There are a lot of new SUV EV winners from Round 1, and they are all squaring off for the title of Overall Best SUV EV.
How Does ACOTY Define This Class?
What defines an SUV or crossover nowadays? That’s a question even some brands are struggling with. But, buyers wished for them, and the brands delivered, which is why you don’t see a sea of sedans and hatchbacks any more.
When we tallied up the list of contenders for ACOTY, we were surprised too at just how many candidates there were that fit in the SUV class. But, most were eliminated in Round 1, and below are the winners that will be contesting the converted Overall Best SUV EV award.
Meet The Contenders
BMW iX1
The BMW iX1 fought well against its own sibling, the BMW iX2, plus the Citroen e-C4X, Hyundai Kona Electric, Opel Mokka-e and the Peugeot e-2008 and won Best Cat A SUV EV.
We felt that the iX1 offered the most complete value proposition in its class, and its styling is both modern and familiar.
Zeekr X
The Zeekr X won against the Volvo EX30, Smart #1 Pro+, XPeng G6, Volkswagen ID.4, Volkswagen ID.5 and Omoda E5 to win Best Budget SUV EV.
Even without taking into account its fantastic sound system, the Zeekr X is still a handsome all-rounder that will please many a buyer.
Nissan Ariya
The Nissan Ariya scored better than the Audi Q4 e-tron, Mercedes-Benz EQB and Mercedes-Benz EQA to win Best Single Motor SUV EV.
Nissan finally has a new EV model after the Leaf, and the Japanese designers made sure it was a properly good one to boot.
MINI Countryman SE
The MINI Countryman won against the Hyundai IONIQ 5, Zeekr X, Smart #1 Brabus, Volkswagen ID.4 GTX, Volkswagen ID.5 GTX, Skoda Enyaq, Kia EV9 and Porsche Macan EV (what a mouthful) to win Best Dual Motor SUV EV.
Despite it sharing the same platform as the BMW iX1 and iX2, the MINI Countryman still retains its quintessential MINI charm, giving it tons of character.
Lotus Eletre
The Lotus Eletre battled hard against the Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV, Mercedes-Benz EQS SUV, Audi SQ8 e-tron and Polestar 4 to win Best Luxury SUV EV.
Lotus has come a long way since its roster of sports cars, and the Eletre proves it can rock in a new direction with confidence.
So who won?
For transparency sake, price isn’t the only factor in deciding an eventual winner. The winner has to be desirable, a good all-rounder, and above all else, worth its market value.
Where the points tally in Round 1 was the final determinant of each category’s winner, here in Round 2, points are taken into consideration but are not the final arbiter of victory.
AutoApp Car Of The Year Overall Best SUV EV
Nissan Ariya
| Vehicle | Points Tally |
| BMW iX1 | 402 |
| Zeekr X | 362 |
| Nissan Ariya | 401 |
| MINI Countryman SE | 398 |
| Lotus Eletre | 377 |
And our overall winner is the Nissan Ariya! The Nissan Ariya arrives late to the crossover EV party, but it brings with it a unique sense of style, practicality, and thoughtful tech.
More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.
Congratulations to the Nissan Ariya for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Overall Best SUV EV!
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