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 are often still found in the luxury market, especially among newer electric vehicle (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 2025.
1. 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS Sedan
Starting price: $105,550
Price with ambient lighting: $105,550 (standard)
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 2025 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’ standard 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 Mercedes-EQ EQS models for sale near you
2. 2025 Genesis GV80
Starting price: $59,650
Price with ambient lighting: $59,650 (standard)
The 2025 Genesis GV80 has more than just an ambient light system. Instead, it has what Genesis calls its “Mood Curator,” a system that ties the ambient lighting together with the in-vehicle fragrance system, massaging seat functions, and can even play selected music based on the mode selected. Better yet, the Mood Curator system is standard on all GV80 SUVs and GV80 Coupes, so you can have your choice of trim, powertrain, and body type. See Genesis GV80 models for sale near you
3. 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
Starting price: $129,990
Price with ambient lighting: $149,990 (Luxury 2)
The all-new 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ is the brand’s halo electric SUV offering. With all the size and visual impact of an Escalade plus the quiet thrust of electric power, the Escalade IQ is even more luxurious. It’s also more high-tech, with a huge 55-inch dash-spanning display being just the tip of the iceberg. The Escalade IQ’s ambient lighting system has 126 color choices, available illuminated trim that pipes light through the interior décor, and laser-etched patterns in the wood trim panels that light up at night. See Cadillac Escalade models for sale near you
4. 2025 Polestar 4
Starting price: $56,300
Price with ambient lighting: $56,300 (standard)
The 2025 Polestar 4 is the first vehicle from the brand to feature a multicolor ambient lighting system, but you wouldn’t know it. The Polestar 4’s ambient light themes are based on the solar system, with planet-themed color schemes and fun astronomical facts displayed on the center screen. The ambient lighting emanates from the dashboard, center console, rear divider, and doors. An optional Star Knit door panel allows the light to shine through its perforations, creating the appearance of stars. See Polestar 4 models for sale near you
5. 2025 BMW XM
Starting price: $161,425
Price with ambient lighting: $161,425 (standard)
The 2025 BMW XM takes a different approach to the interior lighting idea. While the cabin is lit up with a gentle glow along the center console, doors, dash, and footwells, the ceiling is also side-lit. The colorful lights illuminating the textured geometric surface of the ceiling add a unique and decidedly high-end look to the cabin. Of course, with a starting price of $161,425, you might expect it to be high-end. See BMW XM models for sale near you
6. 2025 Porsche Taycan
Starting price: $101,395
Price with ambient lighting: $101,395 (standard)
Next to the 2025 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. 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 Porsche Taycan models for sale near you
7. 2025 Kia EV9
Starting price: $56,395
Price with ambient lighting: $71,395 (Land)
The 2025 Kia EV9 is a 3-row all-electric SUV that punches significantly above its price class, featuring a futuristic look and premium interior feel. Standard on the EV9 Land and GT-Line (not available on other trims), the EV9’s ambient lighting system includes dash, console, and door trim highlights. Unlike some other systems, the EV9’s ambient lighting system can paint the door trim and the footwell area in two different colors at the same time. See Kia EV9 models for sale near you
8. 2025 Lexus RX
Starting price: $50,325
Price with ambient lighting: $56,065 (RX 350 Premium+)
The 2025 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 Lexus RX models for sale near you
9. 2025 Acura MDX
Starting price: $52,550
Price with ambient lighting: $57,950 (Technology)
The 2025 Acura MDX is a stylish, comfortable, luxurious, and high-tech family SUV. All models get some ambient lighting. At the base level, the ambient LEDs light up the door handle and front-row footwell. If you are looking for multicolor ambient lighting, we recommend going up the midlevel system. The most affordable trim level it’s in is the Technology. The midlevel system, Iconic Drive Ambient LED cabin lighting, has 27 color themes, again lighting the door area and front footwell. Top-spec models get the 27 color themes, plus door (including door pocket), front footwell, instrument panel, and center console lighting.
The MDX’s ambient lighting systems are built into the trim level, with the base MDX getting the entry-level version, the Technology and A-Spec getting the mid-level system, and the Advance, A-Spec Advance, and Type S Advance getting the top-spec lighting system. The most affordable way to get the top-spec system is in the $67,650 Advance trim. See 2025 Acura MDX models for sale near you
10. 2025 Volkswagen Jetta
Starting price: $23,220
Price with ambient lighting: $30,225 (SEL)
Despite only offering ambient lighting on the top-level SEL trim or the Jetta GLI, this German sedan is even more affordable than any of the other cars on this list. The 2025 Volkswagen Jetta SEL starts from $30,225 yet offers leather seats, a sunroof, wireless device charging, 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 2025 Volkswagen Jetta models for sale near you
Cars With the Best Ambient Lighting
- 2025 Mercedes-Benz EQS
- 2025 Genesis GV80
- 2025 Cadillac Escalade IQ
- 2025 Polestar 4
- 2025 BMW XM
- 2025 Porsche Taycan
- 2025 Kia EV9 GT Line
- 2025 Lexus RX
- 2025 Acura MDX
- 2025 Volkswagen Jetta