Range and charging speed are not the only important factors for potential electric car buyers; many also need the additional benefits of four-wheel drive.
Of course, opting for an all-wheel drive electric car usually encompasses a range penalty over equivalent two-wheel drive cars, but the good news is that it's often a small loss of range, and for many drivers it's well worth it for the advantages of four-wheel drive - whether it's simply more peace of mind for winter months, or some useful off-road capability.
Currently, there aren’t many EVs capable of heavy duty off-roading. They're coming, though. Mercedes has finally launched its electric G-Class, which has seriously tough. go-anywhere all-wheel drive capability, and it won't be long before Land Rover brings us the all-electric Range Rover, which I drove recently and was blown away by how good it is at extreme off-roading.
Most buyers considering an electric car simply want all-wheel drive for peace of mind over mucky, slippery roads, and with the clearance and ruggedness that many rural areas demand, these days. For that sort of thing, there are loads of great options. Fun ones, sensible ones, stylish ones... There's loads of choice if you want a road-biased electric 4x4, so read on to find out which are best.
We start this list with the Subaru Solterra, which differs from the Toyota bZ4X that it's based on because it only comes with four-wheel drive.
It also comes with Subaru’s ‘X-Mode’ driving mode, which in other Subaru’s we’ve driven has the uncanny ability to keep you going through sticky terrain, so we expect the Solterra to work just as well.
However, you won’t be tackling anything more than a muddy farm track in your Solterra because the ground clearance isn’t all that spectacular, plus there are several alternatives out there that have a longer range, and longer warranties. It's not the cheapest electric family SUV, either, so you have to really want that permanent all-wheel drive to justify the electric Subaru.
It's not a real mud-plugging 4x4, but the four-wheel drive version of Nissan's Ariya has a raised body for ground clearance and surprising ability on slippery surfaces, thanks to the e-4ORCE tech. The system constantly monitors the traction available at all four wheels and can send power to where it will be most useful. As this works up to 10,000 times faster than a conventional 4x4 system with old-fashioned cogs and shafts, it can even help at speed - such as if you hit a patch of water and start aquaplaning.
As another added benefit you get more power than the 2WD versions, with 302bhp from two motors. That means a 0-62mph time of just 5.7 seconds, which will be plenty fast enough for most drivers. There are other benefits to Ariya ownership, too, including a lovely interior that brings a surprising level of luxury.
The Volvo EX30 is a compact SUV - a bit smaller inside than alternatives like the VW ID.3 - and is cleverly packaged with a modular, central storage rail running between the front seats and into the back seats, a frunk and a decent amount of luggage space. It's frustrating that you can't have a dual-motor, all-wheel drive variant of the EX30 without also having huge amounts of performance. We'd have loved to see an all-wheel drive model with more modest power and a lower price, but even so, this is a decent price for four-wheel drive, a decent range and vaguely ridiculous performance of 3.6 seconds.
It's not got huge clearance, so this isn't for you if you're worried about very rutted tracks. But, Volvo does also offer an EX30 Cross Country that gets higher ground clearance and rugged body kit, so if ground clearance is a chief concern for you, that could be a good option. We settled for the standard AWD Volvo EX30 in this list as it's usefully cheaper, yet still has the same four-wheel drive powertrain as the raised Cross Country.
Our pick: G580 with EQ Technology AMG Line Premium Plus
Price: £154,870
Range: 280 miles
If you want world-class off-roading, but with an electric powertrain, Mercedes has got you covered. The electric Mercedes G-Class is a bit of an obnoxious looking thing, with the unmistakably boxy, old-school styling of the G-Class or - as it's often known - G-Wagon. But I rather like the way it looks, to be honest, and underneath is an extraordinary powertrain that allows the electric G580 to do everything from rock crawling to tank turns. It has four electric motors, huge ground clearance and will even do 'tank turns', where it turns on its own length.
It's not cheap, and the real-world range won't be good enough for many buyers, but if you need the most capable electric off-roader in the world, right now, Mercedes will sell it to you. Only the forthcoming Range Rover might compete with it.
We’ve already stated how much we like the Skoda Enyaq in our best electric SUVs list, and a recent facelift for 2025 (not to mention updated powertrains in 2024) haven't changed its standing as one of our favourite electric cars. And one of our favourite electric 4x4s!
For starters, if you go for the all-wheel drive Enyaq, you get the biggest battery pack, which increases range to over 300 miles. There’s also more power, so it’ll crack 0-62mph in a swift 6.8sec. Don't expect much in the way of off-road ability, but the extra traction will help in slippery snow or in a muddy festival car park, and ground clearance will be useful for potholed and rutted country roads and lay-bys.
