Top 10 best electric SUVs to buy 2024

Britain loves its SUVs and the new car market is quickly moving towards electrification, so, naturally, carmakers are working hard to churn out plenty of big, family-friendly electric SUVs. As a result, the level of choice on offer in the EV SUV segment is now bigger than ever, so the best electric SUVs really need to stand out from the growing crowd if they are to succeed.

To help you decide which fully-electric SUV is the best to buy, we’ve picked out our top 10 models, as chosen by our expert road testers. All of these cars are much kinder to the environment than combustion-powered SUVs, but they offer far more reasonable electric car running costs, too. There’s also some significant Benefit-in-Kind (BiK) tax savings on offer for company car users and a high proportion of the sales in the electric SUV market go to the fleet sector as a result. 

The best electric SUVs to buy

Our road testing team have thoroughly tested every electric SUV on sale in the UK. Read on below to find the top 10 best electric SUVs that you can buy right now.

10. Tesla Model Y

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The Tesla Model Y pretty much offers the same plethora of technology, sizable batteries and eye-watering performance as the smaller Model 3, only here they’re all wrapped up in a more practical SUV body. This has proven such a successful package that the Model Y was officially the UK’s best-selling electric car in 2023. 

Even the entry-level model is good for up to 283 miles of range on the WLTP combined cycle, and it will also sprint from 0-60mph in just 6.6 seconds. If you’re a bit of a speed demon, the range-topping Performance version will reduce this time to a supercar-esque 3.5 seconds — certainly not bad for a family car.

9. BMW iX

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Although its appearance is rather controversial, the BMW iX is a deeply impressive electric SUV. It’s supremely comfortable yet great to drive, the interior is class-leading and plenty of the brand’s most innovative technology is fitted as standard.

The iX’s interior has a futuristic feel to its design; there are plenty of soft-touch materials throughout and two 14.5-inch curved screens make up most of the dashboard. These screens feature BMW’s Live Cockpit Professional media setup and the latest version of iDrive, so you won’t go wanting for gadgetry. When on the move, the bulky iX does a stellar job of hiding its weight, and it even tackles corners with a surprising level of agility. 

8. Genesis GV60

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Sharing its underpinnings with the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, the Genesis GV60's appearance on this list shouldn’t come as a surprise. Whereas the EV6 prioritises sportiness, the GV60 offers a more luxurious experience – fitting, given that Genesis is Hyundai’s luxury sister-brand.

Genesis is aiming to tempt buyers away from the Audi Q4 e-tron and Volvo XC40 Recharge with its ‘Genesis Difference’ programme, which includes an assistant assigned to you and your car, a five-year care plan and the assertion that your car will be collected and delivered from your house when it’s time for a service.

You won’t need to wait long for the GV60 to charge, either, as the Ultra-Speed function allows a 350kW charger to top it up from 10 to 80 per cent in just 18 minutes.

7. Nissan Ariya

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Our 2022 Car of the Year remains a solid choice among an ever-increasing sea of rivals. Not only is the Nissan Ariya rather stylish to look at, but the level of quality and refinement on offer isn’t too dissimilar to that of a much pricier model.

Inside the well-appointed cabin there is a sense of luxury that is somewhat unusual for a Nissan, with wood trim and soft-touch materials throughout. One downside is that the twin displays are quite low-resolution when compared to a number of rivals but they are responsive and simple to understand.

The Ariya should prove easy to live with, too, with even the base model claiming over 220 miles of battery range. All versions offer plenty of passenger and luggage space along with a number of clever storage solutions. It rides comfortably, too, and is even surprisingly nimble when you head into a corner.

6. Kia EV9

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Kia’s biggest-ever car is also one of its best. Thanks to its substantial size, the new EV9 offers seven seats, all of which boast plentiful head and leg room. Even with the rearmost seats in place, there’s still a decent 333 litres of boot space, so you’ll be able to carry their luggage, too. 

This bigger-is-better approach continues underneath with a whopping 99.8kWh battery pack fitted as standard. Because of all this capacity, the heavy EV9 can manage well over 300 miles between charges. 

It’s big and it’s bold so the EV9 is far from the sportiest car to drive on this list. However, when we first drove Kia’s large SUV in rural Scotland, it did an excellent job of ironing out imperfections in the tarmac, doing very little to compromise the comfort of those inside. If you need to get a move on, opting for the twin-motor powertrain will propel the EV9 from 0-62mph in a mere 5.3 seconds.

