Four Cat A SUV EV contenders face off to fight for this category’s championship.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
First, each contender needs to be a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV), obviously! Next, they must be powered and propelled solely by electricity from battery packs. Finally, they need to be sold with a Category A Certificate of Entitlement (Cat A COE). Easy peasy.
Meet The Contenders
One is South Korean, one Japanese, one Chinese and one French. Clockwise from top left, they are the Kia Niro Electric, Mazda MX-30, BYD Atto 3 and Peugeot e-2008 GT. Let’s go!
The Kia Niro Electric comes in strong with a sleek and modern design. Trimmed with premium materials on the inside and all the tech gizmos one would need on a drive, the Niro Electric is and there’s plenty of space for passengers and luggage.
Add to that a smooth, quiet and comfortable ride and you’ve got yourself a compelling package here.
The Mazda MX-30 is unique in that it is the only SUV in this price range to feature freestyle doors. Following the philosophy of Jinba-Ittai, the MX-30 is designed to look and feel upmarket and premium. Eco-centric materials abound on the inside, and everything is kept simple.
Add to that how it goes around corners and the MX-30 becomes an attractive proposition.
The BYD Atto 3 is roomy, spacious, comfortable and has an infotainment screen that can be flipped from landscape to portrait and vice-versa. It also has a clean exterior design that will appeal to many.
On the road, the Atto 3 is quiet, comfortable and very energy-efficient with good range. It is also easy to drive and place into parking spots.
The Peugeot e-2008 GT is as quirky as French cars come. It looks uniquely fierce from the front to the extent that drivers ahead get out of the way. Its ride comfort is good, but it can also take corners pretty enthusiastically.
For its compactness, the interior is rather usable, and once past its French quirks, one can get comfy with the e-2008 GT quite quickly.
Four great Cat A EV SUVs, and only one can be crowned the winner.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat A SUV EV
BYD Atto 3
| Vehicle | Points Tally | Price Percentile |
| BYD Atto 3 | 352 | 24 |
| Peugeot e-2008 GT | 327 | 15 |
| Kia Niro Electric | 324 | 39 |
| Mazda MX-30 | 288 | 33 |
The winner with 352 points is the BYD Atto 3. The judging panel was impressed with how efficient it is, and how it feels the more complete package as an EV SUV.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.
Congratulations to the BYD Atto 3 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Best Cat A SUV EV!
