Mid-sized EV SUVs

Picking from an expanding market, we've put three EV SUVs through the testing mill to see which one's the most sophisticated and reliable

- Mat Gallagher, Alistair Charlton

The summer months are here, holidays are finally upon us and it's time for a road trip. We know almost any car can make for a memorable asphalt adventure, but once you've added in a couple of kids, a dog and all of the outdoor accessories your active lifestyle demands, you'll likely want an SUV. And, this being 2023, that SUV could well be electric.

The EV SUV market is growing quickly, with a wide range of manufacturers offering plug-in family cars across a broad range of sizes and prices. But while their design and specification can vary significantly, most SUVS share the same basic formula of a raised ride height, extra space inside and a greater sense of adventure than your common-or-garden hatchback or saloon.

You might not be scaling mountains or crossing rivers, but these EVs will survive a trip across a dusty French campsite and don't mind if your Airbnb is down a gravel track.

We've also featured a collection of musthave EV accessories, from a stylish home charger and comprehensive cleaning kit, to the perfect cordless vacuum and a roof box for your camping gear.

Finally - and to tackle the EV elephant in the room - the driving range of today's electric SUVs means a road trip is easy. You'll still need to plan ahead but long drives are now achievable without hunting for a charger every 50 miles to keep range anxiety at bay.

WHAT'S ON TEST...

1 Audi Q4 e-tron

Audi's smallest electric SUV to date, the Q4 e-tron is closely related to the Volkswagen ID.4 and Skoda Enyaq, with all three sharing the same drivetrain. The car is available in singlemotor, front-wheel-drive and dual-motor, all-wheeldrive configurations, both with the same 77kWh battery capacity and a claimed range of around 300 miles but real-world mileage is always lower than manufacturers' claims.

From £51,325, audi.co.uk

SPECS