Which electric SUV can handle trails and forest roads in Belgium?

Late October, forest track between La Roche-en-Ardenne and Houffalize. Rain for three straight days, the ground is greasy, tractor ruts reach 15 cm deep in places. The GPS suggests an 8 km shortcut through the forest to reach the holiday cottage. With 17 cm of ground clearance and all-wheel drive, the SUV makes it through. With 13 cm and rear-wheel drive only, the evening takes a very different turn.

Off-roading in Belgium isn't the Sahara. It's wet forest tracks, rural cottage access roads, hunting trails in the Ardennes and waterlogged grass car parks. And for that, not all electric SUVs are equal.

Can an electric SUV actually go off-road in Belgium?

The short answer: yes, but not just any model. Belgian off-tarmac terrain boils down to three situations: maintained forest paths (RAVeL network, marked municipal roads), unmaintained trails (cottage access, hunting tracks, Ardennes plateaux) and temporarily soft ground (soggy fields, grass car parks after rain).

For the first two, an electric SUV with 170 mm of ground clearance and all-wheel drive gets through 95% of the time. For the third, you need 200 mm and suitable tyres.

The reality check: between March and November, Ardennes forests dry out properly. From November to March, mud, snow and frost turn trails into skating rinks. It's during this 5-month window that AWD and ground clearance separate road SUVs from genuine trail-capable ones.

What criteria matter for an off-road EV in Belgium?

Four parameters to check before buying, in this priority order:

Ground clearance. This is the number one criterion. Below 170 mm, deep ruts and trail stones risk hitting the underbody. The battery in an EV sits under the floor — an impact can cost several thousand euros. Above 200 mm, you get through everything Belgium has to offer.

Type of all-wheel drive. Two independent motors (one per axle) deliver faster response than a viscous-coupling system. The EV advantage: torque is instant and electronic management adjusts distribution in milliseconds. The Subaru Solterra and BMW iX1 xDrive30 both use this dual-motor principle.

Driving modes. Snow or off-road mode limits power and adjusts traction control to prevent over-torque on slippery surfaces. The Solterra offers X-Mode, inherited from 20 years of Subaru AWD experience. The Suzuki eVitara features AllGrip-e with independent axle management.

Tyres. A good all-season tyre (Michelin CrossClimate 2, Continental AllSeasonContact 2) beats a true off-road tyre on an EV. Pure off-road rubber costs 8 to 12% of range on tarmac — too steep a price for occasional use.

Which electric SUV should you choose for Belgian trails?

Five models available in Belgium in 2026 with all-wheel drive and ground clearance suited to forest roads:

Sources: manufacturers, ADAC tests 2025-2026, Belgian catalogue prices April 2026.

The Solterra leads in pure off-road ability thanks to its 210 mm ground clearance and X-Mode. The Suzuki eVitara is the affordable surprise of the segment with its AllGrip-e system under EUR 40,000. The Ioniq 5 AWD compensates for its modest ground clearance with the fastest 800V charging in the group.

How much range do you lose with all-wheel drive?

The dual-motor setup consumes more than a single motor, even on dry road. The reason: two motors in permanent rotation generate more friction losses and parasitic consumption than one.

Data: ADAC tests, Bjorn Nyland, L'Argus — summer conditions, 120 km/h.

In winter, the gap narrows. AWD handles spinning wheels on wet or icy roads more efficiently, which avoids traction losses (and therefore energy waste). At 5 degrees on damp roads, the AWD extra consumption drops to 5-8%.

On the track climbing to the Hautes Fagnes plateau from Malmedy, I understood why 4 cm of ground clearance changes everything. With 17 cm, you get through by focusing on your line. With 21 cm, you stop thinking about the ground entirely. And when the mud arrives, electric AWD does the work in silence — no growling transfer case, no delayed viscous coupler.

Which driver profile should choose AWD?

You head to the Ardennes every other weekend. The Solterra or eVitara. The high ground clearance and dedicated off-road modes make the difference on rural cottage access tracks, especially between November and March.

You drive 80% in the city with occasional nature outings. The BMW iX1 xDrive30 or Ioniq 5 AWD. AWD mainly serves in winter on icy roads and occasionally on dry trails. Road comfort and fast charging take priority.

You want the best range-to-trail-capability ratio. The BYD Sealion 7 AWD. Its 91.3 kWh battery partially offsets the extra AWD consumption, and its 386 km real-world range is the best in the group.