Renault Scenic review – electric SUV with class-leading range
Top 10 best electric SUVs – the ones to buy in 2024
With more electric SUVs on sale than ever before, we showcase the ones you should buy in 2024
Masses of space, a high driving position and zero emissions make electric SUVs a tempting package for many car buyers. While they were a rare sight on our roads not so long ago, they’ve grown in popularity over the last few years, leading to a surge of new models on the market from a variety of manufacturers.
When it comes to choosing an electric SUV, it’s easy to get lost in the technical jargon – between battery size, range and charging speed, there’s a lot to get your head around. If you need a good starting point, our list of the top 10 best electric SUVs will help you out. We’ve rounded up our favourite electric SUVs, all of which have been put through their paces by our expert road testers. We’ve included models at a spread of price points, but it’s worth remembering that most electric SUVs are still more expensive to buy than their petrol or diesel-powered counterparts.
The best electric family cars – our top picks of 2024
Fortunately, running an electric SUV should be a relatively affordable endeavour. They’re exempt from the London Congestion Charge and they aren’t liable for VED road tax until 2025, either. They’re also ideal for company car drivers, thanks to their low Benefit-in-Kind company car tax rate.
Of course, EVs come in all shapes and sizes, so you may be interested in the best electric cars and the cheapest electric cars on sale if you’re willing to consider something outside of the SUV mould. If you’re not yet ready to ditch petrol and diesel altogether, why not check out our best hybrid SUVs?
The best electric SUVs on sale today
Read on to see the best electric SUVs you can buy in the UK in 2024…
- Priced from around £37,000
Renault revived the Scenic nameplate this year for its latest electric SUV, and we were thoroughly impressed. With a spacious cabin, excellent range and great infotainment, the Scenic is a fantastic option for families in need of a practical electric car.
The single electric motor has enough punch for everyday driving, and a mighty range of up to 379 miles puts the Scenic well ahead of its Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Volkswagen ID.4 rivals. Its weight of roughly 1,800kg is fairly light for an EV, and as a result the Scenic can comfortably tackle a twisty road while ironing out any harsh bumps. 150kW rapid-charging compatibility allows for short recharging times too – a 10-80% top-up takes around 30 minutes.
Where the French SUV really stands apart is with its interior; there’s extensive use of recycled materials but everything still feels of high quality, and the Android-based infotainment system is slick and modern. There’s enough room for five people to travel in comfort, improved further by a low level of cabin noise. The boot is bigger than its rivals and, with more than 30 driver assistance systems packed into the Scenic, equipment levels are high for a family car of this price-point.
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- Priced from around £65,000
Kia’s new electric seven-seater surprised us for two reasons when it launched earlier this year. First was the cost; a starting price of £65k puts the South Korean firm’s large SUV in direct competition with rivals from more typical premium brands. The second reason was just how great it was during our in-depth test.
Winner of our sister title DrivingElectric’s Car of the Year Award 2024, the Kia EV9 is a big car – marginally larger than a BMW iX – and offers fantastic interior space and ride quality, plus plenty of standard equipment. The entry point is the ‘Air’ model, with 201bhp and 336 miles of range. If you want something brisker, you can upgrade to the all-wheel drive model with 379bhp and up to 314 miles of range. Whichever EV9 you choose, it’s fitted with a 99.8kWh battery capable of 230-240kW rapid-charging – it should take around 25 minutes for a 10-80% charge.
£65k may seem like a lot of money for an SUV from a brand once known for cheap-and-cheerful motoring, but no other electric car offers the Kia EV9’s level of practicality and comfort at this price.
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- Priced from around £35,000
As one of the smaller SUVs on this list, the Hyundai Kona Electric shares its platform with the Kia Niro EV, offering a great blend of practicality, refinement and affordability. While the interior space of the previous-generation Kona lagged behind rivals, the model launched in 2023 is much improved, with higher-quality materials and the latest technology.
