The best SUV company cars you can get in the UK

Our favourite version Standard Range Air
List price £32,940
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £16.50
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £32.92

Kia's smallest electric SUV is one of the best cars of its kind, and makes fantastic sense for company car drivers. The Standard Range model gets a 55kWh battery which is officially capable of 270 miles between charges. And while some electric SUV rivals can do more, we reckon that range will be more than enough for the needs of most company car drivers. No matter which version of the EV3 you choose, though, you'll get a punchy 201bhp electric motor.

Standard Range models can recharge at a rate of 100kW – matching the Hyundai Kona Electric – so a 10-80% charge need only take half an hour. Go for a Long Range model, which will cost you a little more each month on your BiK tax bill, and that speed is increased to 135kW, though because you also get a bigger 75kWh battery, the actual time taken to recharge is slightly longer. 

Air is the EV3's entry-level trim, but don't go thinking that it'll be Spartan inside. Indeed, it has most of your kit needs covered, with heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, automatic LED headlights and climate control all coming as standard.

“I often travel with adults in the back of my car, and they'll be grateful for the extra space the EV3 gives you over the rival Jeep Avenger Electric or Mini Aceman. A couple of six-footers will be perfectly comfortable back there, even on longer trips.” – Will Nightingale, Reviews Editor

Read our full Kia EV3 review

Our favourite version 85 Edition
List price £38,595
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £19.33
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £35.58

We named the Skoda Elroq as our Family Electric SUV of the Year at the most recent What Car? Car of the Year Awards – and in summing it up we said that while Skoda had been relatively late to the party in creating a car to fit into this growing market, it had come out of the gates with an absolute winner. That's because the Elroq takes everything that we loved about Skoda's combustion-engined family SUV, the Karoq, and made it electric.

In 85 form, the Elroq gets 282bhp going to its rear wheels. It's actually the most powerful version in the line-up, barring the fairly bonkers Elroq vRS, but we doubt that model will be appearing on anyone's company car list. Still, the 85 is respectably quick, turning in a 0-60mph sprint time of just 6.2sec in our hands. That's faster than an equivalent Renault Scenic can manage, and about the same as an MG S5 EV Long Range. 

The 85 also gets the largest battery available in any Elroq. With 77kWh, it's good for an official range of 360 miles, which should be more than enough for your daily commute. Indeed, that's further than any version of the rival Smart #1 or Volvo EX30 can manage.

“My favourite feature in the Skoda Elroq is a small net which holds your charging cables against the underside of the parcel shelf. It's such a well thought out solution for where to store your cables when you're not plugged in, and stops the boot getting messy.” – Doug Revolta, Head of Video

Read our full Skoda Elroq review

Our favourite version Long Range Techno
List price £36,930
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £18.50
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £36.92

Where the previous Renault Scenic was a fairly frumpy family MPV, the latest model brings things bang up to date, because it's an electric SUV – and as well as being good for the planet, that means it's also good for your company car tax bill, costing less than the price of a takeaway if you're a 20% tax payer. 

All versions of the Scenic carry the Long Range name, and are worthy of the title. You see, with an 87kWh battery, the official range is a staggering 381 miles between charges, and depending on how long your commute is, that might mean that you only need to charge it up once a week. Speaking of charging, the Scenic's maximum rate of 150kW is slower than some rivals, including most versions of the Skoda Elroq and Volkswagen ID 4, meaning a 10-80% top-up will take around 40 minutes.

The Scenic has clearly been tuned for comfort over agility, and its suspension does a relatively good job of soaking up lumps and bumps in the road. Indeed, it's noticably more supple than the rival Tesla Model Y, but is not quite as comfortable as the Elroq. You can adjust the Scenic's steering weight using its driving mode selector, but it's still fairly light even in Sport mode. In an ideal world, we'd have liked a little more resistance.

“If you regularly travel with tall rear-seat passengers, then I'd consider going for top-end Iconic trim, which comes with a digital rear-view mirror, so you can see past their heads and out of the rear of the Scenic.” – Lawrence Cheung, New Cars Editor

Read our full Renault Scenic review

Our favourite version Long Range RWD
List price £48,925
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £24.50
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £48.92

Tesla's electric SUV is probably the best choice here if you're going electric but also need to rely on the UK's public charging network in order to keep the battery topped up. That's because buying a Model Y also gives you preferential access to Tesla's Supercharger network of ultra-fast, ultra-reliable chargers. And when you do plug in, expect a 10-80% top-up to take around half an hour, assuming a maximum charging rate of 250kW is reached.