5. Skoda Enyaq

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In typical Skoda fashion, the Enyaq does an excellent job of combining ease-of-use, practicality and build quality all within a reasonably-priced package.

Even in base 60 guise, the Enyaq offers up to 247 miles of range on the WLTP combined cycle, and it can be rapid-charged from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 35 minutes. Move up to the 85 and its larger battery pack will boost this range up to 340 miles. Inside every variant of the Enyaq, you will find plenty of room for up to five passengers and their luggage, making this a top choice of family car. There’s a generous helping of standard equipment, too, including a Virtual Cockpit digital instrument display.

4. BMW iX1

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While some of BMW’s EVs are borderline ostentatious when it comes to appearance, the iX1 takes a more humble approach. Sharing the same basic design as the combustion-powered X1, this all-electric mid-size SUV packs the usual high level of technology and driving enjoyment that you’d expect from a BMW, but adorns it with a much more approachable design — and price.

While an M Sport variant of the iX1 is available, the base xLine version still handles spirited driving surprisingly well for a car in this class, and it does a stellar job of hiding its considerable kerbweight. When you want things to calm down a bit, the cabin is very refined with little noise intrusion. The tradeoff for this BMW’s sporty nature, though, is a rather firm ride.

3. Kia EV6

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With a battery range of more than 300 miles and a 350kW rapid charging capability, the Kia EV6 is a great choice for those looking for a long-distance EV. The EV6 is the sportier member of the family of cars that are built on the e-GMP platform, and it offers plenty of punchy performance as a result. In fact, the 577bhp EV6 GT is the fastest Kia on sale.

Performance doesn’t come at the cost of practicality, though, as the EV6 offers a number of clever touches to make life easier for passengers. One of these is the Vehicle-to-Load function; this allows the car to be used as a power-outlet via a built-in three-pin socket - perfect for charging devices while away on holiday. 

We found the EV6 to be predictably firmer than its Ioniq 5 and GV60 siblings during testing, but it certainly isn’t uncomfortable. The ride can be a bit fidgety on more urban streets, but when it hits the open roads the Kia becomes a highly capable cruiser.

2. Hyundai Ioniq 5

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As the pioneer of Hyundai’s bold new EV lineup, the Ioniq 5 still stands out by a country mile compared to almost anything else on the road — even other Hyundais. Its blocky bodystyle, 8-bit lighting and abundance of technology make it feel like something out of a sci-fi film, but it’s far from being a gimmicky car.

There are two batteries available, a 58kWh and 77.4kWh unit, and these claim up to 238 and 315 miles of range respectively. The Ioniq 5’s tall stature makes for plenty of room inside for passengers and cargo, too, so it performs well as a family car. There’s plenty of excellent technology features and soft-touch materials which make things feel impressively upmarket for a car at this price point. One of the only real downsides that we found was a lack of driver engagement — this two-tonne SUV is certainly quick enough but it’s not exactly thrilling. That being said, the hotter Ioniq 5 N has now arrived, and that should appeal to the more spirited driver.

1. Hyundai Kona Electric

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Hyundai clearly took customer and road tester feedback to heart when designing the latest Kona. The original car was undoubtedly a decent one, but the Korean brand has made great efforts to not carry its few flaws over to the new model. As a result of this there’s now increased space inside the new Kona, and an abundance of slick new tech makes it much more modern and premium in feel. We like this small SUV so much that we crowned it our 2023 Car of the Year.

While there’s also the option of combustion and hybrid power, the fully-electric Hyundai Kona is our pick of the bunch. Not only is it the most economical to run,the near-silent powertrain means it’s brilliantly refined, too. 

Underneath, the Kona Electric is now based on the same K3 platform as the Kia Niro EV, and it’s available with the choice of two batteries. The smaller 48kWh unit claims up to 234 miles of range, which isn’t class-leading but should prove enough for most drivers. If you cover long distances on a regular basis, the larger 65kWh battery boosts the Kona’s range to 319 miles. Whichever version you choose, the standard-fit heat pump will help the Hyundai to achieve similar numbers in the real world.

The best electric SUVs to buy now

1. Hyundai Kona Electric
2. Hyundai Ioniq 5
3. Kia EV6
4. BMW iX1
5. Skoda Enyaq
6. Kia EV9
7. Nissan Ariya
8. Genesis GV60
9. BMW iX
10. Tesla Model Y

For an alternative view, see our sister site DrivingElectric's ranking of the top 10 best electric SUVs...