There’s a choice of two battery sizes, 48kWh and 65kWh, allowing buyers to prioritise range and performance over cost. The bigger battery gives the Kona a range up to 305 miles, although charging is marginally slower than the larger Ioniq 5. The Kona Electric is a reassuring car to drive; whether the road is billiard-table flat or – more likely in the UK – rough and undulating, it feels unflustered and does well to isolate potholes and speed bumps.
Inside, the Kona Electric is airy and spacious, with the materials you frequently touch feeling soft and premium. There are two 12.3-inch displays, one for the driver and one for infotainment, alongside physical controls for important functions, such as the climate control and volume. Hand over an extra £600 for the ‘Comfort’ pack and you’ll get heated front and rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a wireless smartphone charging pad and tinted rear windows.
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- Priced from around £37,000
The Skoda Enyaq may be the first fully-electric car from the Czech brand, but it still delivers the excellent value for money that’s made its petrol and diesel cars such a success. Costing nearly £6,000 less than the cheapest Volkswagen ID.4, the Skoda Enyaq is just as good to drive but even more practical, with one of the most spacious interiors you’ll find in a mid-size SUV – electric or otherwise.
Available with a choice of two battery sizes, there’s an Enyaq to suit nearly every electric SUV shopper. The entry-level Enyaq 50 uses a 52kWh battery for up to 234 miles of range. While that’s hardly cutting-edge, it’ll still be plenty for most drivers, especially those who stick to urban driving. If you need something with longer legs, the Enyaq 85 packs a 77kWh battery and up to 358 miles of range, although it does come at an extra £7,000.
Whichever Enyaq you pick, you’ll be greeted by an airy and relaxing interior every time you open the door. The dashboard layout is simple, with a 13-inch infotainment touchscreen taking care of the controls, while the bank of physical switches below are helpful for accessing shortcuts. It’s a shame it doesn’t feature the ‘Smart Dials’ from the latest Skoda Superb, but all is forgiven when you see how roomy the rear seats and boot are.
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- Priced from around £33,000
While we think the Kia EV9 is an excellent electric SUV, there’s no denying how big and pricey it is. If you fancy those futuristic looks but want something with less heft, you’re in luck, as the new Kia EV3 offers just that. Unlike the Niro EV, the EV3 was designed as a fully-electric model from the ground up, packing the brand’s latest battery and motor tech into a handsome small SUV package.
The EV3 lineup kicks off with the ‘Air’ model equipped with a 55kWh battery. This returns up to 267 miles of range, which is more than enough to hang with some of the best small EVs. Pay an extra £3,000, however, and you can upgrade to an 81kWh unit, delivering an impressive 372 miles of range. That’s more than the EV9 Long Range can muster, and makes the EV3 look like an excellent-value EV for those who cover long distances.
To top things off, the EV3 gets a very similar interior to the EV9, with the same trio of crisp displays for driving information, climate control and for infotainment. Thankfully, Kia has retained a handful of physical controls, while the standard-fit heated seats, heated steering wheels and reversing camera are a welcome touch. Rear seat and boot space are respectable for a car of this size, too, meaning there’s very little not to like about the EV3.
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- Priced from around £70,000
It took driving enthusiasts some time to warm to petrol-powered performance SUVs, but the original Porsche Cayenne and Porsche Macan were some of the first to be appreciated for their impressive driving dynamics. Now, Porsche is trying to repeat the trick with its first electric SUV, the Macan Electric. It’s been developed as a new model from the ground up, available exclusively with electric motors and a battery, and we think it’s just as good to drive as its petrol-powered sibling.
Despite the all-new powertrain under the skin, the Macan Electric doesn’t look wildly different to Macans we’ve seen before. The same is true inside, but material quality is top-notch and everything is still laid out in a clean and intuitive way. We were a bit disappointed by the rear seats, which aren’t as spacious as those in some rivals, while the sloping roofline doesn’t help boot space. However, the Macan Electric is still perfectly usable everyday, helped by an impressive range of up to 398 miles in entry-level guise.