Of course, four-wheel drive or not, the Enyaq is enormous inside with tonnes of space for passengers and luggage. It's a really brilliant family EV. Want to try it yourself? Book a test drive in the Enyaq here.
5. MG4 XPower
Our pick: MG4 XPower
Price: £36,745
Range: 245 miles
The MG4 is well known for its value, as well as for being a great all-round family hatchback, and the four-wheel drive XPower model is no different. It's one of the cheapest ways into a four-wheel drive electric car, and the adaptive, dual electric motor system will allow for sure-footed responses in bad conditions. Mind you, the XPower is very much designed to be a fast hatchback, not an off-roader, so clearance is no better than on a standard family hatchback. If you're worried about rutted surfaces, the MG4 isn't the four-wheel drive EV for you.
If you want all-wheel drive and good on-road, all-weather confidence then it's one to consider. Especially as you also get 429bhp and a 0-62mph time of 3.8 seconds...
In four-wheel drive form, the Hyundai Ioniq 5 is the better value option than the Kia EV6 because you get all that car’s plus points for less money.
And it has gotten even better over the last few years, with updates to its battery, suspension and trim levels, so it's now better to drive, goes further to a charge and can be had for a bit less cash even if you want all-wheel drive.
Behind the boxy exterior styling is a practical EV, providing ample room for adults in the front and lots of head and leg room should you want to stick a six-footer in the back. The boot isn’t the biggest we’ve ever used (an Enyaq's is usefully better, if you're considering which one might suit your life best), but it does the job and there's underfloor storage for the charge cables.
It's not an off-roader so much as an all-weather road car, but between the fantastic modern-retro styling, versatile interior, great infotainment, long range and ultra-rapid charging the AWD Hyundai Ioniq 5 is one of the best all-rounders for anyone wanting a four-wheel drive family EV. Want to try it yourself? Book a test drive in the Ioniq 5 here.
If money is no object when buying your four-wheel drive electric car, nothing can match the incredible Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo.
We know it’s costly, but nothing else can compare with the agility, presence and performance of the Taycan 4 Cross Turismo. It can get this sleek four (optional five) seater estate from 0-62mph in 3.8sec, and an update in 2024 means that the range is now much better, too, so you'll easily manage over 300 miles in real world use.
The Cross Turismo provides greater practicality than the regular Taycan saloon, giving passengers more head room, along with a larger hatchback boot, and you also get raised ride height and air suspension - which keeps the ride comfortable and helps with slightly better ground clearance.
But the best thing about the Taycan Cross Turismo we’ve found is the handling, which is as engaging as a Porsche should be. It's the ultimate luxury, performance, off-roading fastback, sports car kind of thing... Whatever it is, it's absolutely brilliant, and it's surprisingly sure-footed in bad conditions.
A hefty facelift at the beginning of 2025 has brought a fresh new look for the popular Tesla Model Y, which has been the world's best-selling EV for many years. It remains one of the most complete all-round family electric SUVs, with impressive range and the benefits of the Tesla Supercharger network to keep you going.
It’s also seriously rapid, of course, offering a sub-5.0sec 0-62mph time. Yet the Model Y easily manages efficiency numbers higher than most EVs we’ve tested, with claimed range of 364 miles inbetween charges - and a real-world range of well over 300 miles.
There’s tonnes of space inside for adults, and you can cram all your last-minute holiday packing in its large boot and ample frunk. It's not designed as a proper off-roader, but it has got very capable dual-motor, all-wheel drive for secure handling even in bad conditions, and it's also capable of towing up to 1600kg.
The Kia EV9 arrived in 2023, finally bringing a full-sized, electric seven-seater option. Since then, the Kia has also gained competition in the form of the Peugeot E-5008 and Hyundai Ioniq 9, but this is still our favourite electric seven-seater - it's also a really good four-wheel drive car. Most of the EV9 models get all-wheel drive as standard, as well as air suspension, three different terrain modes including Snow, Mud and Terrain, plus it has ground clearance of up to 225mm.
Sure, the EV9 isn't designed or intended to be a heavy-duty off-roader, but it is one of the best electric cars for muddy, rutted country tracks, and it'll make light work of far worse terrain than most will ever need to navigate. It's not cheap, but it is one of the best off-roading electric cars you can buy. And, as a happy aside, it'll also tow up to 2,500kg - meaning that it'll pull your horsebox, and has the space and all-wheel drive ability to deliver the hay-bales over the fields.
Want to try it yourself? Book a test drive in the EV9 here.
