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Electric Car Awards 2026: Best electric family SUV

With fully electric and plug-in hybrid cars now coming in all shapes and sizes, we’ve named the best new and used buys in every class. Here we look at the best electric family SUVs

WINNER: Best electric family SUV

Smart #5 Pro+

Smart #5 review Smart #5 deals

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Smart #5 front cornering

Premium economy. When you turn up at check-in and you’re bumped up from regular cattle class, your long-haul flight is about to get that bit more enjoyable. It means a relief from claustrophobia, and even if you can’t quite stretch out like you might in first class, at least you won’t be kneecapped when the passenger in front of you reclines their seat.

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The Smart #5 delivers just that kind of reassurance. It resides towards the upper end of the electric family SUV spectrum, being a bit bigger and more upmarket than the likes of the Citroën e-C5 Aircross and Renault Scenic. And spaciousness is one of its specialities. In fact, leg room is more than merely generous; there’s almost enough that you could get out of your seat and go for a stroll, and you’re more likely to need to duck in an aircraft hangar, so vast is the head room.

Smart #5 dashboard

Unlike in the smaller Smart #1, this cavernous interior doesn’t come at the cost of cargo space, either; there’s 630 litres of it out back, plus another 110 litres under the bonnet. All told, the #5 can hold up to nine carry-on suitcases.

List price

Leasing

0-62 mph

6.5 sec

Top speed

124 mph

Range

366 miles

Insurance group

41E

Roominess isn’t the only place where the #5 exceeds expectations. If someone who paid Audi Q6 e-tron money for a seat in first class noticed that your surroundings were plusher than theirs, there might be an air rage incident. Indeed, the #5 is swaddled with pleasingly soft materials at virtually every contact point, and the standard of construction is top-drawer stuff.

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When you settle back for a long trip, you soon know you’re in good hands. The ride is cushy, isolating you from the majority of lumps and bumps, and even the most severe concrete crevasses won’t have you adopting the brace position. The Tesla Model Y can’t hold a candle to the #5 when it comes to comfort.

Smart #5 rear driving

While we’re not talking about supersonic travel here, the #5 will still get you to your destination promptly. In our favourite Pro+ trim, it has a bigger battery than the entry-level Pro, and that means three things: extra power (358bhp versus 335bhp) and performance, a longer official range (366 miles versus 288) and faster charging (a 10-80% top-up can take as little as 18 minutes). In those respects, then, it matches or beats the Model Y Long Range RWD.

The #5 is usefully cheaper to buy than that rival, too, and that’s another string to its bow. For swift, comfortable, quiet and commodious travel, the #5 is just the ticket.

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Key facts

Engine Electric motor Power 358bhp Torque 275lb ft Gearbox 1-spd automatic Battery size 94kWh (usable) Fastest charging time (10-80%) 18min

Best used electric family SUV

Skoda Enyaq 60 Suite

Skoda Enyaq front driving

On sale from 2020-present Prices from £13,000

No second-hand SUV comes close to matching the Skoda Enyaq’s blend of practicality and affordability. It’s so good that it’s our current Used Car of the Year.

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