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5 great electric SUVs to consider in 2026
Electric vehicle choices are growing weekly, so here’s a list of five standout EV SUVs.
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9 min read
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Drive
2 min readDrive
Electric vehicle choices are growing weekly, so here’s a list of five standout EV SUVs.
Published
9 min read
Text size
Published
Text size
This year’s spike in fuel prices really highlighted the advantages of battery electric vehicles (EV) over their internal combustion engine alternatives.
With SUVs remaining the most popular vehicle category in Australia today, choosing the best for you can be confusing.
Here’s a list of some great electric SUVs options to consider across a range of categories.
Launched last year alongside one of the cheapest-ever EVs, the Atto 1 hatchback, the related Atto 2 could not be more-perfectly timed as Australia’s least-expensive EV SUV, swooping in like a cost-of-living miracle.
Even the Dynamic is decently specified, with keyless entry/start, climate control, wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlet to power appliances.
Upright and boxy, the Atto 2’s design liberates ample space inside the surprisingly big and airy cabin, with inviting seats, a neat and logical dash layout offering actual physical buttons, heaps of storage and a solid feel. The rear seat is just as spacious and inviting, and even the boot is big enough for most smaller families.
BYD hasn’t scrimped on safety, either, with the Advanced Driver Assist Systems (ADAS) running to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-support tech and adaptive cruise control.
Under the bonnet is perky 130kW electric motor and modest 51.3kWh battery. Driving the front wheels, it offers instant, silent and strong performance, as well as a sufficient 345km of WLTP range.
Furthermore, the BYD’s light yet precise steering makes it easy to park and yet proves agile enough for lively handling, while the soft suspension delivers an isolated ride.
But you’ll need to spend $4000 extra on the Premium grade to avoid the cheap Westlake tyres, which also gaining luxuries like a glass roof (with sunshade), a wireless charger, heated/vented front seats and premium audio.
During cornering, the BYD’s steering seems fidgety and the body leans too much, making it feel floaty. The ADAS safety tech interferes too much, with unwanted steering intervention being its worst trait.
Plus, there’s no spare wheel, just a tyre-inflation kit which is inadequate and shockingly expensive to replace, and dealer support is scarce in WA.
Far from perfect, then, but the Atto 2 nevertheless truly democratises EVs for families. That’s what makes it special.
While the BYD feels as if it was devised to be ruthlessly cost-effective, the Kia looks, feels, drives and cossets like a premium small SUV worth twice the price. Except with mainstream-carmaker warranty and peace of mind.
In other words, the EV3 is a rare example of a car being beyond the sum of its parts.
Available in Air Standard Range or Long Range (LR) from $53,315, Earth LR from $58,600 and GT-Line LR from $63,950, the South Korean-engineered EV manages to look both fancifully conceptual and family-friendly functional, infusing a handsome and distinct on-brand style with packaging that pays big dividends.
That, along with the EV3’s cabin-forward shape, provides massive space inside what is an exceptionally thoughtfully-presented interior.
Dominating the minimalist dashboard layout, the huge touchscreen is easily accessible and simple to figure out. Sumptuous seating provides support aplenty. Equipment levels are generous. The detailed textures and fabrics are lovely – especially in the Air. And storage is exceptional – with a second boot up front.
With 150kW channelled to the front wheels, the electric motor provides a decent turn of speed, as does a 58kWh battery when it comes to range, at 436km WLTP. For just $5000 more, the 81kWh Air LR breaches 600km. True single-pedal driving with paddle shifters to help conserve energy also underline the Kia’s efficiency (and EV knowhow).
If all this isn’t enough, the EV3 can handle like a sporty hatch, with reassuring handling and grip, while riding like a comfortable grand tourer.
Some critics complain about the futuristic interior’s over-reliance on lightweight plastic materials; the bigger-wheeled GT-Line’s ride quality trails the cheaper grades; some of the ADAS alerts are frustrating and there is no excuse for a lack of spare wheel.
Still, the EV3 – especially in the cheaper Air and Earth versions – is state-of-the-art on a number of fronts.
Even at five years old, the Ioniq 5 remains one of the best all-round EVs, period. How is this possible from the once-lowly Hyundai?
From the start, it was envisaged as a super-ambitious technological showcase for the brand’s colossal, multi-billion-dollar pivot to EVs.
Innovations includes a bespoke, 800-volt fast-charging electrical architecture with bidirectional charging capability – a technology still the provenance of high-end EVs like the Porsche Taycan at triple the price.
Yet the Ioniq 5 is also a homage to the company’s first car – the 1974 Pony – styled by the Italian designer behind the first Volkswagen Golf, DeLorean and Lotus Esprit (of Pretty Woman fame). Their collective likenesses lurk subtly within the Ioniq 5’s crisp lines and timeless silhouette.
