5 New Electrified Cars Make Autotrader's Best Of 2024 List - Forbes

The 2024 Kia EV9 is the newest electric SUV from the Korean automaker with three rows, which adds to … [+] its appeal as a top car.

Kia

With automakers from General Motors to Bentley pulling back on plans to go “all-in” on EVs, it’s refreshing to see some recognition for the proliferation of battery-powered vehicles. Car shopping marketplace Autotrader acknowledged the reality that electrified (not necessarily 100% electric) cars are here to stay.

The site puts together an annual list of affordable (under $110,000) new vehicles. This year’s list of 11 includes two all-electric vehicles (EVs) and three hybrids (HEVs), which don’t plug in but use an electric motor in conjunction with a gas-powered internal combustion engine. The two full electrics are renamed and all-new models from Audi and Kia, while the hybrids are an exciting blend of new models like the Chevy Corvette E-Ray and Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid SUV.

While not included in the electrified roundup, the Hyundai Kona is also available as an all-electric or conventional gas model. This same list last year included the Toyota Prius and Genesis GV60. Clearly EV fervor is cooling, but hybrids are still attractive to buyers.

Epic EVs

While only two fully electric models made the list, it’s fair to say that attention and favor is turning toward hybrids, whether plug-in or conventional. But all-electric options are still available and even affordable for luxury, high-powered options with range and seating space bigger than ever.

2024 Audi Q8 e-tron

Audi’s original electric SUV, the e-tron, gets a rebrand: It’s now the Q8 e-tron. It has a new front grille and a bigger 106 kWh battery pack, boosting range to 285 miles as the electric crossover segment heats up. The e-tron’s main drawback had always been its paltry range around 200 miles.

In an email, automotive research firm AutoPacific analyst Robby DeGraff said the rebranded e-tron “remains a vital choice for consumers. It plays in a lucrative space that commands a lot of money and is ever-changing in terms of competition.”

Kia EV9

Kia’s newest (and biggest) EV is like an all-electric Telluride with 304 miles of range on a single charge. “The EV9 brings the three-row SUV into the EV era with available features that matter most,” Steven Center, chief operating officer and executive vice president at Kia America, said in a news release the Korean carmaker posted about the EV9’s inclusion.

A Kia model has made Autotrader’s list every year since 2020.

Analyst DeGraff agrees with the EV9’s placement on this year’s list. “The strategy taken with the EV9 is smart: Combine a Telluride-esque silhouette with even more striking styling tweaks and a proven EV platform,” he wrote in an email. “The EV9 will undoubtedly continue to propel Kia closer to its EV sales targets. There aren’t many three-row EVs, and from top to bottom, the EV9 is a winner.”

The new Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray sits on display at the 2023 North American International Detroit … [+] Auto Show on September 13, 2023 in Detroit, Michigan. (Photo by Bill Pugliano/Getty Images)

Getty Images

Hyped on Hybrids

While plug-in hybrids offer more range and the best of the EV and traditional gas-powered worlds, conventional hybrids popularized by the Toyota Prius are as popular as ever. But now it’s not just efficient sedans that get this economic boost, sports cars and bigger SUVs are adding hybrid technology for better fuel efficiency (but higher new-car prices).

2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray Coupe

An electrified sports car—what’s not to like? The Corvette gets the electric treatment without going all the way, just a small boost with the hybrid powertrain. The E in “E-Ray” puts it at 650 horsepower and a zero-to-60 mph time of 2.5 seconds.

DeGraff from AutoPacific highlighted the E-Ray. In an email he wrote, “Electrifying what might be the most iconic nameplate has resulted in new, unlocked levels of performance thanks to its all-wheel drive footprint and 160 [horsepower] electric motor parked on its front axle.”

Furthermore, “Sub three-second leaps to 60 mph? The Corvette E-Ray is America’s secret weapon to battle the likes of Porsche, Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini. Look out.”

2024 Hyundai Santa Fe

The Santa Fe will release its first hybrid version of the redesigned SUV later this year. Hyundai’s big SUV has a completely new look, so the option for electrification might get lost in the shuffle.

2024 Toyota Grand Highlander Hybrid

With a new SUV from Toyota, no one should be surprised it offers a hybrid version. The Prius-maker put its electric technology into its latest three-row SUV, offering a version with 27 miles per gallon (combined). The smaller Highlander Hybrid is still better at 36 mpg, but it’s not as grand.

The Toyoya Hybrid Max logo is seen on the all-new, three-row 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander displayed … [+] during its world premiere at the Chicago Auto Show on February 8, 2023. (Photo by KAMIL KRZACZYNSKI / AFP)

AFP via Getty Images

These are the electrified picks from Autotrader’s Best Cars of 2024: