Drive Car of the Year 2024 – Best Family Electric Vehicle under $100K
Find out what cars are eligible for the Drive Car of the Year 2024 – Best Family Electric Vehicle under $100K category
Over the next few weeks, we'll be explaining all the categories and contenders for Drive Car of the Year 2024. Testing is currently underway, with the final winners to be announced early next year.
Drive Car of the Year 2024
Now in its 18th year, the annual Drive Car of the Year awards program continues to be the Australian new car buyer’s most trusted advisor.
At Drive, we test drive more than 200 new cars every year, evaluating each against its innate promise to sort the best from the rest. We divide the 400-plus new passenger cars, SUVs, 4WDs and utes into 19 price-banded categories focused on the end-user, then analyse the strengths and weaknesses of every car to find the cream of the automotive crop.
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Drive Car of the Year 2024 is a go!
Drive Car of the Year 2024: Best Family Electric Vehicle under $100K
The Drive Car of the Year Best Family Electric Vehicle Under $100K is a refinement of 2023’s Best EV under $120K category, so only cars new to the class and priced between $50K and $100K will challenge the reigning champ, the Kia EV6, for class honours.
These are all EVs that have a strong hint of status about them as well as capacity and capability. They all have a minimum of four doors, two rows and of course battery electric propulsion only. The price band for eligibility for this category is between $50,000 and $100,000.
There are some interesting takes on the family EV here, with diverse offerings making for a challenging judging process. However, only one winner can emerge from the exhaustive analysis process.
The Mustang Mach-E debuts electric performance under the iconic Mustang umbrella for Ford and opens up new opportunities for families and driving enthusiasts alike.
The Kia EV6 meanwhile presents an eye-catching design in and out, generous interior proportions and super-rapid charging capability.
The fresh to our shores Kia EV9 seven-seater delivers on a futuristic design both inside and out, has a quality fit and finish, a comfortable ride and loads of performance in GT-Line trim.
Then we have the Tesla Model Y which has been updated for 2024 and has spacious seating and boot, and great ride comfort.
Which cars are eligible for this category?
Drive’s rules require that, for a car to be eligible, it must:
- Be all-new or significantly updated,
- Be on sale by December 31, 2023, and
- Retail examples be made available for Drive to road test before that cut-off date.
Sadly that means that the likes of the Hyundai Ioniq 5, Kia Niro, Mercedes-Benz EQA and EQB, MINI Hatch, Nissan Leaf and Volvo C40 and XC40 are not included as they are not significantly new to the market in 2023, while the Peugeot e-Partner misses out on the mandatory requirement of a second row of seats.
As for the Tesla Model 3 update, it won’t arrive in time this year for judging, but no doubt will be included next year.
| Eligible | Ineligible |
| - Cars that are all-new or significantly updated since they last contested Drive Car of the Year. - New categories are open to all cars that fit category requirements. - Last year’s winner is an automatic inclusion. | - These cars meet category requirements but have not changed since they previously contested Drive Car of the Year and are not a carry-over winner. |
| BYD Atto 3 Ford Mustang Mach-E Kia EV6 Kia EV9 Tesla Model Y | Hyundai Ioniq 5 Kia Niro Lexus UX Mazda MX-30 Mercedes-Benz EQA Mercedes-Benz EQB Mercedes-Benz Vito Mini Hatch Nissan Leaf Peugeot e-Partner Tesla Model Y RWD Volvo C40 Volvo XC40 Not here in time: Tesla Model 3 facelift |
What are the next steps?
The winner of the 2024 Drive Car of the Year Best Family Electric Vehicle under $100K will be announced in February 2024.
Before then, we will announce the finalists, all of which deliver on offering practicality and usability for growing EV families. One thing is certain: this category promises to be one of the toughest confronting our 11 experienced judges.
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