Ambient lighting used to be something only the most luxurious cars offered from the factory, and only the most “Fast and Furious”-esqe cars added in the aftermarket. These days, ambient lighting is becoming more common in mainstream vehicles. However, the best examples often are still found in the luxury market, especially among newer EV models.
If you’re looking for a new car and would like it to have some cool ambient lighting, you’re in luck. We’ve surveyed the industry’s current offerings and found some that stand out from the crowd. Of course, what makes the “best” ambient lighting will come down to personal taste and style.
What Is Ambient Lighting?
If you’re not familiar with ambient lighting, you’re not alone. Ambient lighting is the name used for accent lighting within a car’s cabin. It’s typically used to highlight design elements, particular surfaces or lines, or other items within a car’s interior.
Some examples include lighted door pockets, lighted dashboard edges, lighted cupholders, lighted footwells, and unique lighting treatments for the trim, door sills, and even the headliner. Ambient lighting is typically LED-based, in either a single fixed color or from a selection of 32, 64, or some other number of colors that can be configured by the user. Typically, ambient lighting is minimally visible during the day, but more readily apparent at night.
Here are 10 cars with the best ambient lighting in 2024.
1. 2024 Mercedes-EQ EQS Sedan
Mercedes-Benz has some of the coolest ambient lighting setups around, from the entry-level CLA Coupe all the way up to the rugged and flashy G-Wagen. The coolest of all may belong to the 2024 Mercedes-EQ EQS Sedan. It enhances its futuristic interior with an interior light show that makes it look almost like a prop from a movie — but it’s a car you can buy right now. The EQS’ optional ambient lighting system, known as Active Ambient Lighting, leverages about 190 LEDs to match feedback from the driver’s inputs, the driving mode, the climate control system, the voice assistant, and more to provide themed, dynamic lighting. There are 64 colors to choose from, along with a range of color gradients. See 2024 Mercedes-EQ EQS models for sale near you
2. 2024 BMW i4
With a different take on futuristic design and a noted emphasis on sportiness, the 2024 BMW i4 comes at the concept of a luxurious, thematically lighted sedan from an entirely different direction. As of the 2024 model year, the i4 now offers ambient lighting on all models as standard equipment. There are fiber optic light guides highlighting contour lines in the instrument panel and door panels, as well as exterior puddle approach lighting. The interior ambient lighting system is also dynamic, allowing the lights to pulsate for incoming calls, doors left ajar, or other action items. See 2024 BMW i4 models for sale near you
3. 2024 Porsche Taycan
Next to the 2024 Porsche Taycan‘s stunning exterior lines and breathtaking performance, ambient lighting might seem like a hum-drum topic, but it’s actually part of the driving experience. As of last summer, users of the My Porsche App in Apple CarPlay can control the ambient lighting (along with other vehicle functions) directly from their phones. Unlike some subtler ambient lighting schemes, the Taycan’s is bold, with broadly lit stretches of the door panels and footwells and accents in detail areas. The ambient lighting in the Taycan is also dynamic. It can even change its color based on the music playing over the audio system. See 2024 Porsche Taycan models for sale near you
4. 2024 Kia EV6
Our first non-luxury-brand vehicle, the 2024 Kia EV6 is nonetheless a luxurious vehicle and an EV. It has one of the most impactful ambient lighting systems. There is edge highlighting across the dash and center console area, as well as lit doors and footwells. You can adjust the lighting through a range of colors, brightnesses, themes, and moods, or made to be sound-reactive, synchronizing with whatever music is playing. If you’re looking for an EV6 with ambient lighting, however, you’ll have to aim high. Only the GT-Line RWD, GT-Line AWD, and GT AWD trims offer the feature, with starting prices ranging from $52,900 to $61,600. See 2024 Kia EV6 models for sale near you
5. 2024 Hyundai Palisade
Another luxurious vehicle from a non-luxury brand, the 2024 Hyundai Palisade offers 3-row seating, a comfortable and well-equipped cabin, modern exterior style, and lots of value for money. It also offers 64-color ambient lighting on Limited and higher trims. As you might expect in a more grown-up vehicle like the Palisade, the ambient lighting is somewhat more circumspect as well, looking less like a nightclub and more like accent lighting at a quiet speakeasy. With ambient light at the dash, doors, and footwell/center console area, the Palisade’s ambient lighting system counters excess with colorfully conservative style. See 2024 Hyundai Palisade models for sale near you
6. 2024 Lexus RX
The 2024 Lexus RX wears an aggressive exterior over an impressively comfortable and quiet cabin with truly serene ride quality. Adding to the laid-back ambiance is Lexus’ Thematic Ambient Illumination treatment, which is standard equipment on RX 350 Premium+ trims and higher. With Thematic Ambient Illumination, you can control the brightness and location of the lighting, as well as 16 themes that customize the whole lighting scheme and a 64-color palette for manual configuration. See 2024 Lexus RX models for sale near you
7. 2024 Acura TLX
The 2024 Acura TLX‘s ambient lighting is standard on all three trims: Technology, A-Spec, and Type S. Unlike many ambient lighting systems, the TLX’s Iconic Drive ambient lighting features 27 themes, with modes inspired by driving destinations and racing tracks around the world, including Suzuka Circuit in Japan, California’s Pacific coast, and even the Vegas Strip. See 2024 Acura TLX models for sale near you
8. 2024 Chevrolet Camaro
With enough excitement under the hood and behind the wheel for any three typical cars, the 2024 Chevrolet Camaro presents a remarkable value for the enthusiast. It has a 335-horsepower V6 engine and rear-wheel drive from a starting price of $30,900. The Camaro’s ambient lighting system, called Interior Spectrum Lighting, offers 24 colors to choose from. It can be linked to the car’s drive mode or put into a pulsing light show mode when parked. The Camaro’s ambient lighting system illuminates the radio, door trim, and cupholders. See 2024 Chevrolet Camaro models for sale near you
9. 2024 Ford Mustang
Like its crosstown rival, the 2024 Ford Mustang is a performance bargain. It has a 310-horsepower turbocharged 4-cylinder and RWD from a $30,920 starting price. As the first of the new seventh-generation Mustangs, the 2024 model includes ambient lighting with MyColor as standard equipment in all convertible models and EcoBoost Premium and GT Premium trim coupes. The standard GT offers the feature as an optional extra. The system offers lots of configuration, including the ability to adjust colors and themes via the main touchscreen. See 2024 Ford Mustang models for sale near you
10. 2024 Volkswagen Jetta
Despite only offering ambient lighting on the top-level SEL trim or the Jetta GLI, this German sedan is even more affordable than the muscle car twins above. The 2024 Volkswagen Jetta SEL starts from $28,825 yet offers leather seats, a panoramic sunroof, wireless device charging, a BeatsAudio system, a heated steering wheel, and more — plus ambient lighting. The Jetta’s ambient lighting offers a 10-color palette, adding accent lighting to the dash, doors, footwells, and center console area. It can be configured through the infotainment system. See 2024 Volkswagen Jetta models for sale near you
Cars With the Best Ambient Lighting
- 2024 Mercedes-EQ EQS Sedan
- 2024 BMW i4
- 2024 Porsche Taycan
- 2024 Kia EV6
- 2024 Hyundai Palisade
- 2024 Lexus RX
- 2024 Acura TLX
- 2024 Chevrolet Camaro
- 2024 Ford Mustang
- 2024 Volkswagen Jetta
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