That’s why cars like the Kia EV6 also get a lot of praise and spark a lot of enthusiasm. Kia and Hyundai have been on a steady growth pattern in the last 20 years or so. They have been offering a lot of very good cars for decent prices. With the new, electric era just around the corner, the automotive market is curious to see how they will handle it. The answer to their potential success lies in the new E-GMP platform they developed.

Electric-Focused Platform

E-GMP stands for Electric Global Modular Platform and it was developed from the ground up to house electric models, and to be modular. That means it will underpin all the Battery Electric Vehicles to come from Seoul from now on. The first effort from Kia comes in the shape of the EV6, a car that, in theory, has all the tech you could possibly need, at a decent price.

That last bit is important because customers have been getting used to great deals from their Kia dealers. They also come with some of the longest warranties in the industry and that shows that Kia stands behind its products. At the same time, the EV6 is not necessarily cheap, at least according to Kia standards. The pricing is starting at $56,000 and while in the grand scheme of things it doesn’t seem like that much, makes the EV6 the most expensive car you can get from the South Korean manufacturer right now. And that’s the starting price! So, is it worth the money?

Great Looks With Higher Price Tags

The EV6 definitely has the looks for that price tag. It’s the first Kia to step away from what has become a trademark feature on the South Korean models lately: the Tiger Nose. Understandably so since the front end of the EV6 had to be streamlined and blocked out to make the car as aerodynamic as possible.

The front fascia is dominated by the headlights and their V-shaped LED daytime running lights, along with the noticeable creases on the hood. The nose is very slanted and the hood is rather big, making the whole fron- end of the car seem like it’s somehow an arrowhead pointing down. Round the back, you can’t help but notice the lightbar spreading from side to side and a somewhat familiar design, if you’ve ever seen an Aston Martin DBX.

In the metal, the EV6 feels a lot bigger than it does in the pictures. The proportions of the car make it seem smaller than it actually is. It’s nearly 1.9-meters wide and 4.7 meters long, making it an easy crossover, not a sporty hatchback as you might’ve thought at first.

It’s the length that takes you by surprise the most. Thanks to the modular, electric platform it is built on, the EV6 has its wheels positioned towards the extremities of the car’s body, offering an ample wheelbase of 2.9-meters. That’s along the lines of what a 5 Series will get you, but with a lot more room inside.

Step inside and you’ll notice that there’s ample room for just about anything, with one exception: headroom. For some reason, the Kia designers decided to somehow flatten the greenhouse of the EV6. Even though it’s just 1.550 millimeters tall, its ground clearance of 160 millimeters somehow squishes the proportions of the car. From the outside you may miss it. Sure, the keen-eyed will notice the small windows, but you really take it in once you step inside.

Up front and in the back, the headroom is rather limited, if you’re over 6-ft tall. That’s surprising, to say the least. Luckily, there’s ample knee room and those in the back can recline their seats, to get a bit more headroom. If you’re on the driver’s seat though and you’re tall, you might be looking at the sun visor most of the time while driving.

The floor is flat though and favors using it to the max. Up front, the center armrest has a floating design and plenty of storage spaces for everything you could imagine. There are also no less than four charging outlets (including the 12V socket) and you could probably shove a small backpack in the storage space under the armrest.

Plenty Of Tech And Good Quality Materials

As for the materials used, the perceived quality in this car will vary depending on the way you spec it. Our tester was a GT-Line model with all the bells and whistles. Those included perforated leather and a soft-touch plastic on the dash and center armrest. The door panels also feature soft-touch plastics on the top half and a cheaper alternative towards the bottom. The dashboard is where things become even more interesting. That’s because it is dominated by two 12.3-inch screens that come as standard on all EV6 models. They are, as you might be suspecting, used as an instrument cluster and infotainment system. Both have great graphics, high resolutions and work flawlessly. You get Android Auto and Apple Carplay as standard.

Inside the right-side screen you’ll find a menu for the electric gremlins under the sheet metal, letting you know that there’s a massive battery hidden in the floor along with one or two electric motors powering the car.

Depending on what you choose, the EV6 can be had in a number of guises. There are two rear-wheel drive versions and two all-wheel drive alternatives, the latter coming with a dual-motor setup, one for each axle. You can also choose from two different battery sizes: 58 kWh and 77 kWh. Our tester was the RWD Long Range version. That means it had one electric motor, on the rear axle, good for 228 HP and 350 Nm of torque, quenching its thirst for electrons from a 77-kWh battery.

