could be due to public perception of PHEVs, but that was before the proliferation of EVs.

For instance, the Range Rover Sport (with a self-charging mild hybrid) was unveiled and went on sale earlier this year, but the PHEV variant arrived only this quarter. We’d hazard a guess that the variant brought in first was projected to garner the most sales, so to have Mercedes-Benz form a two-pronged approach right from the off with the GLC 300 and GLC 300e made for interesting reading indeed.

We reckon that there are two main reasons that make PHEV adoption more logical than initially anticipated in Singapore. Firstly, there are now more EV chargers in Singapore, so juicing up a battery pack is a tad more convenient. Given that the mean battery size of PHEVs is 14.9kWh, a 30-minute supermarket run could top up enough range for a petrol-free journey back home.

A PHEV’s drivetrain works most efficiently when the battery pack is topped up consistently. Brake regeneration works, but energy recouped to propel a vehicle purely in EV mode is not sufficient for longer haul commutes. Which brings us to the second point - despite the drawbacks of weight, PHEVs can still be driven like a regular ICE car, thus eliminating the anxiety full EVs face.

The trickle down effect is apparent - we can count PHEVs in our used car classifieds with our fingers, simply because the take up rate is very low compared to regular ICE counterparts (or even BEVs). But we’re confident that this middle ground will work a treat for those who need a catalyst before stepping into the fully electrified realm of vehicles.

BMW 330e (F30)

Depreciation: S$17,000 per year

Remember the F30 BMW ActiveHybrid 3? It had a N55 straight six turbo engine and 55bhp worth of electric surge on demand. The recipe proved promising, but unfortunately reliability took a hit. It was a self-charging hybrid, and sold alongside the 330e plug-in hybrid. This PHEV in question was far from mainstream - increasing the footprint from the dynamically-proven E90 was always going to polarise opinions.

Now, this F30 with a 7.6kWh battery not only added close to 200kg of ballast, but it wasn’t entirely efficient to begin with. A claimed range of 40km (NEDC) proved far too optimistic. But we reckon that time has been kind to this quirky F30. Depreciation is similar to a 2 Series Active Tourer 225xe PHEV, and it’s priced way lower than an equivalent generation, pre-LCI 328i. Let the magic of depreciation work towards your favour this time…

Mercedes-Benz E300e (W213 facelift)

Depreciation: S$28,200 per year

Some would argue that speccing a new car by scratching your head over the options list is almost as memorable as car collection day. We’re not asking you to spec a Mercedes-Benz with a 31-speaker Busmester surround sound system for S$26,000, but these goodies make your purchase that much more personal.

We’d also understand if you prefer to avoid the “hassle”, and still get your hands on a pre-owned car that feels like nothing else on local roads. This W213 E-Class E300e is not your regular E. Aside from the PHEV lean, it’s cramped with package descriptions that rival the length of the Nile. Seems like the previous owner has got pretty much every aspect ticked, except for the 4MATIC option, which we approve. Brutal torque only to the rear axle sounds like fun. Nothing could go wrong with both force-fed and electric shove on demand, right?

BMW X5 xDrive45e (G05)

Depreciation: S$38,000 per year

It can feel that BMW’s X range of vehicles sometimes wear too many hats at once. From the X1 sDrive16i xLine tweaked to be Cat A-eligible, right to the dreamier end of the spectrum where the million dollar XM plies its trade. That pushes the “middle ground” higher than comfort levels of most. 400 grand is no loose change, but this 1-owner X5 xDrive45e xLine comes close to that one car that does everything for the family.

Claimed 100km of pure EV range is 10% more than the XM - that might make the deal sweeter. Or lean on the fact that it’s way more attainable than a 17 year old 4 door Japanese sedan. The choice is yours…

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