Best electric SUVs coming in 2024

From the spacious and tech-forward Kia EV9 to the premium and high-performance Ioniq 5 N, there's an electric SUV for a range of tastes, needs, and budgets. Let's delve into our pick of the best electric SUVs in Australia for 2024, focusing on their key attributes and how they might fit into your Australian lifestyle.

The Kia EV9 is poised to redefine expectations for electric family transport, offering a three-row, seven-seater configuration that doesn't skimp on space or comfort.

It was recently handed Drive’s 2024 Car of the Year award as well as the coveted "World's Best Car for 2024” by the Women's Worldwide Car of the Year (WWCOTY) award, coinciding with International Women’s Day. As the judges put it: “The Kia EV9 has won out over its rivals because it is a vehicle capable of satisfying the needs of consumers everywhere."

Why? Apart from the fact it has oodles of room for the offspring (and the space to get them in and out without breaking your back), it has an incredibly flexible interior with spin-around seats.

It can also be used to power devices thanks to large battery options with Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) capability, promising ample range plus the ability to power your adventures off the grid.

Superfast charging speeds of up to 210kW also means less time tethered to a charger and more time on the open road. The WWCOTY judges also praised the Kia EV9 for “its good aerodynamics, innovative design, high levels of technology - with up to level 3 autonomous driving,” and “a driving experience that feels close to that of gasoline but with no emissions.”

Priced between $97,000 and $121,000 before on-road costs, the EV9 marks a significant milestone as Kia's most premium offering on Australian shores to date, and one of the only seven-seater electric vehicles on the market.

The base Air variant starts with a rear-wheel drive setup and a 77.1kWh battery, offering a WLTP range of 418km.

For those who need their EV to go the distance, the long-range 99.8kWh battery increases the driving range to 541km (WLTP), with the all-wheel-drive variant pushing performance further with up to 700Nm of torque available.

In Australia, the Kia EV9 has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP (Australasian New Car Assessment Program). ANCAP congratulated the EV9 for its car-to-car AEB and lane keep assist functionality, as well as the inclusion of direct and indirect driver monitoring systems, to help detect driver fatigue and the presence of children left in the back two rows. 

Winner of the Best Small SUV 2024 award from Germany’s Auto Motor und Sport is the Volvo EX30. It has also won a plethora of other awards including “Best Family Car Award 2023” from WWCOTY and Eco Warrior of the Year by UK’s Top Gear in 2023.

While compact, it packs a punch with Volvo's hallmark safety features making it another compelling choice for families, albeit of the smaller variety.

The Volvo EX30 is built on parent company Geely’s SEA architecture instead of the CMA (Compact Modular Architecture) platform which forms the basis of the all-electric Volvo C40 and the Polestar 2, or the SPA (Scalable Product Architecture) on which the Volvo EX90 and Polestar 3 are built.

While there is no official ANCAP safety rating as yet, car safety website How Safe is Your Car gives the EX30 10/10 marks for its active safety features, and crash protection features.

As Volvo’s most affordable electric car (pricing starts from $59,990 before on-roads,) the EX30's performance is impressive across the board, with the base single motor variant producing 200kW and 343Nm, ensuring brisk acceleration and a smooth ride.

The Twin Motor Performance model takes it up a notch with 315kW power output and 543Nm torque, reminiscent of a lightweight sports car.

On the practicality front, the EX30's interior design is minimal yet attractive, offering a significant amount of storage space and practical features like a large, vertically mounted 12.3-inch infotainment display.

The second row can feel a bit cramped for taller passengers, but there is still ample head space for others. Boot space is 318 litres, and up to 904 litres including underfloor space with the seats down, which is decent for the compact SUV segment.

The Skoda Enyaq iV is due to land in Australia in mid-2024 and is the Volkswagen subsidiary’s first foray into the Australian electric car market. Its roominess combined with an edgy design will appeal to families after something a bit spicier than the mass-market Volkswagen ID.4 set to arrive around the same time.

Having nabbed a prestigious Golden Steering Wheel award from auto trade mag Auto Bild in 2021, the 2024 model arrives with numerous upgrades including more power and driving range, updated software and improved thermal battery management.

