Many new luxury vehicles made in the 2020s come with an advanced digital dashboard. If you are shopping for an SUV in 2021, you should make sure you get one with a digital dashboard that includes a speedometer. There are so many SUVs on the market nowadays that it's difficult to tell which models actually have a fully digital dashboard. Fortunately for you, we've researched every SUV model and have a list of those that have digital dashboards.
For the model year 2021, 33 SUV models come with a fully digital dashboard that includes the speedometer. The top nine of these SUVs with digital dashboards are:
- Kia Carnival MPV
- Lincoln Navigator
- Acura MDX
- Honda Passport
- Volkswagen Atlas
- Audi RS Q8
- Kia Sorento
- Hyundai Kona
- Mercedes-Benz GLS
This list is only the topnine out of the 33 total SUVs with digital dashboards. Please keep reading this post to see the full list of 33 and find out more about digital dashboards and speedometers. We will also discuss further details of each of the models in the top nine.
Full List of 2021 SUVs with Digital Dashboards
Each of the models on the following list comes with a digital dashboard display that includes a digital speedometer. Even the base trim of all of these models has a digital dashboard. Here is the full list of SUVs separated by size (full-size versus medium-sized):
Full-Size SUVs
- Cadillac Escalade
- Ford Expedition
- Jeep Grand Cherokee
- Kia Carnival MPV
- Lincoln Navigator
- Mercedes-Benz GLS
Medium-Size SUVs
- Acura MDX
- Aston Martin DBX
- Cadillac XT4
- Honda Pilot
- Honda Passport
- Hyundai Santa Fe
- Hyundai Palisade
- Hyundai Kona
- Infiniti QX60
- Jaguar I-Pace
- Kia Sorento
- Kia Sorento Hybrid
- Range Rover Evoque
- Range Rover Sport
- Range Rover Discovery
- Range Rover Defender
- Lincoln Aviator
- Mercedes-Benz GLC
- Volkswagen Atlas
- Volkswagen ID.4
- Volkswagen Tiguan
- Volvo CX40
- Volvo CX90
- Audi Q7
- Audi Q8
- Audi RS-8
- Audi E-Tron
Top 2021 SUV models with Digital Dashboards
Thirty-three SUVs from 18 different manufacturers are far too many to cover in detail in a short post like this one. Consequently, we decided to pick the top nine from the list to showcase the type of SUVs that come with fully digital dashboard displays. We chose these SUVs for having either the most digital features or digital dashboards that stand out from the crowd either functionally or aesthetically. The following list is in no particular order and is not ranking from best to worst.
1. Kia Carnival MPV
The Kia Carnival MPV is another full-size SUV with a fully digital dashboard display. Outside of the standard dashboard features, the digital dashboard even displays a video feed of the blind spot when you use the turn signal. Other than the dash display just above the steering wheel, there is also a 12-inch display in the center dashboard, above the center console.
The Carnival seats up to seven passengers comfortably with third-row seating and has plenty of space for cargo. Backseat entertainment screens and nine total USB chargers ensure that everyone is connected and entertained. This Kia has a 290 horsepower V6 engine under the hood capable of towing up to 3500 foot-pounds of weight.
2. Lincoln Navigator
The Lincoln Navigator has some of the most compelling technology features on any 2021 SUV. Not only does the Navigator have a fully digital dashboard, but some trims also have a projected heads-up display that shows up on the windshield in the lower field of view for the driver. This extra display shows the speed and fuel availability.
Adaptive cruise control keeps the car in front of you at a safe distance and helps protect your seven or eight passengers. The Navigator has a 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged engine that gives the driver command over 450 horsepower. If you get the available towing package and 4x4 capability, this SUV can pretty much tow anything within reason.
3. Acura MDX
The Acura MDX is a medium-sized SUV with a digital dashboard and other luxury features. The digital dashboard on the MDX is simple in a sleek and modern way, showing only simple navigation directions and speed. The techiest feature is the wifi hotspot capability that is available through an AT&T subscription.
The MDX has a 3.5-liter V6 that puts out 290 horsepower and is available in all-wheel-drive. This Acura can sit up to seven passengers with varying seating configurations that allow you to optimize for space and storage. A hidden storage container in the trunk is lined with a removable plastic that is easy to clean.
4. Honda Passport
The Honda Passport is a mid-sized SUV with a digital dashboard that incorporates the old look of analog. The sleek center part of the digital display shows the speed in large font and has a no-nonsense feel. A secondary screen in the center of the dashboard allows the driver to control media, Bluetooth, and navigation, among other things.
