Top 10 Electric Cars - Best Luxury in 2021/2022

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Top 10 Best Luxury Electric Cars in 2021

1. Mercedes-Benz EQC

2. Jaguar I-Pace

3. Ford Mustang Mach-E

4. Tesla Model S

5. Tesla Model 3

6. Polestar 2

7. Audi E-tron Quattro

8. BMW iX3

9. Tesla Model X

10. Lexus UX 300e

Detailed - Top 10 Best Luxury Electric Cars in 2021

1. Mercedes-Benz EQC

Photo: utocar.co.uk

An outright triumph in our electric SUV group test in September 2019 heralded the arrival of a new all-electric champion for people looking to combine practicality with performance, and luxury with sustainability, in their next big car purchase – while also securing a car that can easily be used on a daily basis on UK roads. The Mercedes EQC 400 brushed aside challenges from Jaguar, Audi and Tesla en route to its big moment, overcoming all by virtue of its technology-laden and upmarket interior, its impressive blend of comfort and driver appeal, and its first-rate infotainment and navigation systems.

Sharing its platform with the related GLC, the EQC has twin electric motors, torque-vectoring four-wheel drive and combined peak ouputs of 402bhp and 564lb ft. WLTP-verified battery range is 259 miles officially, with our tests suggesting that between 80% and 90% of that is reproducible in mixed real-world driving. That's not quite as much cruising range as the most long-legged EVs, but it's a competitive showing all the same.

The EQC has plenty of driving modes, and there’s much complexity to get to grips with in configuring its many battery regeneration settings and semi-autonomous driver assist systems to your liking. But negotiate that hurdle and you’ll find the car very drivable and rounded at its best, as well as every bit as classy and luxurious as you’d want a £70,000 family car to be.

2. Jaguar I-Pace

Photo: Car and Driver

The first luxury electric car from a mainstream manufacturer to directly challenge Tesla at the high end, the I-Pace delivers on its brief with standout handling dynamics, first-rate interior quality and a striking design that’s slightly more SUV than saloon. It sets the standard for ride and handling among its all-electric peers, delivers strong performance from its twin 197bhp motors, and feels like a premium-branded electric car should: an unshackled, clean-sheet design.

The I-Pace will rapid charge at up to 100kW, but its slightly disappointing real-world range dents its potential as a long-distance tourer somewhat: 220 miles is not a result worth celebrating - and moreover the I-Pace's slightly buggy charging software seems to trip it up more often than other EVs are when you're out and about, trying to get plugged in. If you’re unlikely to rely on public rapid charging facilities or routinely to trouble the outer limits of the car’s electric autonomy potential, this a car we’d consider before any rival. It's that impressive to drive, as well as really interesting and appealing to behold. It just doesn't have such a complete array of qualities as the EQC in real-world use.

3. Ford Mustang Mach-E

Photo: CarSalesBase

The Blue Oval is late to the full-sized electric car market, but has made something of a splash in any case by appropriating its much-loved Mustang sub-brand for its first battery-electric production model. The Mustang Mach-E isn't a square-jawed muscle coupé, though, but a proper five-seater with an appealing-looking crossover bodystyle, as well as equally appealing real-world range potential and a more affordable price than some of the cars listed here.

Available from just over £40,000 in the UK - and in WLTP-accredited 379-mile Extended Range form from less than £47,000 after a UK government purchase incentive - the Mach-E clearly isn't cheap; and yet it's a proper, usable family car that beats premium rivals by up to 30% on both claimed range and value. We're yet to test one in detail on UK roads, but if that upper range figure delivers real-world autonomy of more than 300 miles on a charge, this will be a car that's easy to recommend for both rational and more 'emotional' reasons.

Perceived quality and luxury appeal are a little lower here than in the Mach-E's opponents, but practicality is good. The driving experience mixes punchy performance with nicely balanced handling, although ride refinement is firmer and less comfortable than some.

4. Tesla Model S

Photo: utocar.co.uk

The car that persuaded the world an electric saloon could be a viable alternative to a combustion-engined one, and made the EV break into the luxury-car big time, is still our pick of Tesla’s model catalogue for its combination of performance, usability, price and range.

