Luxury hybrid and electric cars: A new charge

Price: $2,250 down, $495 per month
Mileage: Ratings not yet determined

An interim effort based on BMW's most compact sedan, the ActiveE is a limited-availability, all-electric, rear-wheel driver that debuted in 2012. As such, it presages the all-new BMW i3 set to debut later this year. The i3 is being designed for electric power from day one, unlike the ActiveE, which packs its batteries front, rear and center where a gasoline powertrain once lived, and offers acceptable if not outstanding performance on par with other pure electrics. Only 700 ActiveEs are being leased in North America this year.

View Slideshow:  What is mpge?

Price: $84,300
Mileage: 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway

In normal times, consciously joining a flagship sedan's luxury with ecology-conscious economy is not a winning formula. But these are not normal times, and for those who want the understated luxury and twin-turbo 6-cylinder performance of BMW's ubersedan with a touch of carbon-footprint downsizing from a mild hybrid powertrain, the ActiveHybrid 7-Series will do. For 2013, the 7 Hybrid was heavily re-engineered with the more economical 5-Series Hybrid powertrain — 6 cylinders versus last year's 8 cylinders — and given a massive price cut to spur sales.

2012 BMW ActiveHybrid 7

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Price: $65,000 (estimated)
Mileage: 62 mpge (estimated)

Should the luxury electric-car segment need a flagship, the upcoming Cadillac ELR is a great candidate. At its core, the ELR has a Chevy Volt powertrain, complete with moderate battery power and a small, range-extending gasoline engine, installed in a luxurious, contemporary coupe body. The very idea speaks to those who want the economy and perceived ecological advance of hybrid power in a sophisticated, luxurious and capable automobile. On sale in late 2013 as a 2014 model, Caddy's ELR also gets a minimal power boost and paddle shifters.

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Price: $74,135
Mileage: 20 mpg city/23 mpg highway

An established non-plug-in hybrid, the massive Escalade Hybrid does not break any technological ground in the fast-moving hybrid segment, but it offers seating for up to 8 people in a plush cabin, plus big V8 power and boat-towing capability. Cadillac allows pairing the near-decadent Platinum Edition with the hybrid powertrain, leaving no luxury wish unfulfilled. You may want for more hybrid action, however, as the hefty Escalade barely gets through the intersection before running mainly on gas power. Still, if you use its impressive capabilities, a 20-mpg average might be worth it.

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Price: $100,000 (estimated)
Mileage: 54 mpge

Famously designed by noted auto stylist Henrik Fisker, the Fisker Karma is as fast as it looks, with a 125-mph top speed and a zero-to-60 time of just over six seconds. That's saying something for the series hybrid — the gas engine generates electricity and does not drive the wheels — as the 4-door hefts a ponderous 5,300 pounds, thanks to a sizable, 20.1-kilowatt-hour battery pack, two 161-horsepower electric motors and a 260-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine. Other models are the roomier hatchback Surf and the Sunset plug-in convertible, both scheduled for release this year.

Watch Video:  Fisker Karma review

Price: $54,570
Mileage: 32 mpg city/27 mpg highway

With a rousing 369 total horsepower under the hood, the Infiniti M35h is the sort of vehicle that gives "hybrid" a good name. Besides the outstanding, seamless thrust from the V6 engine and electric motor, the M35h embodies all the understated, premium wood and leather ambience of an upscale coffeehouse. This is a completely contemporary sedan with good handling and an emphasis on quiet, and it's nearly free of gimmicks and "look-at-me" technology. Considering its rush of performance, the fuel economy is excellent, too.

2013 Infiniti M Hybrid

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Price: $419,910
Mileage: 19 mpg city/23 mpg highway

Hybrid versions of ultimate sedans initially played on V12 performance with V8 fuel economy. That standard has largely dropped to V8 performance with V6 economy, save for conservative Lexus. It continues the extended-wheelbase Lexus 600h L mini-limo as a dead-smooth starship with barely enough hybrid action to claim title to it, but just displaying the "h" on the decklid is enough in this rarified market segment. As a fuel-saving device the V8-powered 600h is a failure, but with 16-way power seats and 19-speaker sound, it remains an impressively serene way to move through the world.

2013 Lexus LS 600h

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Price: $35,925
Mileage: 45 mpg city/45 mpg highway

Some of the hybrids on this list are barely hybrid and almost all luxury. Lincoln's midsize MKZ Hybrid is a class-leading hybrid but is prosaically mainstream. Using class-leading third-generation hybrid technology, the MKZ offers excellent drivability, fine power and amazing fuel economy. Its luxury quotient is more premium than overtly sensual, however — a fact that won't bother buyers who aspire to something a cut above the mundane and who appreciate the MXZ's approachable pricing.