310 Miles on EPA Rating

According to the EPA, this version of the EV6 should have a range of 310 miles on a single charge (500 kilometers), which is incredibly impressive. If you do the math, it will add up to 4 miles/kWh. However, real life scenarios will differ and really put this claim to the test. During my time with the car, the results were wildly different but there were also some elements working against the EV6.

As we all know, electric cars really don’t fare well in cold weather. Studies have shown that the range in the cold can drop by 10 to 40%, or even more. Unfortunately for me, while I had the car for testing purposes, the exterior temperature didn’t go over 5 degrees Celsius. Most of the time, they were actually negative, around -2 degrees. Furthermore, the car was wearing winter tires and 20” wheels, which are known to be less efficient that the 19” ones on which WLTP and EPA tests are carried out.

That said, the overall energy consumption recorded by the car was around 21 kWh/100 km covered. Around town, the range was about 370 kilometers while on the highway, at an average speed of 130 km/h, that range dropped to around 300 kilometers. I should mention that I did not cut any creature comforts either, keeping the AC at 21 degrees Celsius and using only Comfort mode at all times. Eco or ECO+ modes might’ve helped but I wasn’t chasing the best possible result but more along the lines of a worst-case scenario. It’s better to arrive at a charger with more range than you expected than the other way around.

Speaking of which, the EV6 does have a massive plus on its side when it comes to charging: the 800V architecture. That means that it can take up more power from the charger than most of its rivals, the maximum being 350 kW. If you can find a charger that powerful, you should replenish your battery (up to 80%) in some 18 minutes. Shockingly fast!

The problem is, such powerful chargers are scarce and you rarely come across one. Most of the DC CCS chargers are 50 kW or 75 kW units and that means the charging process will take a lot longer. During my time with the car, I used a 75 kW charger twice, getting the battery from 40% to 80% on both occasions in about 20 minutes.

Driving Experience

Once charged up, you can set off to see how this car drives and it’s not bad at all. Kia says it was developed to deliver a sportier ride than its Hyundai Ioniq 5 brother and, even though I didn’t get to drive that car yet, the EV6 felt rather well damped and planted on the road.

The suspension is one of the highlights, absorbing bumps and imperfections rather well. That’s one of the faults that many electric cars have to this day, especially those developed on platforms that were initially designed for ICE models. The added weight of the batteries makes the ride harsh and unsettled. That was not the case with the EV6 and you could tell it was created from the ground up to be electric. The dampening was perfectly set up, and the car keeps its composure in most situations, remaining quiet over uneven surfaces too.

Don’t think of it as a sports car though, at least not in this Long Range, RWD guise. Sure, you can get the back to slide out as the instant torque will spin up the rear wheels, but we’re still talking about a car that weighs 2 tons and has just 228 HP. Therefore, the 0-100 km/h sprint takes 7.3 seconds and the top speed is limited to 185 km/h.

Even so, in Sport mode, the EV6 feels lively. The steering is direct but lacks feedback, but the rear end is bursting at the seams with torque, every time you even look in the direction of the go-faster pedal. The weight is well distributed over both axles and, even though it doesn’t have adaptive dampers, the car’s weight is kept well under control. The ride is a bit on the harsher side of things but I wouldn’t necessarily call it stiff.

And while driving it fast definitely will get your heartbeat going, it’s when you relax behind the wheel that you actually get to enjoy the EV6. The new-age EV comes with a lot of tech on-board to help you out, from adaptive regenerative braking (which works wonderful) to driving aides of all sorts. You can get a steering assistant, highway driving assistant and you’re kept safe at all times by the blind-spot monitoring system that uses the cameras in the side mirrors to warn you if there’s anything behind you. Once you turn on the blinker, a live feed from the cameras pops up un your dash.

The highway assistant isn’t bad either. It will actually help you switch lanes. Once you turn the adaptive cruise control on, along with the lane keeping assistant, the HDA will be on too. Therefore, once you signal a lane switch, the car will actually turn for you ever so slightly. You’ll still be better off doing it yourself, but it’s a nice gesture from Kia to include this system in the mix.

Another nice bit of tech the EV6 has is Vehicle to Load. This technology is considered a sort of essential kit by many car makers in the industry. That’s because it allows the car to feed energy into the grid, not just the other way around. In the future, when electric cars will be dominating the scene, this tech could help stabilize grids when they are under heavy stress. Furthermore, you can also use this tech to power up various appliances or even another electric car, albeit only with up to 3.5 kW.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, the EV6 delivers on all fronts and then some. It’s a capable, comfortable and sometimes sporty car that has all the tech it needs to become a best-seller. It is, without a doubt, one of the best electric cars out there today, faults included. The only issue some people will find with it will be the price and that’s only because this is a Kia. Overall though, it’s worth the money, if you’re interested in a cutting-edge electric model.

