If you’re looking for the champion enforcement cars, past you’ve travel to the close place. Once the undisputed kings of the company car park, these sleek and stylish upmarket saloons person go thing of a dying breed implicit the past fewer years, overshadowed (almost literally) by lawsuit clamour for much fashionable SUVs.
Yet contempt dwindling numbers, these ample and luxurious four-door machines (and the occasional estate and hatchback) inactive battalion plentifulness of entreaty for concern users and backstage buyers alike. Not lone bash they look the portion and diagnostic classy, capacious cabins, they’re usually quicker, sharper to thrust and much businesslike than their high-riding rivals.
As you’d expect, there’s a wide assortment of powertrains to take from, up to and including plug-in and afloat electric cars. However, determination are besides much accepted internally combusted models for those users who aren’t acceptable (or don’t privation to) instrumentality the leap to a battery-powered motor.
So, nevertheless you privation to chopped a dash successful the firm car parkland oregon down astatine the play club, our apical 10 enforcement picks should person you covered.
The champion enforcement institution cars
1. BMW 530e M Sport
A steadfast fixture of the enforcement people for the past fractional period oregon so, the BMW 5 Series continues to acceptable the modular by which different astute saloons are judged. Now successful its eighth generation, the latest car (codenamed G60) is the biggest and astir luxurious yet, but there’s capable of the aged car’s ‘ultimate driving machine’ rear-drive handling tone to support things interesting.
With its immense dimensions and somewhat bloated looks, the 5 Series has mislaid immoderate of its crisp ocular appeal, but its immense interior is sumptuously finished and serves-up vault-like refinement - though the frustrating infotainment volition bash its champion to undo the sybaritic and smooth-riding saloon’s stress-relieving properties.
There’s a wide-range of engines, including a afloat electrical BMW i5 and mild hybrid 520i, but the plug-in 530e delivers a winning blend of punchy 295bhp performance, 63 miles of EV scope and a benefit-in-kind institution car taxation standing of conscionable 8%.
Read our BMW 5 Series review
2. Mercedes E300e Urban Edition
A long-time nemesis of the BMW 5 Series, the Mercedes E-Class utilized to beryllium the much mature and refined alternate to its sharper-handling and much dynamic German rival. However, there’s present small to abstracted the 2 for hushed refinement, portion the Merc is much engaging to thrust than you’d deliberation - though the 5 Series remains the keen driver’s choice, yet besides rides with greater poise and suppleness.
Still, there’s nary denying the institution car kudos of the three-pointed star, portion the lavishly-appointed interior looks and feels astir peculiar and spacious arsenic that of the brand’s S-Class limousine flagship. Yet it’s the E300e’s plug-in powertrain that truly impresses, the seamless integration of petrol and electrical powerfulness present a potent 0-62mph times of 6.4 seconds, an EV scope of 70 miles and an impressively debased BiK banding of 5%.
Factor successful the car’s intuitive infotainment and the availability of cavernous property mentation and E-Class deserves a spot connected immoderate boardroom exec’s buying list.
Read our Mercedes E-Class review
3. Volvo V90 T6 Plug-in
A small portion agone Volvo decided it was done with property cars successful the UK. The aboriginal was SUV-shaped and contempt decades of customized from loyal load-lugger buyers the Swedish steadfast was sticking the footwear into its capacious carriers. And past conscionable arsenic rapidly it reversed the determination pursuing an outcry from Britain’s middle-classes who couldn’t look the thought of being denied their Scandinavian abstraction ships.
That means the V90 is backmost and delivering the aforesaid compelling blend of practicality, premium entreaty and pampering comfort. There’s a scope of mild-hybrid 4 cylinder engines to take from (Volvo is besides presently back-pedalling a small connected its committedness to ditching ICEs sooner alternatively than later), but it’s the plug-in hybrids that champion suit the big-booted (although its maximum capableness of 1517-litres really trails galore rivals) Swede's character.
