How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Every Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) that qualifies for this category needs to be powered solely by electricity from battery packs, propelled by two electric motors and sold with a Category B Certificate of Entitlement (Cat B COE).

Meet The Contenders

First, the Asians. Clockwise, from top left, representing South Korea are the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Inspiration AWD and Kia EV9 GT-Line, and flying China’s flag is the Zeekr X AWD.

Next, a Brit and two Germans. Clockwise, from top left, the Mini Countryman SE ALL4, Smart #1 Brabus, and Porsche Macan 4 respectively.

Finally, a German duo and a Czech. Clockwise, from top left, the Volkswagen ID.4 GTX and ID.5 GTX, and Skoda Enyaq Coupe vRS respectively.

The Hyundai IONIQ 5 Inspiration AWD enters the Cat B Dual Motor SUV EV game with a blocky yet curvy physique, lots of tech and creature comforts, space and practicality for days. It also features discreet yet properly-potent performance that’ll knock your socks off.

If it’s a large SUV EV you want, the Kia EV9 has you covered. Imposing and enormous on the outside, cavernous on the inside, the EV9 comes festooned with tech and creature comforts. Brisk on its wheels, comfortable and quiet on the move, this behemoth of an SUV EV has a lot going for it.

The Zeekr X AWD covers the 0-100km/h sprint in 3.8 seconds, courtesy of 428hp and 534Nm of torque. But don’t let those stats scare you. It can also carry five in a premium-feeling, tech-centric and practical cabin in quietness and relative comfort.

For more practicality and the famous badge, the Mini Countryman SE ALL4 hits the spot in the Cat B dual motor SUV EV segment. It’s got the desirable Mini looks and design language. Its interior is cheerful, with suitable tech, pretty good space and practicality. It’s zippy and able to cruise in comfort and silence.

Curves, cuteness and performance beget the Smart #1 Brabus. It’s pretty spacious inside, with colourful displays and juxtaposed light and dark materials that speak of electric muscle. Loaded with tech and good features, this Brabus is keen to blast off and be playful through corners.

For an EV SUV with a badge that stands for sportiness, look no further than the Porsche Macan 4. It sure looks like a Macan, albeit updated for the present. It goes, turns and stops like a Macan should. And it’s got a pretty spacious and practical interior with the right amount of tech. Nice!

The Volkswagen ID.4 GTX brings the essentials over from its non-GTX variant. It’s easy to drive, well-behaved on the road, employs good-feeling materials on the interior and is pretty spacious and practical. Add to that more traction from power being sent to all four wheels, and a modest increase in power, and the ID.4 GTX feels a bit more zippy without any added nausea.

Pretty much the same can be said about its sibling, the Volkswagen ID.5 GTX. It’s essentially the ID.4 GTX but with a more attractive sloping coupe-like roofline and more street cred to boot. If sleeker looks matter, then the ID.5 GTX is the way to go.

Which then brings us to the Skoda Enyaq Coupe vRS. Sharing the same platform as the earlier two Veedubs, the Enyaq adds thoughtful user-friendly touches on the inside. It’s spacious and practical, and its tech-integration is more thoughtful than VW’s. It looks smart and sharp, is pretty quick and handles corners very well.

Nine came to battle, and one stood tall.

AutoApp Car Of The Year Best Cat B Dual Motor SUV EV
Mini Countryman SE ALL4

The win goes to the Mini Countryman SE ALL4 with 398 points. It feels the most complete package of the Cat B dual motor SUV EV group. Plus, no one can overlook the brand cachet of the MINI badge.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points here.

Congratulations to the Mini Countryman SE ALL4 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2025 Best Cat B Dual Motor SUV EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV and on TikTok!

How Does ACOTY Define This Class?

Price notwithstanding, the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. We counted them. There were nine. Battle Royale indeed. Ding-ding-ding!

Check out their respective Round 1 awards below.

Meet The Contenders

BMW i7 xDrive 60

The BMW i7 xDrive 60 offers so much luxury car for its price. It’s expensive, no doubt, and we appreciate the technology inside that would keep wealthy tech geeks happy for hours on end and is pretty easy to use.