The post TEST DRIVE: KIA EV6 – One Of The Best Electric Crossovers appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

They didn’t just include the Mustang name in the whole grand scheme of things, they kinda made it a brand of its own. Look at the Mustang Mach-E from the outside and you’ll notice that there’s not one single blue oval on it. Is Ford trying to hide its own logo from the car? No, not really. They are just trying to emphasize the fact that this car is less Ford and more Mustang, if that makes any sense.

In all fairness, the Mustang became a brand over more than 50 years since the original Pony car was unveiled. It managed to fascinate enough people that it is now one of the most widely known names in the industry. Ask Ford about that and they’ll say other reasons were behind their choice. According to the official press release, the Mustang name was chosen because the new EV SUV shares some of the characteristics that made the pony car a success: it’s bold, fun to drive and good to look at among other things. Is it though?

A Mustang-Like Design

Some of you might remember the 2011 Ford Focus electric model that was so bad it was only sold in limited numbers. So nobody really remembers it. It did exist though and showed Ford that they have to change their strategy if they want to make a good EV. And they did. They created a new platform that is now being used for electric vehicles alone. This Global Electrified Platform 1 is actually based on the same underpinnings they used for the likes of the Ford Focus, Ford Kuga and other such models. It is, however, heavily reworked, to adapt to the needs of an EV and it will be used on more than just the Mach-E later down the line.

Even so, the exterior design is not necessarily influenced by it. However, Ford had to keep the name of the final product in mind and they decided to give the SUV a Mustang-like design. Up front you’ll notice a long hood and a huge, blocked-out grille dominating the front fascia, with a digital Mustang embedded in it. I’m saying ‘digital Mustang’ because the traditional logo we all know now has horizontal lines through it, to symbolize the ‘digital era’ we live in.

Even though it doesn’t have the traditional layout you’d find on a regular Mustang, you can’t help but tell that this car is part of the same family. Kudos to the designers who managed to pen an aerodynamic body with a very familiar feel to it. Maybe the headlamps have something to do with it too, as they do resemble to some extent the ones on the fastback coupe models.

From the sides, the massive body holds tall windows to make sure the occupants never suffer from claustrophobia. The tall body also means you’ll have to get the biggest wheels to fill the wells. 18” wheels are the bare minimum, but we’d recommend going even bigger if you can afford it.

It is also from the side that you’ll notice another couple of interesting tricks. For example, the roofline reminds us of the fastback lines of the Coupe Mustang. However, the roof sits in between the pillars, a bit taller, but dressed in black, to trick the eye. And it works. From the sides, you’d think this is a Coupe SUV but in reality, there’s ample room in the back for even taller adults.

Round the back, the tri-bar taillights tell you only one thing: this may be an SUV, but it has Mustang written all over it. Overall, the entire design team deserves a raise for how this car turned out. As for the whole ‘SUV’ definition, some might have a point to make here. The tall body of the car definitely works in the favor of that definition. The high riding position also makes you feel like you’re in command all the time, with a good view of the road ahead. However, with only 14 centimeters of ground clearance, this can hardly qualify as an SUV. It’s more of a crossover overall.

Tons Of Tech Inside The Cabin

From the inside though, you couldn’t really tell. As I mentioned before, the driver’s seat is positioned rather high, mainly because of the hefty batteries hidden in the floor. But there’s more to it than just that. The moment you get in, you’ll notice a few interesting design choices. While Ford will adamantly deny it, the infotainment screen definitely seems to have been ‘inspired’ by the rivals over at Tesla. Regardless of the model, you get the same, portrait-style 15.5-inch screen right in the middle of the dash.

It’s a good-looking screen, with a lot of technology in it, a high resolution and fast response time. It hosts the new SYNC 4 system and has a lot of tricks up its sleeve but it won’t be for everyone. According to Ford, the physical volume button you’ll see at the bottom of the screen was a must have for the customers that tested the car before being approved and I have to say I found it very comforting to use.

The screen is basically split in two: the upper half is what you would normally find on an infotainment screen while the bottom works more like a HVAC/shortcut/multimedia control section. It’s well thought out for the most part, but it does have a large number of submenus, since all physical buttons have been eliminated.

Right in front of the driver, behind the steering wheel, there’s an additional 10” screen. This one is meant to be an instrument cluster, showing you the speed, battery state of charge and some other features of the car while on the road. It may be slim but it is very useful.