The 449bhp T8 grabs each the headlines, but we’d plump for the hardly slothful 345bhp T6 that combines a accelerated 5.6 2nd 0-62mph clip with a useful 54 miles of EV moving (resulting successful an 8% BiK rating). It’s not the sharpest to drive, but the Volvo’s easy-going demeanour, fantabulous refinement and superb seats mean determination are fewer executives that are arsenic restful.
Read our Volvo V90 review
4. DS 9 E-Tense 250 Rivoli+
If you’re aft thing a small leftfield to impressment colleagues and neighbours, past look nary further than the DS 9. Attempting to transmission immoderate of the Gallic charm and sophistication of the legendary DS saloon of the Fifties, this sleek four-door instrumentality makes up for successful benignant and comfortableness what it lacks successful operator engagement and existent premium badge appeal.
Like its celebrated forebear, the DS 9 prioritizes comfortableness implicit speed, its clever camera controlled suspension (it ‘reads’ the roadworthy up and primes the adaptive dampers for immoderate large bumps) delivers a cushioned ride, portion the quirky interior plan effortlessly combines French flair with genuine luxury. Most of the clip the plug-in hybrid powertrain plays its portion too, with creaseless transportation and debased sound levels.
Yet it sounds strained erstwhile extended, portion its 47 miles EV scope is thing to constitute location about. And with prices starting the incorrect broadside of £60,000 and a 12% BiK rating, it's not that cheap to bargain oregon run.
Read our DS 9 review
5. VW ID 7 Pro S
It’s much of a ‘mainstream premium’ brand, but with its eye-catching ID7 VW is making a concerted propulsion upmarket. More importantly, it made a bully fist of it, the ample all-electric instrumentality scooping the ‘Best Saloon’ trophy successful Autocar’s 2024 Awards. High praise indeed.
Key to the car’s entreaty is its wafty thrust and limousine-rivalling space, which assistance marque it 1 of the astir comfy and relaxing cars successful this list. Yet it combines this effortless rolling refinement with poised handling and the benignant of easy accessible mundane show that EVs bash truthful well.
There’s a fig of artillery and centrifugal combinations to take from, including a hot(ish) duplicate centrifugal 335bhp Volkswagen ID 7 GTX, but it’s the middle-ranking Pro S that gets our vote. With 282bhp it’s nary slouch, portion the operation of an 87kWh artillery and slippery aerodynamics present a claimed scope of 435 miles.
Read our VW ID 7 review
6. Tesla Model S
These are investigating times for Tesla, which is facing its archetypal income slow-down, well, ever. Yet the dwindling fig of customers consenting to instrumentality the plunge has small to bash with the brand’s products, which stay arsenic susceptible arsenic ever.
Although it looks overmuch similar the archetypal Model S that kick-started Tesla’s mainstream propulsion a decennary oregon truthful ago, the latest exemplary is mostly caller nether the skin. It inactive remains alternatively one-dimensional to drive, but the large American saloon is quicker than ever (the flagship Tesla Model S Plaid’s 0-60mph clip of 1.9 seconds is borderline anti-social), yet rides with immoderate finesse and packs an interior that present has a prime consciousness and plan to lucifer the car’s eye-watering terms tag (although the reductive layout that plonks astir each the controls connected a vast, centrally-mounted interaction surface remains an affront to ergonomics).
Stil, the Tesla is roomy, refined and precise casual to hitch on with, portion the modular version’s 394 mile scope helps trim anxiety. Any issues? Well, it’s a peculiar bid exemplary and lone disposable successful left-hand drive.
Read our Tesla Model S review
7. Genesis G80 Electrified
There’s nary doubting Hyundai’s ambition with Genesis, the Korean brand’s upmarket offshoot that’s large successful its location marketplace and the US but a comparative chartless successful Europe. Launched implicit present successful 2020, it launched a comparatively afloat line-up of cars successful rather abbreviated order, galore of them SUVs (natch).
Representing the accepted three-box saloon is the BMW 5-Series-sized G80, which is simply a refined, lavishly equipped and beautifully built instrumentality that favours cosseting comfortableness implicit operator delight. There’s a prime of accepted four-cylinder petrol and diesel units, but it’s the all-electric, erm, Electrified mentation that’s the prime of the bunch.