2012 Lincoln MKZ Hybrid

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Price: $92,350
Mileage: 19 mpg city/25 mpg highway

Mercedes — a company married to diesel as the intelligent economy and efficiency alternative — obviously sees the S400 Hybrid as a car that should at least justify itself economically rather than answer a social need to fly the hybrid flag. So it downsized the gasoline engine and fitted a mild hybrid powertrain to compensate. The result is the most fuel-efficient S-Class Mercedes and, a bit surprisingly, one of the least expensive. The fuel economy is quite good for a luxury sedan, and let's not forget that the S400 Hybrid does not skimp on the vaunted S-Class roominess and luxury appointments.

2013 Mercedes-Benz S-Class Hybrid

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Price: $96,150
Mileage: 22 mpg city/30 mpg highway

Sharing the luxury hybrid sport-sedan market with the likes of Fisker and Tesla's Model X, the Panamera S Hybrid is built more for speed than carbon-footprint reduction. Still, in typical urban environments, the hybrid Porsche sedan can spend almost a third of its time in electric mode and yield gas mileage in the high 20s. And when the spirit needs moving, its 333-horsepower V6 engine and 47-horsepower electric assistance mean there is no waiting. The S Hybrid is a tick slower than the gas-powered Panamera, but it won't matter to passengers enjoying Porsche exclusivity, style and technical sophistication.

2012 Porsche Panamera Hybrid

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Price: $50,900
Mileage: 24 mpg city/30 mpg highway

On sale in Europe for the past year, Audi's Q5 Hybrid will shortly arrive in North America. It's a rarity on our list: a sensibly proportioned, midsize sport utility that looks like a yacht tender in comparison to full-size luxo barges. That's not to say it isn't fully equipped. Wearing a fresh update for 2013, the Q5 line offers all the latest gadgets and a supple driving experience, and the Q5 Hybrid comes only in the range-topping Prestige trim. Power is above average for its class, and the mileage is good. The only caveat is that a diesel Q5 is coming in 2014.

Price: $69,990 (estimated)
Mileage: 20 mpg city/24 mpg highway

Porsche already offers a hybrid version of the Cayenne, which shares its 333-horsepower V6 engine and 4-wheel-drive powertrain with Volkswagen's Touareg SUV. Both are relatively sharp-handling midsize SUVs with mild hybrid augmentation. But the bigger news is a 2014 model: The Cayenne e-Hybrid will debut later this year with plug-in capability, plus a significant bump in battery and electric motor capacity, for more than 400 combined horsepower. It will also benefit from a midcycle freshening of the entire Cayenne line, gaining LED lighting and new fascias front and rear.

Watch Video:  Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid Test Drive

Price: $845,000 (estimated)
Mileage: 70 mpge (estimated)

You need know little more about the upcoming 918 Spyder than that it's a Porsche and that the Defense Department would balk at its price. Is it really necessary to recite an expected power output exceeding 700 horsepower? Or a sub-three-second zero-to-60 mph time? Or that the 918 Spyder is all about redefining what a plug-in hybrid can do, and how the electric drive can be uniquely vectored to either front wheel in search of ultimate handling? The 918 Spyder is all of these things, and it promises to reshape the hybrid concept.

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Price: $52,400, including $7,500 tax credit
Mileage: 88 mpge city/90 mpge highway

To make it in the mainstream, Tesla has to make something mainstream, and the 4-door Model S sedan is it. Luxury is not a question; the build quality and materials are enough to keep BMW buyers happy, and the performance is just as exciting. But as a pure electric with no range-extending gas engine, the Model S, like its sports-car sibling the Model X, relies on prodigious battery capacity, acceptably fast charging and enough chargers available in the real world to hit its lofty sales goals.

2012 Tesla Model S

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Price: $60,000 (estimated)
Mileage: 85 mpge city (estimated)/87 mpge highway

The Model X is the latest from Tesla, a 7-passenger sport utility that will go on sale in 2014. As a Tesla, it is a pure electric — there is no backup gasoline engine — but it boasts optional 4-wheel drive and unique falcon-wing doors for better rear-seat access. Premium appointments are similar to those in the Model S, and to underscore the Model X's upscale position, Tesla has also announced plans for a smaller, $30,000 SUV in 2016, along with a new sports car to replace the now defunct Tesla Roadster.

For more information on the vehicles in this slideshow, click the links below:

BMW ActiveHybrid 7-Series
Cadillac Escalade Hybrid
Infiniti M35h
Lexus 600h L
Lincoln MKZ Hybrid
Mercedes-Benz S400 Hybrid
Porsche Cayenne Hybrid
Porsche Panamera S Hybrid
Tesla Model S

Longtime Road & Track contributor Tom Wilson's credits include local racing championships, three technical engine books and hundreds of freelance articles.