Where the Macan Electric comes into its own is along a B road. The battery sits in the floor, helping to keep the centre of mass low down and the body flat through corners, while the steering and pedals are well weighted. Oh, and it’s fast too – top-spec Turbo models will sprint from 0-62mph in just 3.3 seconds. Just beware that the ride is quite harsh – we recommend opting for the smaller 20-inch wheels.
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- Priced from around £46,000
While not quite as fun to drive as the X1 petrol model on which it’s based, the BMW iX1 is still one of the best electric SUVs for keen drivers. This is a fair compromise given buyers will benefit from the low running costs of an EV combined with direct steering and agile handling from its dual-motor four-wheel drive setup that ensures there’s plenty of grip.
The BMW iX1 will appeal to those after an EV that doesn’t stand out in the crowd too much – it’s classy and yet subtle, meaning it can slot easily into an SUV buyer’s life. Despite an understated look, the iX1 provides 309bhp of electric power from its motors, getting it from 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds. Adding EV batteries into a petrol-based platform usually has a significant impact on practicality, but the iX1 is still pretty spacious. The boot offers a respectable 490 litres – bigger than that offered by the Mercedes EQA and even larger SUVs such as the Nissan Ariya or Toyota bZ4X. The iX1 has an official range figure of up to 272 miles on a charge of its 64.7kWh battery – plenty for most EV drivers.
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- Priced from around £45,000
Tesla has become synonymous with electric cars, and the Model 3 revolutionised the EV market thanks to its affordable price and decent range. Essentially a jacked-up, SUV version of the best-selling Model 3 saloon, the Model Y boasts all the same benefits as its smaller sibling such as its giant 15-inch touchscreen and minimalist interior design. The rear hatchback offers 854 litres of space when you load up to the roofline, and a 117-litre ‘frunk’ is a handy addition for smaller items.
There are three versions of the Tesla Model Y: Standard, Long Range and Performance. The Long Range model offers an impressive 331 miles on a single charge, while the more expensive Performance model can reach 62mph in a sports car-rivalling 3.5 seconds. Of course, heavy acceleration will deplete the battery quickly, but with Tesla’s extensive Supercharger network, that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.
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- Priced from around £49,000
If you’re in the market for an electric SUV with seven seats, the Peugeot E-5008 should be on your shortlist. Sure, it’s not quite as enormous or as plush-feeling as the Kia EV9, but the E-5008 is over £15,000 cheaper – a saving that we’re sure will sway many buyers towards the French SUV.
Don’t assume that the E-5008 feels spartan, however. It has one of the most eye-catching cabins on the market, with an expanse of fabric across the dashboard and a giant 21-inch touchscreen that wouldn’t feel out of place in something far more expensive. Rear seat room is plentiful in the outer two seats, although the central seat is narrower than before and feels a bit cramped. The rearmost pair of seats are really only big enough for children or teenagers, but they’re useful in a pinch.
Rounding off the E-5008’s list of talents is its range. The entry-level model gets a 73kWh battery, which is good for up to 310 miles of range – more than enough for most drivers. If that’s not enough, the Long Range model gets a giant 98kWh battery for a class-leading 415 miles of range.
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- Priced from around £35,000
In a market full of curvy, soft-edged SUVs, the Jeep Avenger’s chunky styling stands out in a good way. It’s based on the same underpinnings as the Peugeot E-2008 and Vauxhall Mokka Electric which we also rate highly, so the Avenger is off to a good start. Jeep’s EV is competitively priced and offers lots of tech to make it a worthy rival to plenty of other electric SUVs.
A unique selling point of the Avenger is some off-roading capability befitting its Jeep badge. While designed for the road first, drivers can also choose between a range of driving modes, such as Mud, Sand and Snow. The Avenger is only available in a 154bhp single-motor front-wheel drive configuration that feels surprisingly punchy, but a dual-motor four-wheel drive version is thought to be in the works too, so watch this space. The sole version of the Avenger also has a range figure of up to 248 miles from its 54kWh battery – when we tested it this equated to around 220 miles of real-world driving – that should be enough for most city-based buyers.
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Looking for more speed from your SUV? Check out our top 10 list of the best sports and performance SUVs...
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