It's the Long Range version of the Model Y which is our favourite, and this gets long legs indeed, with an official range of 387 miles between charges. That's one of the best figures out there, with the rival MG IM6 only beating it by a single mile. You won't get that figure in real-world conditions, of course, but fear not: when we tested the Long Range RWD model in 20C conditions, we estimated its real-world range to be a very usable 273 miles.

In practice, the Long Range doesn't feel much quicker than the standard Tesla Model Y, but that's not to say that it feels slow by any means – it'll still out-sprint most versions of the Kia EV6 to motorway speeds. 

Inside, you'll find the minimalist interior layout which has become a hallmark of most Teslas, with almost everything being operated by a huge infotainment touchscreen. This takes some getting used to, but the system is quick to respond and packed with features.

“I had a great time rooting around in the Model Y's infotainment system to find all of its so-called Easter Eggs. From apps which turn the sat-nav map into Mars to a whopee cushion, they're fun to find and even more fun to use.” – Steve Huntingford, Editor

Read our full Tesla Model Y review

Our favourite version Techno
List price £28,930
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £14.50
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £28.92

The Renault 4 takes much of the learning and knowhow from the brilliant Renault 5 – our reigning What Car? Car of the Year – and translates it into a more practical SUV package. Indeed, you'll find that a couple of adults can travel in the rear of the Renault 4 quite comfortably, even if the rival Kia EV3 and Smart #3 are better bets if you'll regularly be travelling with taller adults.

No matter which version of the 4 you go for, you'll get a 148bhp electric motor which draws its power from a 52kWh battery. The official 245-mile range is less than that of the EV3, but is about on par with what's offered in the Jeep Avenger Electric and Vauxhall Mokka Electric. It's about the same story with performance, because while the 4's performance is less than what's offered in some rivals, it's not uncompetitive by any means.

Elsewhere, the 4's tight turning circle makes it especially easy to drive around town, while the ride does a good job of taking the sting out of road imperfections. 

“I like the 4's Google-based infotainment system, but to get the most out of it you'll need to go above the entry-level car, which misses out on some of the best Google features, such as Google Maps navigation.” – George Hill, Used Cars Writer

Read our full Renault 4 review

Our favourite version xDrive45e M Sport
List price £78,340
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £39.16
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £78.33

The iX was designed from the ground up as an electric SUV (unlike many BMW models, which are available with motors or an engine). The result is a big, comfy 4x4 that's as rapid as it is hi-tech, yet relatively affordable as a company car because of its complete lack of exhaust pipe emissions.

A recent facelift has increased the xDrive45e's battery capacity to 94.8kWh (usable capacity), giving it an official range of 374 miles. That's a few miles behind what the Mercedes EQE SUV can manage in 350+ form, and is a big improvement over the pre-facelift car. The xDrive60 has even more range, offering a staggering 426 miles between charges, but that'll also cost you more to buy.

Three passengers will have plenty of room to get comfortable in the back of the iX, but there is a minor sticking point about under-seat room for your feet, because there's not much of it. The iX's boot space is a bit more disappointing, because at 500 litres you'll fit less luggage into it than you could into the EQE or Kia EV9.

“Most BMW iX buyers will opt for M Sport trim, and I can see why. It gets you a sportier look and 21in alloy wheels, yet doesn't cost a lot more over entry-level Sport. In fact, it's our recommended trim.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Read our full BMW iX review

Our favourite version Air
List price £65,920
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £33.00
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £65.92

Seven-seat electric SUVs are still something of a rare sight, but the Kia EV9 proves that just because you need to haul a bus-load of people around with you, you don't need to opt for combustion power. Our preferred Air models come loaded with kit, too, including three-zone climate control, electric front seats, a heated steering wheel and even a heat pump for more efficient warming of the interior.

No matter which trim level you go for, you'll get a 96kWh (usable capacity) battery, with the only decision left being whether you want rear or four-wheel drive. The former, which is what we'd go for, gives you an official range of 349 miles – and in our real-world range tests, the EV9 put in a respectable 314 miles on a full charge. The four-wheel drive version, meanwhile, can officially take you 315 miles between charges.

You'll feel the most benefit from the EV9's sizeable dimensions in its third row, where even a couple of six-footers will have plenty of head room. And so long as those sitting in front of you haven't slid their seats all the way back, more than enough knee room too.

