As the year counts down we’re looking back on the vehicles that stood out. On Wednesday (New Year’s Eve) we’ll reveal our Top 5 Cars of 2025, but for now we’re counting down with the best of the rest, today we’re looking at the electric vehicles that left us charged up.
Porsche Macan
They say absence makes the heart from fonder, but the opposite is true for the all-electric Porsche SUV. We spent an entire day behind the wheel of the new Macan, driving all the way from Melbourne to Sydney and came away more enamoured with the car.
Yes, it’s a lot more expensive than the old, petrol-powered Macan. But when it comes to performance, comfort and even dynamics, the new Macan is simply superior.
And while there are those that will still miss the petrol engine, as our road trip demonstrated, the new Macan can do everything the old Macan can, even traversing long distances.
With the new Cayenne Electric due in 2026, Porsche’s SUV line-up will be very different. But for those willing to give EVs a chance, the Macan demonstrated in ‘25 that it is every inch a Porsche.
Cadillac Lyriq
In terms of sales, the Cadillac Lyriq remains a mystery but judging by their rarity on the road, it is not the most popular EV in Australia. But luxury electric SUVs are generally speaking a pretty small percentage of the market anyway.
But its arrival was certainly one of the most notable of 2025. The iconic American luxury brand finally made it to our side of the world after more than 100 years of waiting (and a false start in 2008).
Is the Lyriq a game-changing EV? Nope. But it is a very appealing luxury SUV, and brings a unique Cadillac sense of style. It feels like a solid foundation from which to build the Cadillac brand, which will begin in earnest in 2026 with an expanded range, which will coincide with the brand’s arrival into Formula 1.
Kia EV3
For the last few years we’d been led to believe that China was the only country capable of making affordable EVs – but Kia proved that isn’t the case.
The Korean-made EV3 was a standout performer in ‘25, combining style, space and electric efficiency into a genuinely price-competitive package. The EV3 range begins at just $47,600, which makes it the only SUV this size under $50k and not made in China.
For those looking to make the move into the electric market for the first time, the risk of going with a relatively-new and unfamiliar brand (even one with a familiar name) can be a deal-breaker. The EV3 might be the kind of ‘gateway’ EV the market needs to take the next steps beyond its relatively static 10 per cent market share.
Rivian R1S
Unfortunately, this one isn’t for sale in Australia, but we were lucky enough to sample this one in its native US early in ‘25. As we wrote at the time, Rivian is something of an ‘anti-Tesla’ in the way it has gone about building its brand slowly, deliberately and without years of over-promising and under-delivering.
But it also doesn’t sell as many EVs as Tesla, and has partnered with Volkswagen to try and secure its long-term future, with smaller, more affordable (and profitable) models set to launch soon.
But the R1S is the current flagship SUV, sitting alongside the R1T ute that we drove on a previous trip to the States. This time we were able to spend more time behind the wheel, driving the R1S Tri-Motor for a few days in Los Angeles.
It impressed with its performance and premium design finishes. There’s still some work to be done fine-tuning the ride and handling though, with the RS1 feeling very much like what it is – the first production car Rivian has built.
Hopefully it will iron out those issues before it arrives in Australia at some point in the future.
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