Range and charging speed are not the only important factors for potential electric car buyers; many also need the additional benefits of four-wheel drive.
Of course, opting for an all-wheel drive electric car usually encompasses a range penalty over equivalent two-wheel drive cars, but the good news is that it's often only a small loss of range, and sometimes four-wheel drive can be beneficial in the high powered electric cars because it allows for more power to be transferred to the road without turning your tyres into clouds of smoke.
Currently, there aren’t many EVs capable of really heavy-duty off-roading. They're coming, though, and it won't be long until Land Rover finally launches the all-electric Range Rover, which is expected to be a world-class electric off-roader. Or, there are options such as the plug-in hybrid Land Rover Defender if you want big towing- or off-roading potential with electric running.
But there are still loads of motorists out there who want to go electric, but simply want all-wheel drive for peace of mind over mucky, slippery winter roads, and with the clearance and ruggedness that many rural areas demand, these days. For that sort of thing, there are loads of great options. Fun ones, sensible ones, stylish ones... There's loads of choice if you want a road-biased electric 4x4, so read on to find out which are best.
We start this list with the Subaru Solterra, which differs from the Toyota bZ4X that it's based on because it only comes with four-wheel drive.
It also comes with Subaru’s ‘X-Mode’ driving mode, which in other Subaru’s we’ve driven has the uncanny ability to keep you going through sticky terrain, so we expect the Solterra to work just as well.
It's also had some big price drops recently, so it's now a much more compelling prospect up against rivals like the VW ID.4. However, you won’t be tackling anything more than a muddy farm track in your Solterra because the ground clearance isn’t all that spectacular, plus there are several alternatives out there that have a longer range, and longer warranties.
It's not a real mud-plugging 4x4, but the four-wheel drive version of Nissan's Ariya has a raised body for ground clearance and surprising ability on slippery surfaces, thanks to the e-4ORCE tech. The system constantly monitors the traction available at all four wheels and can send power to where it will be most useful. As this works up to 10,000 times faster than a conventional 4x4 system with old-fashioned cogs and shafts, it can even help at speed - such as if you hit a patch of water and start aquaplaning.
As another added benefit you get more power than the 2WD versions, with 302bhp from two motors. That means a 0-62mph time of just 5.7 seconds, which will be plenty fast enough for most drivers. There are other benefits to Ariya ownership, too, including a beautifully crafted interior that brings a surprising level of luxury.
The Volvo EX30 is a compact SUV - a bit smaller inside than alternatives like the VW ID.3 - and is cleverly packaged with a modular, central storage rail running between the front seats and into the back seats, a frunk and a decent amount of luggage space. It's frustrating that you can't have a dual-motor, all-wheel drive variant of the EX30 without also having huge amounts of performance. We'd have loved to see an all-wheel drive model with more modest power and a lower price, but even so, this price for four-wheel drive, a decent range and vaguely ridiculous performance of 3.6 seconds.
It's not got huge clearance, so this isn't for you if you're worried about very rutted tracks. But if it's potholes, slippery surfaces and scruffy passing laybys that you've got to contend with, the EX30 will do it with ease. And it'll do it quickly, too...
As of a facelift in early 2024, the Mercedes EQB can be had with either front- or four-wheel drive, while every model comes with seven seats - which is a rare and useful feature that only the Kia EV9 (another of our best 4x4 electric cars) and Peugeot E-5008 can offer, unless you look to some of the van-based options that tend to be super-useful but fairly short range.
As for its four-wheel drive ability, the EQB has decent ground clearance and quite blocky SUV looks, and it can tow a braked trailer of up to 1700kg. It's not intended to be a hardcore off-roader, but it is more than capable of mountain-goating over country tracks, giant potholes and mud-slick yards. It's a very capable, very useful family car that also gets a classy interior and decent on-road manners. We also like that the infotainment can be controlled in various ways, making it less distracting than rival systems to use on the move.
We’ve already stated how much we like the Skoda Enyaq in our best electric SUVs list, and opting for the four-wheel drive brings additional benefits.