Ergonomically, everything is well set up and within reach. The seats are comfortable, the materials used inside of good quality and I’d even dare say above the segment’s average. There are smart choices everywhere, and even though you might not be treated to the best wood and leather trims, there’s a good mix of different materials inside. From the Bang & Olufsen sound system that looks like a soundbar was embedded into the dashboard, to the panoramic roof or the leatherette upholstery, it’s all nice and comfy inside.

There’s ample room in all seats, including in the back, more so than in the VW iD.4 for example and you get a better tactile sensation on the door panels, with better plastic being used in the Ford overall.

On the technology side of things, Ford didn’t play around. The car is delivered with only one physical key. That’s a deliberate choice, as the blue oval company wants you to actually use its new app for the car (FordPass Connect) that allows you to turn your smartphone into a key. And that’s not all, as you can control a number of the car’s features, from a distance, via your phone.

But what if you run out of battery? The driver’s door has an old-school numpad on it and you can set an access code that will unlock the car. Furthermore, once inside, you can turn the car on by using a PIN that you can set for the infotainment system. This way, you don’t even need your phone or your key to drive this car.  And that’s all on top of the usual tech bits like remove software updates, a vast amount of driving aides and so on.

Two Battery Packs

Since this is an electric car, every owner will focus on the performance and especially the range the Mach-E can offer. To that end, the new all-electric car has a number of choices for your needs. There are two batteries available: a 68 kWh one and an 88-kWh alternative. Those are the usable amounts of power you can store, the total energy capacity being 78 and 99 kWh, respectively. They can be coupled with either one or two electric motors, if you want all wheel drive.

The cheapest you can get is the 68 kWh battery combined with a 269 HP electric motor on the rear axle. There’s also a 294 HP alternative with RWD and a 351 HP model with all wheel drive. The latter only comes with the 88 kWh battery and was the one we tested. If you think that’s not enough, there’s also a Mach-E GT choice out there, with 487 HP.

Our tester had a range claim, according to the WLTP testing procedure of 540 kilometers (335 miles), which is pretty darn impressive. Does the Mach-E actually reach those values? Yes. And it can do even better. During my time with the car, I managed an average energy consumption of 17 kWh/100 km covered, adding up to a range of 517 kilometers (321 miles) around town. That was without cutting any of the creature comforts I needed and it was done in 40-degree Celsius weather.

Outside the city limits, that average dropped to 16 kWh/100 km on B-roads and went back up to 18 kWh/100 km on the highway. That’s between 550 and 488 km (341 and 303 miles) with a single charge. Those are some of the best results I’ve seen in an electric car. Charging the battery can be achieved using a charger of up to 150 kW, meaning you should get up to 80% charge in 43 minutes.

But how does the car handle during all these miles? In one word: better than expected. The two electric motors are set up in such a way that the rear one does most of the work. Therefore, when you drive the car, it mostly feels like a rear-wheel drive model. Start throwing it into a series of twisty bits and it pushes the rear end outwards with ease, making you smile in the process. The front end will chip in from time to time, especially when launching it from standstill, as the Mach-E in this AWD, 351 HP configuration will do 0-100 km/h in 5.1 seconds. Not bad for a 2-ton car.

There is a bit of body roll because of that weight and it does show at higher speeds. Luckily, most of it is located in between the axles and right beneath you. According to Ford, the Mach-E’s center of gravity is just half an inch higher than in a ‘regular’ Mustang which is, of course, good news for enthusiastic drivers.

And the Mach-E is actually one of the lighter cars in this segment. Even so, that weight works against it if you want to drive in a sporty fashion. The rather narrow tires start to squeal quite a lot at higher speeds in corners and the front-end grip is not exactly phenomenal. Therefore, you can understeer if you’re not careful.

Other than being thoughtful with your right foot, the Mustang Mach-E is actually quite enjoyable to drive. You get three driving modes, which have different names, depending on where you live. The sportiest one, Untamed, increases the amount of fake noise you get through the speakers, simulating a sort of digital V8, if you will. It’s quite weird, to be frank, because the frequency of the burble definitely reminded me of a V8 but it was all synthetic at the same time.

Straight line acceleration and pedal response are just as you would expect from an EV: immediate. If you press the go-faster pedal to the metal, no matter in which driving mode you’re in, the Mustang Mach-E jumps ahead so you might want to make sure you have enough room to go.