The Passport seats up to five people and keeps them comfortable with a Tri-Zone Climate Control system. Four out of the five seats are even heated. A hands-free liftgate makes stowing cargo a breeze. The Honda Passport has an impressive 3.5-liter V6 engine that gives all the power a mid-size needs with 280 horsepower.
5. Volkswagen Atlas
The Volkswagen Atlas is a mid-sized SUV with a fully customizable digital dashboard. The driver has the ability to choose whether they want navigation, speed, elevation, or several other features displayed on the wide digital dashboard screen above the steering wheel.
The Atlas either comes in a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine or a 3.6-liter V6, depending on which trim you get and how much power you want. This Volkswagen seats up to seven passengers and keeps all three rows warm or cool with a three-zone climate control system.
6. Audi RS Q8
The Audi RS Q8 is a medium-sized SUV that features a high-definition Audi Virtual Cockpit display. It is the SUV on the list whose dashboard display looks and feels almost like a jet airplane. There are three available modes to give the user the exact experience they want out of the drive.
This Audi is a mid-size SUV that nearly crosses into crossover territory. The RS Q8 has an eight-speed automatic transmission and a Quattro all-wheel drive. The power is mindblowing compared to the other SUVs on this list. The RS Q8 has a 4.0-liter V8 that puts out 591 horsepower.
7. Kia Sorento
The 2021 Kia Sorento has a digital dashboard that looks like it has analog meters but is fully digital. The digital dashboard on this SUV is one of the biggest screens on the list. The speedometer is on the left, the revolutions per minute on the right, and a digital ariel view of the car in the center. There is also a 10.25-inch touch screen in the center of the dashboard used for navigation and other features.
The Sorento has second and third-row seating that seats up to six passengers in premium leather seats. There is a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine under the hood that puts out 191 horsepower.
8. Hyundai Kona
The Hyundai Kona is a 2022 model that will include a digital dashboard upon its release in late 2021. It will have a standard-looking digital dashboard with the traditional two large meters, the speedometer, and the tachometer, which measures revolutions per minute. In addition to that, there is a massive 10.25-inch center dashboard touchscreen display.
The Kona will have the Hyundai SmartSense driver assist, including forward-collision avoidance, smart cruise control, blindspot monitoring, and more. Full engine specs are not yet available, but it will be a turbocharged engine, which will give it a sporty feel to drive.
9. Mercedes-Benz GLC
The Mercedes-Benz GLC is a luxury mid-size SUV with a digital dashboard and an extra 12.3-inch center touchscreen set in a dashboard made of premium materials like natural-grain wood. Blindspot assists and other safety features come standard, and smartphone connectivity allows you to lock and unlock the GLC from your phone.
The GLC seats up to five people and the second-row, or backseat, has power-folding seats that collapse down to increase cargo space. A power liftgate helps to increase access to the cargo storage location further. The standard GLC has a 255 horsepower turbo-charged engine and a 4-wheel multi-link suspension with rear-wheel drive. All-wheel drive is available on the upgraded GLC 300 spec.
What is a digital dashboard in a car?
After all this talk of digital dashboards, you may be wondering what exactly defines one anyways. A digital dashboard is an electronic display above the steering wheel that shows the information on multiple vehicle performance aspects. The digital dashboard typically displays revolutions per minute, fuel level, speed, and an odometer reading. They may also display digital messages such as low fuel level or tire pressure warnings.
How does a digital speedometer work?
When most people think of a speedometer, they are really thinking of only a portion of it; the display. For nearly 100 years, these displays were analog and showed the speed of your vehicle by using a mechanical speedometer. Mechanical speedometers work by measuring the rotations of a cable attached to the driveshaft with electrical currents.
Nowadays, nearly all mechanical speedometers have been replaced with digital speedometers and, later, digital displays. The digital speedometer works similarly to the older version by measuring the rotations of an internal vehicle mechanism. This time, that mechanism is the gear in the transmission, and it is measured using a wire coil speed sensor.
How accurate are digital speedometers?
Digital speedometers are more accurate than old-fashioned ones. That being said, there are built-in levels of inaccuracy allowed based on regulations. So, they are pretty accurate, but they might be off by somewhere from one to five miles per hour. If you want a true measurement of your speed, a non-integrated GPS is a great way to get a better speedometer reading.
A few final thoughts
A digital dashboard that includes all message alerts and meters, including a speedometer, is one of the best features of modern vehicles. The ease of use, visibility, and accuracy offered by the digital versions of the old familiar measuring interfaces makes driving and navigating a pleasure. Make sure to make your next SUV purchase a model that comes with a fully digital dashboard display.
If you found the information in this post helpful, please view a few of our others:
What SUVs Have Blind Spot Detection? [2021 Midsize And Full-Size]
Nissan lover
Saturday 2nd of October 2021
You left out the Nissan Rogue!