For starters, you get the biggest battery pack, increasing the range to over 300 miles. There’s also more power, so it’ll crack 0-62mph in a swift 6.8sec. You do have to have it in Sportline Plus trim, which means larger 20in alloy wheels, and while we feared that would spoil the ride compared with our preferred Enyaq, we discovered that it still manages to provide a supple enough ride that doesn’t make passengers feel queasy. Don't expect much in the way of off-road ability, but the extra traction will help in slippery snow or in a muddy festival car park.
It still has a premium feeling interior, just with more heavily bolstered sports front seats and some natty aluminium pedals. We weren’t quite so convinced by the fake-looking carbon fibre effect trim, but it wasn’t so offensive to put us off the car. Not when we looked around and discovered just how enormous the Enyaq is inside, with tonnes of space for passengers and luggage.
The ‘S’ in SUV generally stands for Sport, but in the case of the Genesis electrified GV70, that might as well be speedy.
You see, its twin electric motors put out a bonkers 483bhp, which feels like being yanked towards the horizon by some supernatural force when the ‘Boost’ button is pressed and you stamp on the accelerator. Its 0-62mph of just 4.2sec is highly believable in our view.
All this performance is at odds with the rest of the electrified GV70, which feels like a comfortable premium SUV. The interior is well laid out and full of plush materials, it is big enough for five adults, and there’s even some storage under its long bonnet to store the charging cables. Plus, it shares the same excellent 800-volt architecture found in the Kia EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq 5, meaning you can top up the battery from 10-80% in just 18 minutes.
In four-wheel drive form, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the better value option than the Kia EV6 because you get all that car’s plus points for less money.
And it has gotten even better recently with updates to its battery size and suspension. The former allows it to travel farther on a charge, while the latter means it wallows less at speed.
Behind the boxy exterior styling is a practical EV, providing ample room for adults in the front and lots of head and leg room should you want to stick a six-footer in the back. The boot isn’t the biggest we’ve ever used, but it does the job. You can always utilise the underfloor storage if you need more room because there’s space for the charge cables to live in a cubby under the bonnet.
If money is no object when buying your four-wheel drive electric car, nothing can match the incredible Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.
We know it’s a costly car, although company car drivers would benefit from low benefit-in-kind (BIK) rates. But nothing else can compare with the agility, presence and performance of the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. Its hefty 429bhp can get this sleek four (optional five) seater estate from 0-62mph in 4.7sec, and an update in 2024 means that the range is now much better, too, so you'll easily manage over 300 miles in everyday use.
The Cross Turismo provides greater practicality than the regular Taycan saloon, giving passengers more head room, along with a larger boot, and you also get raised ride height and air suspension - which keeps the ride comfortable and helps with slightly better ground clearance.
But the best thing about the Taycan Cross Turismo we’ve found is the handling, which is as engaging as a Porsche should be. It's the ultimate luxury, performance, off-roading fastback, sports car kind of thing... Whatever it is, it's absolutely brilliant, and it's surprisingly sure-footed in bad conditions.
Steady improvements over time have helped make the Tesla Model Y one of the most popular electric SUV choices, and in four-wheel drive Long Range form, it’s an outstandingly compelling package.
It’s also outstandingly quick in this form, offering 384bhp and a sub-five sec 0-62mph time. Yet the Model Y easily manages efficiency numbers higher than most EVs we’ve tested, with up to 351 miles of range between charges.
There’s tonnes of space inside for adults, and you can cram all your last-minute holiday packing in its large boot and ample frunk. Plus, the Tesla charging network provides reliable charging for long trips.
The Kia EV9 arrived in 2023, finally bringing a full-sized, electric seven-seater option. With the Tesla Model X not being available in right-hand drive, the big Kia is in a class of one if you do want a plug-in seven-seater, but it's also a really good four-wheel drive car. Most of the EV9 models get all-wheel drive as standard, as well as air suspension, three different terrain modes including Snow, Mud and Terrain, plus it has ground clearance of up to 225mm.
Sure, the EV9 isn't designed or intended to be a heavy-duty off-roader, but it is one of the best electric cars for muddy, rutted country tracks, and it'll make light work of far worse terrain than most will ever need to navigate. It's not cheap, but it is one of the best off-roading electric cars you can buy. And, as a happy aside, it'll also tow up to 2,500kg - meaning that it'll pull your horsebox, and has the space and all-wheel drive ability to deliver the hay-bales over the fields.
.png)