“As a private buyer, you'll pay more for the EV9 than you would for many other electric SUVs, and I found it a shame that, given the price, the materials used inside don't impress as much as in some of those rivals. The covering on the steering wheel, especially, doesn't feel very premium to touch.” – Stuart Milne, Digital Editor

Read our full Kia EV9 review

Our favourite version 1.5 Hybrid+ SE
List price £28,750
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £148.58
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £297.08

You'll only need to take a look at the figures above to see how much more you'll pay per month to run a plug-in hybrid rather than a fully electric vehicle as a company car, but if you can't charge easily at home or at work, or simply cover too many miles to make an electric car feasible, a plug-in hybrid makes the most sense. And if that's the boat you're in, this plug-in hybrid version of the MG HS offers the best blend of abilities – indeed, it's our reigning Plug-in Hybrid Car of the Year.

With an official electric-only range of 75 miles, a fully charged MG HS will get you further down the road before its petrol engine joins the fray than a BYD Seal U, or Jaecoo 5. As you'd hope, the HS is serene on electric power, with barely a whisper from its electric motor, and it's also pleasantly hushed even when the 1.5-litre petrol engine wakes up.

Despite a relatively bargain price, it's clear that MG has spent big money to lift the interior ambiance of the HS. The materials are a real step above the rival Dacia Bigster, and a match for what you'd find in the Citroën C5 Aircross. Your rear-seat passengers will have more room to stretch out than they would in the Bigster, too.

“I rarely travel light, so to find that the MG HS offers more boot space than some rivals is a real bonus. It's a shame, though, that the rear seats don't split and fold in a more helpful 40/20/40 configuration, like they do in the Peugeot 5008.” – Claire Evans, Consumer Editor

Read our full MG HS review

Our favourite version P460e SE
List price £90,145
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £90.17
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £180.25

This is the lower-powered of the two plug-in hybrid Range Rover Sports on sale, but it doesn't feel it. You have a 3.0-litre six-cylinder petrol engine to take up the slack once the electric motor has run out of juice, and a 31.8kWh (usable capacity) battery to ensure that doesn't happen too soon. Indeed, with an official electric range of up to 76 miles, you might find yourself only charging up every couple of days. And for context, that's 11 miles further than the BMW X5 xdrive50e can manage.

Air suspension comes as standard on the Range Rover Sport, and it does a good job of isolating you from the outside world. And just like the regular Range Rover, it can also be used to raise or lower the car, depending on whether you're picking up elderly passengers who might otherwise struggle to get in, or tackling off-road routes.

Speaking of which, when you do venture off the beaten track, the Range Rover Sport is simply leagues ahead of its rivals – thanks to a whole host of tech including adaptive off-road cruise control and a mode to help you wade across rivers.

“I love the Range Rover Sport's driving position, which despite placing you 20mm lower down than the full-size Range Rover, still gives you a truly commanding view over the traffic ahead.” – Dan Jones, Senior Reviewer

Read our full Range Rover Sport review

Our favourite version R-EV Prime Line
List price £32,340
Monthly BIK tax at 20% £48.50
Monthly BIK tax at 40% £97.00

While the fully electric Mazda MX-30 is hard to recommend amid a field of increasingly talented rivals, this plug-in hybrid version fares a lot better. It still shares its EV sibling's practicality quirks, such as rear doors which are reverse-hinged, and tight space for anyone sitting in the back, but in most other respects it's a capable plug-in hybrid.

The MX-30's tiny 830cc petrol engine never powers the car's wheels directly. Instead, it acts as a generator to keep the 17.8kWh battery topped up – that means the MX-30 feels very much like an electric car to drive, with instant shove from the electric motor, and power delivered in a smooth manner. The R-EV is quicker than the all-electric MX-30, too, thanks to more power – it can cover the 0-62mph sprint half a second faster than its electric counterpart.

Entry-level Prime Line trim has most of your kit needs covered, including 18in alloy wheels, climate and cruise controls (the latter being adaptive), and automatic wipers.

"I found it easy to get comfortable behind the wheel of the MX-30. There's lots of adjustment in both the seat and the steering wheel to help you find your ideal driving position, and I like that every MX-30 has a head-up display to put key information right in front of you.” – Darren Moss, Deputy Editor

Read our full Mazda MX-30 review

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