SUVs are no longer gas-guzzlers. It’s been the case for long enough now, but these three premium models make the point better than ever.

Each is a plug-in hybrid, with enough in its battery pack for about twenty miles of electric-only running. The Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid has been around since 2015, while the BMW X5 xDrive 40e and Volvo XC90 T8 are new.

The latter looks instantly like the one to beat. It’s quickest off the line and, more to the point, has seven seats. But it’s safe to say that Porsche and BMW have strong suits of their own, too.

These don’t include something as basic as lumbar adjustment, which is an optional extra on both German cars – one which, on the Cayenne, costs a preposterous £1092. Porsche’s sporty nature means a lower seating position, too, and therefore a poorer view, not least because you’re surrounded by buttons.

Both Volvo and BMW give you menu-style controllers to help keep their cabins clutter-free; the latter is considerably clearer. Volvo scores highest in terms of kit, though – and of course the third row of seats makes all the difference to its practicality.

Up front, the only way to decide which has the best seats is to try them all. Each is different; none is bad. As for what happens when you’re sat there, Volvo’s T8 ‘Twin Engine’ nails the sprint in 5.4 seconds – that’s 0.3 faster than the Cayenne, with the X5 more than a second further back.

More relevant, however, is that BMW has managed to integrate its petrol engine, electric motor and auto gearbox more successfully, allowing you to gather pace more smoothly.

The Cayenne is the one to choose for thrills, though, with an excellent balance of grip, steering feel and body control. Our test car’s £1328 air suspension helped here, no doubt – though on the XC90, the same option costs 60% more and its body control is nothing like as tidy.

The BMW X5 occupies the middle ground on handling. It does ride the best, however – none of these vehicles copes as well with bad roads as you’d hope, though at least all three are pleasingly refined at all speeds.

They’re also a bargain to run, at least as long as the batteries hold out. Get them running on petrol alone, though, and the gas-guzzling old days will come rolling back.

They’re not cheap to buy, either. Company car drivers will love the XC90, which costs less than half the others in BIK tax, but their employers would no doubt prefer them to stick to a good old-fashioned diesel – in each case, it costs a lot less to buy and you’re not plunged into a pit of mpg horrors when the batteries go flat.

If your heart’s set on running a hybrid premium SUV, however, the XC90 is the winner here. With its kit, pace and comfort, it’s not just about seven seats – but that alone puts it at an advantage the others never manage to claw back.

The X5 does trail the XC90, but not by much. They’re close enough together, in fact, that if BMW’s better multimedia system is enough to sway you, you’re not being irrational.

We’d struggle to make a case for the Cayenne, though. It’s the fun one, but SUV buyers want comfort, kit and interior space – and it’s badly beaten for all these things, as well as being the most expensive vehicle here.

So it’s the XC90 that gets the nod. But mainly, for each of these three it would be a nod of appreciation – after which we’d turn away and ask for the keys to a diesel instead.