We are especially impressed by how well the i7 drives and rides, and how much of a compelling proposition it has become to the upper crust of society, and this is why it won Best Luxury EV in Round 1.

BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35

The BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 brings brand cachet and sufficient technology to the table while driving, riding and handling well like a BMW should. Being a unique contender vis-a-vis price in the premium EV market segment sets the BMW i4 Gran Coupé eDrive35 apart from everyone else, and it’s also the most frugal premium EV we’ve tested to date. No surprise then that the i4 clinched Best Premium EV in Round 1.

Hyundai IONIQ 6

The Hyundai IONIQ 6 offers a very compelling price-to-performance ratio in its market segment. From a tech-focused interior to acceleration that can cause one to draw a sharp breath, there is much here that appeals to us.

Throw in the decidedly Saab-esque swooping and quirky aerodynamic exterior design, which likely caused a large leaf blown toward the IONIQ 6 on the highway to go absolutely space-shuttle status skywards upon contact with the front bumper, and it’s not difficult to see why it snaps heads and gets fingers pointing as it drives past. This is why it won Best Cat B EV in Round 1.

BYD Dolphin

The BYD Dolphin may be small in stature but it makes a big impression for sure. It looks bright and cheerful and turns heads as one drives by. It offers a tech-focused interior that’s nice, comfortable and modestly spacious.

Its battery pack offers great range, thanks to how efficient the Dolphin is. Its value-proposition is what won the Dolphin the Best Cat A Hatchback EV award in Round 1.

BYD Atto 3

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. Not difficult to see why it clinched the title of Best Cat A SUV in Round 1.

MG 4 EV

The MG 4 EV brings sharp and distinct looks to the table. Its tech-focused interior is comfortable, roomy and practical. That it goes like stink and sticks to the road through corners like a leech adds to its charm. Also, it’s rear-wheel driven, which stood out for us car enthusiasts in the judging panel.

It’s also priced attractively, and its value proposition clinched it the title of Best Cat B Hatchback EV in Round 1.

MAXUS MIFA 9

MAXUS, in its first overseas foray, has simply swooped in and swept up the win in the Best MPV EV category in Round 1 with the MIFA 9 Luxury. Now THAT’S a serious statement to make right there. Its price versus standard equipment and how well it performed on the road make this passenger paradise a stonking value proposition.

Volvo XC40 Recharge

The minimalists within us appreciated the clean aesthetic that the Volvo XC40 Recharge brings to the table. Add to that an interior that exudes functionality, practicality and eco-friendly material choices and a battery pack that offers very good real-world range and you have a very compelling package right here in the XC40 Recharge.

Not difficult to see, when combined with its price point why the XC40 Recharge won Best Cat B SUV EV in Round 1.

Opel Vivaro-e

We did say at the beginning that the Overall Best EV is chosen from the electric vehicles (EVs) that won in Round 1. That’s why we must not forget about the Opel Vivaro-e. It is an electric van. Its price, the offering of keyless start and stop, ease of driving and energy efficiency enabled it to clinch the win in the Best Commercial EV category.

So who won?

Nine EVs to choose from! This proved to be a massive headache for the judging panel indeed, but a good one. With the Battle Royale seeing numerous choke slams, body slams, figure-four leg locks and tombstone pile drivers delivered, there was only one left standing when the dust settled. No members of the judging panel were harmed in this process. Neither was any EV.

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 EV
Hyundai IONIQ 6

Of the line-up, the Hyundai IONIQ 6 is easily the most desirable EV of the lot. While it didn’t clinch the highest amount of points on the board, its price-to-performance ratio is spot on. Its looks may be polarising but it undoubtedly turns heads. It’s also very spacious on the inside, and one would not be the wiser that they’re in a Hyundai thanks to the dearth of Hyundai logos within.

More on the scoring categories used to derive points in Round 1 here.

Congratulations to the Hyundai IONIQ 6 for winning the AutoApp Car of the Year 2024 Overall Best EV!

Read more automotive news at AutoApp, or check out our latest videos on Ignition Labs TV!