In its most potent form, the Model S can accelerate with the ferocity of a super-saloon, and handles tidily enough – although without the tactile involvement you might expect of such a fast car. Overall, the Model S certainly makes a better luxury car than a driver’s car.

All models have a futuristic-feeling cabin topped off by a mammoth touchscreen infotainment system. Meanwhile, Tesla’s Supercharger network enables easier and more convenient long-range driving than many would imagine possible in an electric car, and practicality is exceptionally good thanks to useful-sized boots at both ends of the car and an extra rearward-facing pair of jump seats available in the boot.

In Long Range Plus form, this car is the only one here with an WLTP-cerfified range of more than 400 miles. In that form, it's an expensive option, costing only a whisker under £80,000. But if you need the most usable EV going and you've got the budget to pay for it, there's no mistaking that it's still Tesla that offers it.

5. Tesla Model 3

Photo: utocar.co.uk

The affordable Tesla Model 3 is the absolute record-breaker when it comes to electric vehicles and the driving force behind the EV’s sales surge in the U.S. during 2018. In less than a year, it’s achieved what its main competitors couldn’t in years. With 139,730 units delivered during 2018, it’s now actually the 11th best-selling car in the U.S. – not counting the pickup trucks and SUVs. What’s more, 2019 will be even kinder towards the entry-level Tesla sedan.

The 2021 Tesla Model 3 will field a complete lineup as all of company’s production woes are expected to be taken care of by then. This means that the prospective future Model 3 owners will get to choose between the Standard and Long range – both of which have variations of their own. If everything hold to form, that is, and Tesla isn’t exactly known for consistency.

Tech-wise, we all know what to expect from a Tesla. Price-wise, things are expected to change somewhat. Considering how Tesla models aren’t eligible for federal tax credits anymore, the California-based company has already started cutting prices of its more luxurious Model S and Model X. At the moment, the Model 3 starts from around $35,000, while the most expensive models require around $60,000. Expect these to shrink by the time 2021 is upon us.

At the moment, the Tesla Model 3 offers the 240-mile Standard Range Plus trim, the 310-mile Long Range trim, and the corresponding Performance grade. The latter two use two electric motors for a permanent all-wheel drive system, while the former comes with a single 221-horsepower electric motor at the rear.

Knowing Tesla, their Model 3 lineup will be reshuffled by the time 2021 arrives so we’ll keep updating this post accordingly.

6. Polestar 2

Photo: utocar.co.uk

The seconds of numerous upcoming Polestar models and the first fully electric model in the newly established company’s portfolio was initially scheduled to enter production in early 2020. Dubbed the Tesla Model 3 fighter, the Polestar 2 might be hard-pressed emulating the favorite American electric car’s appeal given its initial price is expected to be set at $63,000 or thereabouts. Luckily, that’ll be the price of the range-topping model and subsequent versions should only get cheaper.

The luxury fastback sits upon the CMA platform which also underpins the Volvo XC40 and a number of Lynk & Co models sold exclusively in China. Although it’s not the most exciting of Volvo and Polestar models, the Swedes will give you an option to turn it into one by buying the optional performance package consisting of Öhlins-made adjustable shocks and dampers, and Brembo brakes.

Being an upmarket electric car, the Polestar 2 will also sport a highly advanced interior, tech-wise. A large 11-inch vertically-oriented touchscreen display, an abundance of advanced safety gear, and a smartphone key are just to name a few. Being Swedish, the forthcoming EV will also adopt new interior materials, none of which will be animal-based.

The initial 2021 Polestar 2 models will use a 78-kWh lithium-ion battery packs powered by two separate electric motors – one upon each axle. They produce a combined 402 horsepower and 487 lb-ft of torque while the range is estimated at 275 miles. Although the Polestar 2 will be fast-charging compatible, the Swedish company is yet to come out with exact details.

Expect the Polestar 2 to arrive in time for MY 2021 after which the entry-level versions are expected to enter production as well.