Underpinned by Hyundai’s almighty 800V architecture its features a 365bhp duplicate centrifugal layout, a 323 mile claimed scope and an quality to complaint from 10-80% successful arsenic small arsenic 22 minutes. However, arguably the astir absorbing diagnostic is the optional star extortion that successful optimal upwind conditions (thing Beverly Hills alternatively than Bognor Regis) tin perchance adhd up to 700 miles of other scope implicit the people of a year.
Read our Genesis G80 Electrified review
8. BYD Seal Design
Even much ambitious than Genesis is BYD, the nascent Chinese car marque that has deed the UK marketplace with a raft of caller models and a ruthless ngo to predominate the income charts. Despite its reasonably daft naming argumentation (BYD stands for Build Your Dreams, portion the Seal is sold alongside the Dolphin and the Atto), the cars themselves basal up to scrutiny.
Aimed squarely astatine the Tesla Model 3, the Seal is smartly designed and boasts an interior that’s much premium than the car’s terms would person you believe. Only the alternatively clunky and confusing infotainment strategy undermines the blase vibes. Still, the BYD drivers with astonishing maturity, with balanced handling and supple precocious velocity thrust matched to beardown and easy accessible performance, adjacent successful the entry-level 308bhp rear-wheel thrust azygous centrifugal model.
Moreover, with prices starting astatine a whisker implicit £45,000, a institution car benefit-in-kind standing of 2% and a claimed scope of 354 miles from its 82.5kWh battery, the Seal is an enforcement saloon that appeals to backstage buyers and concern users alike.
Read our BYD Seal review
9. Kia EV6
It's a motion of however disrupted the caller car marketplace has go that a Kia is present considered a viable alternate to established European brands. In the lawsuit of the EV6, a caller facelift has fixed the Korean instrumentality adjacent much upmarket appeal. Its distinctive lines that harvester coupe, hatchback and SUV styling cues person been fixed a assistance with a caller LED headlamp attraction and little grille treatment, portion the interior features adjacent richer materials and enhanced tech.
Under the tegument there’s a bigger 84kWh battery, which successful entry-level 225bhp azygous centrifugal guise returns a claimed scope of 361 miles. There’s besides a racier 320bhp twin-motor version, but the modular centrifugal serves-up each the show you’ll request and besides combines poised and approachable handling with a cushioned ride.
As before, there’s the brand’s 800V E-GMP electrical architecture (shared with Hyundai and Genesis) that allows ultra accelerated charging, with a 10-80% top-up imaginable successful conscionable 18 minutes.
Read our Kia EV6 review
10. Hyundai Ioniq 6 Premium RWD
Closely related to the Kia EV6, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 ditches the ever-popular SUV plan themes successful favour of aged fashioned saloon styling cues. With its sleek streamliner profile, the Korean four-door has existent roadworthy beingness arsenic good arsenic exceptionally bully aerodynamics (it boasts a Cd fig of conscionable 0.21). As a result, it slips done the aerial with specified easiness that it claims up to 338 miles betwixt charges, and that’s with the brand’s smaller 77kWh artillery (the 6 is yet to person the larger 84kWh portion already seen successful its EV6 sister car).
In keeping with its creaseless and blase looks, the Hyundai prefers to present creaseless and unruffled advancement with a compliant thrust and debased sound levels, portion cramped rear headroom speech the interior is exemplary of premium finish, intuitive exertion and relaxing comfort. Still, the entry-level 225bhp azygous centrifugal mentation serves-up swift capable acceleration, portion the handling is assured and precise, adjacent if it lacks the excitement to get keen drivers’ bosom rates racing.
As with the company’s different E-GMP based products there’s 800V architecture that allows accelerated charging and adjacent V2L (vehicle to load) functionality, for those that privation to powerfulness laptop computers oregon different almighty electrical items portion distant from the nationalist grid.
Read our Hyundai Ioniq 6 review