It is available with different battery sizes, with the largest option providing up to 547 kilometres of WLTP range – 13km more than the Long Range Tesla Model Y - making it more suitable for both daily use and longer trips.

Performance-wise, the Enyaq iV ranges from a more modest rear-wheel drive setup to a punchier all-wheel-drive version, with power outputs of up to 210kW for the Enyaq 85 model, and 250 kW in the top-end RS model. Inside, it is modern and user-friendly, with a big touchscreen and smart tech features, plus it uses sustainable materials for a bit of an eco-friendly flair.

Built on Volkswagen's MEB platform, Enyaq iV offers families a spacious interior and decent boot space of 585 litres. With the rear seats down, this expands to an impressive 1,710 litres.

The Skoda Enyaq iV already has a five-star safety rating from ANCAP for the New Zealand variants. While Australian specifications and safety ratings are yet to be announced, across the pond the Enyaq iV gets 94 per cent for adult occupant protection and has a range of safety assist technologies, including emergency braking at low and high speeds and when turning or detecting other pedestrians and cyclists. 

Less aimed at families than at power-hungry “evheads”, the high-performance Hyundai Ioniq 5 N rolls in with an envious claim to fame as Top Gear’s 2024 Car of the Year.

Priced from $111,000, it is the most expensive vehicle Hyundai has ever sold locally, but with good reason.

As Top Gear judge Paul Horrell put it: ““Hyundai’s engineers set out to make the IONIQ 5 N feel like a lairy petrol car, but became converts to what electrification could do. They took advantage of an EV’s digital domains to give a vast extra set of adjustable parameters. As a result, on road and track it does what you’d never expect of a big EV… overdelivers to a staggering extent.”

NRMA’s Adam Smith took it for a spin and commented, “If ever there was an electric vehicle for rev-heads, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N is it."

The Ioniq 5 N is equipped with a dual electric motor (AWD) drivetrain, featuring front and rear electric motors that can deliver an impressive 448kW and 740Nm of power. Additionally, it boasts an 84kWh battery that offers a WLTP range of 448km and supports efficient fast charging. The charging times vary, ranging from 70 minutes when using 50kW chargers to as low as 18 minutes on a 350kW charger.

While the Ioniq 5 N should clearly go to the top of the list for those after an electric SUV (or any SUV for that matter) with astonishing performance, it also makes a perfectly good family vehicle.

With the same roomy, flexible interior as its tamer Ioniq 5 stablemate, Smith says, “the Ioniq 5 N can still be a quiet and comfortable EV for daily commutes. Traditional car enthusiasts might remain skeptical but kudos to Hyundai for bringing something new to the EV landscape.” 

The BMW iX1 eDrive20 makes our list of top electric SUVs for offering a premium option at the lower end of the luxury price spectrum.

Having won the “Compact Class” category in Auto Bild’s Golden Steering Wheel awards, the $78,900 (before on-roads) iX1 eDrive20 also gets kudos for coming in under the Luxury Car Tax threshold.

This, and the fact it features the best energy efficiency of the iX1 range, makes it an attractive option for those after a combination of classy comfort and long driving range.

With a 67kWh battery, it also supports fast DC charging up to 130kW, enabling a rapid recharge from 10 to 80 per cent in just 29 minutes. As an additional bonus, BMW has included a five-year subscription to the Chargefox public charger network.

The iX1 offers a high-quality interior and modern infotainment system plus augmented reality features. Despite its small size, the iX1 offers a spacious interior, especially for rear-seat passengers. The flat floor adds to the comfort, and the 490-litre boot space (1495 litres with seats down) is competitive for its class.

With a five-star safety rating from ANCAP, the iX1 gets 94 per cent for safety assist features. Standard safety equipment includes a full suite of autonomous emergency braking systems.

Additionally, there is a lane support system with features like lane keep assist (LKA), lane departure warning (LDW), and emergency lane keeping (ELK). Lastly, an advanced speed assistance system (SAS) is also included.