7. Audi E-tron Quattro

Photo: EV Database

Audi has distilled the various qualities for which its revered brand is known and given all of them a new future-proofed home in its first series-production electric car: the E-tron Quattro SUV.

Sized to fit in between the firm’s existing Q5 and Q7 models but offering interior space to rival the latter, the E-tron is powered by a separate electric motor per axle and develops 402bhp and 487lb ft of torque in ‘boost’ driving mode. A Jaguar I-Pace is smaller, lighter, torquier and faster – but the E-tron beats its close British rival on overall battery capacity, offering 95kWh of storage, which is good for a claimed WLTP combined range of 249 miles. In day-to-day use, expect to see between 210 and 220 miles of that before the battery goes flat.

Our first taste of the E-tron came in late 2018, on roads out in the Middle East, where the car impressed most with its classy and refined cabin ambience, its quiet cruising abilities and its Audi-typical apparent build quality. The driving experience was impressive, too, not least for its responsiveness and muscular feel up to motorway speeds, while precise and well-balanced handling completed the picture. Subsequent tests in the UK – not least with the recent Sportback variant – show that the car's ride quality is also a selling point.

So the regular E-tron’s strong suits make it a superb luxury car, although it doesn’t have quite as much driver appeal as certain rivals. Audi's solution to this has been to launch the 496bhp E-tron S Sportback, whose sensationally versatile rear-axle drive unit gives it a degree of handling adjustability and involvement beyond the basic E-tron. At nearly £90,000, it's pricey, but potentially worth it for pace, panache and the novelty factor of safely sending an electric SUV sideways on a whim.

8. BMW iX3

Photo: Autopro

BMW has changed tack on its strategy for electrification. Having conceived the i brand to contain its very first EV and plug-in hybrid, it is now spreading electric cars among its wider model range, and the iX3 is the first of its new-wave EVs to hit the streets. It's also the first car that BMW has produced in China for export markets.

Using a rear-mounted motor offering up to 282bhp, and with a battery of 74kWh of usable capacity for a maximum claimed WLTP range of 285 miles, the iX3 isn't quite as fast or as long-legged as some of its rivals; and priced from £62,000, it isn't cheap, either. But its trump card may prove to be DC rapid charging potential of up to 350kW as an option, which can restore an empty battery to 80% in little more than half an hour where a compatible charger is available.

Practicality, handling and luxury-level refinement are all very creditable, but there may not be quite enough else to make this car stand out in a fast-growing growing EV segment.

9. Tesla Model X

Photo: Tesla

The sheer size and bulk of Tesla’s biggest model, the seven-seat Model X SUV, is what penalises it relative to its stablemates.

It’s currently in a league of one as far as all-electric seven-seat SUVs are concerned, so it seems a bit churlish to criticise it in some ways. Nonetheless, if you’re expecting Model S range and performance in a bigger, more versatile package, you’re headed for disappointment. Our testing suggests even range-topping 100kWh versions of the car won’t go much further than 230 miles at typical UK motorway speeds, with the cheaper ones struggling to pass 175 unless you’re conservative with your cruising speed.

Still, if that kind of range suits your purposes, you’ll find an awful lot to like here. With upper-level versions packing more than 600 horsepower, the Model X is well capable of beating 4.0sec to 60mph and can feel fast in a way you wouldn’t believe possible of such a large and heavy car. Handling is dulled somewhat by the car’s mass, but still more than credible enough to make the Model X feel coherent at pace. Cruising refinement and build quality come up a bit short, too.

Until you’ve seen a pair of all-electric gullwing doors opening automatically in a multi-storey car park and cleverly avoiding any nearby cars or masonry while doing it, though, you won’t fully appreciate the Model X’s party trick.

10. Lexus UX 300e

Photo: Oto

Lexus has long been championing hybrid propulsion, thanks to parent company Toyota’s pioneering Prius but this is its first foray into pure electric power. A 203PS (150kW) electric motor drives the front wheels and a 54kWh battery pack provides a touch under 200 miles of range. We’ve actually been lucky enough to drive a pre-production model and, like everything Lexus, the UX300e just works, doing everything asked of it in comfort, luxury and silence. And will probably continue to do so for decades.

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