Despite all this, however, the Hyundai EV’s superpower is in its unassuming nature.
Proportionally it looks like a small hatch, but is in fact a medium-sized SUV with interior space to embarrass a limousine. The futuristic, tech-heavy interior is actually simple and friendly to operate. And though hefty, sophisticated underpinnings mean the Ioniq 5 handles and grips like a smaller car. It feels over-engineered from behind the wheel.
Three powertrains are offered, and all with an 84kWh battery averaging between 448km and 570km of WLTP range depending on grade.
The least-expensive models employ a muscular 168kW single-motor rear-wheel drive set-up, followed by a rapid 239kW dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration found in the N-Line Premium from $83,700.
And then there is the ballistic, 448kW (478kW in overboost) 5 N supercar version from $110,000, that scales up the Scalextric experience like no other EV can match – besides the closely related Ioniq 6 N sedan.
Downsides? The cabin plastics seems downmarket higher up the range. Some of the ADAS tech can be annoying. And where’s the spare, Hyundai?
The bigger picture, though, reveals a game changer that still shines brightly. The Ioniq 5 is a true modern classic.
Zeekr is owned by Geely, which also has Volvo and Polestar under its wing amongst a host of other automotive companies.
Yet, while the 7X feels like a cross between all three brands, it still manages to stand tall as arguably China’s best vehicle to date.
Sales are already exceeding expectations, as Australians gravitate towards the shamelessly Porsche Macan-esque styling, giving the suave mid-sized SUV EV a leg up on its Tesla Model Y and BYD Sealion 7 rivals.
Another reason is that the Zeekr is well executed inside, presenting with an elegant, minimalist interior. The large touchscreen works fairly logically despite the absence of switches for most functions, while you’ll also find plush seats, tonnes of storage and impressive build quality.
Mimicking the Ioniq 5, a faster-charging 800V architecture is standard, as is V2L capability.
The 7X comes in two battery sizes: a 75kWh Standard Range (SR) and 100kWh Long Range (LR).
Least expensive is the 310kW SR single-motor Rear Wheel Drive (RWD) model with 480km of WLTP range, followed by the LR RWD version from $63,900 upping that to 615km, whilst adding Nappa leather, a panoramic roof, powered tailgate, heated/powered front seats and an audio upgrade.
Sitting at the top is the $72,900 475kW dual-motor LR Performance all-wheel drive, with 543km of range, air suspension for extra ground clearance, vented seats, 21-inch alloys and more.
The 7X LR RWD we tested delivered plenty of effortless, punchy acceleration, as well as nicely-weighted steering and very predictable handling.
But care is required when taking corners fast, due to a tendency in some circumstances to spin the tail around unexpectedly in Sport mode. The all-wheel drive does not seem to do this.
Plus, the pop-out door handles are heavy to pull, the over-zealous ADAS tech needs fine-tuning and the suspension pitter-patters over high-frequency bumps. Plus, there’s no spare wheel here.
That said, the 7X’s success is understandable and deserved.
Historically, Skoda was always a budget brand, even after Volkswagen bought into the Chechen company in the 1990s.
Though folded into the German model line-up, albeit with unique styling, the formula for success was based on Skoda being ’10 per cent cheaper than a VW and 10 per cent larger’.
This strategy was inexplicably abandoned nearly a decade ago, but dwindling sales saw a retreat and return to the old value system last year.
The most noticeable change arrived with the facelifted Enyaq range – a roomy and practical five-seater mid-sized EV SUV, with handsome styling and a classy cabin presentation.
Becoming the first European to undercut popular Chinese branded and/or built alternatives like the BYD Sealion 7, Tesla Model Y and Kia EV5, the Skoda nonetheless retained the same, high-tech VW EV architecture that also underpins a number of acclaimed – but expensive – premium models.
These include the VW ID.4 from $59,990, the Cupra Tavascan from $60,990 and Audi Q4 e-tron from $84,900.
A key difference is the Enyaq 60’s smaller, 63kWh rather than 82kWh battery, for falls in pricing (to $50,990), power (from 210kW to 150kW) and WLTP range (to 547km to 410km).
That, along with the Skoda’s performance, is still sufficient for most buyers’ needs, with lively acceleration and a uniquely European polish to the way the SUV corners, rides and hugs the road.
The Enyaq 60 also retains the expected safety and convenience features that the brand is popular for.
These include an array of ADAS tech like AEB, blind-spot monitoring, an occupant-exit warning and adaptive cruise control, as well as keyless entry with walk-away lock, heating for the front seats and steering wheel, dual-zone climate control, a large touchscreen, wireless for Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and phone charger and even a door-sited umbrella.
That Skoda has returned to its roots so emphatically with an EV SUV highlights how forward-focused the 130-year-old company is.