The ride is a bit less refined than ideal. Over smaller bumps the dampers feel a bit overwhelmed by the weight of the car and there are noticeable sounds making their way into the cabin. The whole suspension seems like it’s working overtime to keep you comfy and yet it falls short every time. If you’re driving over poor roads, it becomes even more noticeable how much the McPherson setup up front is struggling to keep everything down to a hum.

Luckily, at higher speeds, things get a bit better. The overall sound isolation of the car is good, maybe a bit better than the class average and the suspension seems to handle things a bit better too.

Sportier Than Its Main Rivals

Leaving the name aside, the Mach-E doesn’t drive as good as the car it is sharing its name with, but you’d be a fool to expect that considering how different they are. Nevertheless, the electric SUV does drive like the electric Mustang it is claiming to be, staying true to its origins. It’s definitely sportier than the VW iD.4 or the Skoda Enyaq, two of its main rivals. Chip in the spacious cabin and one of the best autonomies out there and you get a very good overall mix that’s already a best-seller in a number of markets.

The post We test drove the new Ford Mustang Mach-E appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

The official market introduction of the Mercedes EQS is therefore a pinnacle moment in the future of the German car brand, who released the EQC a few years ago. You might remember that this vehicle proved to be a less of a worthy competitor in a tough segment , so Mercedes-Benz have to make up for its losses and show what it’s really capable of with the newly released EQS.

The EQS is the first all-electric luxury saloon from the Mercedes-EQ brand, a technological showcase and also the first model to be based on the modular architecture for luxury and executive-class electric vehicles. Three more body shapes will be released the coming years on this platform, which have been developed over the last five years. There will be an EQS SUV, EQE and EQE SUV. Maybach and AMG variants will also be released complementing the lineup of luxury Mercedes EVs.

Two models available at launch

There are only two variants are available at launch; the base single motor EQS 450+ and the dual motor EQS 580 4Matic. Each flavor will be available with a range of options, features and a 107,8 kWh 400 V battery pack between both axles. The total range available is 780 km (on the EQS 450+). Charging is possible up to 200 kW via a fast charger. The charging curve looks similar to other models in the luxury space and allows for a 11% to 80% charge in 30 minutes. 300 km of range is added in 15 minutes depending on the amount of charge left inside the battery.

The extensive electric range of the EQS offers drivers the option to drive from Stuttgart to Monaco with only two 15-minute charging stops. Those are stops you would normally take when you want to stretch your legs or get a bite to eat. Nothing out of the ordinary for those stepping from a “normal” car into the EQS. The extensive range really comes as a handy add-on to the experience of the vehicle.

To improve its efficiency, the Germans made sure that the EQS (only with AMG line and low-drag wheels) has a drag coefficient of only 0.2, which lets the EV S-line model glide through the air with as little resistance as possible. The arching roofline helps as well. The attractive looking vehicle offers a few unique details such as the absence of a front trunk (only to be opened during servicing), the funky little filler cap for the washer fluid next to the front left door and the intriguing front grille with dozens of tiny little star shapes. The overall design offers the grandeur of an S-Class combined with the funky nature of an EV. I’m not sure this combination is what clients in this space are looking for, but time will tell how much of a success the EQS is over the new S-Class, which has had its own divisive design nature when it was launched.

Comfort doors

Another feature to touch on are the automatic comfort doors, which weren’t fully finished on my test car and often proved to be more of an annoyance than a nice feature that everyone should opt for. If I would have the option, I would leave them off the EQS, since they didn’t really offer much of an enhanced experience over what the EQS already brings to the table. These kind of doors belong to a level of luxury where only Bentley and Rolls-Royce are situated in my opinion. The EQS isn’t at that level.

Still, the EQS is the first official luxury EV in the market space. There has not been a vehicle like this so far and even though the Tesla Model X Plaid or Porsche Taycan Turbo S are able to play in the same pool when it comes to their price tags, they are totally different cars. Some of which you will see when you enter the cabin. The cargo space in the trunk is huge and even slightly bigger than a S-Class, and there is plenty of room in the folding back seats.

The interior is impressive with materials, fit and finish seen in the S-Class and even in specific Maybach models. The soft leather, nice plastics, metal and wood finishes are a lust for the eyes and your fingertips. The only niggles to be found are the base of the seats, which are too short for people with long legs. Basically the seats are a little short on lateral support and the door handle is a notch too flimsy for my liking.

In comparison to the Porsche, you are riding in a chariot instead of a sports car and Tesla isn’t in the same league with its cheap plastics, mediocre build quality and low feature specification.

Hyperscreen

The pride of the cabin is the optional glass hyperscreen which is 56 inch, and includes three separate displays. It allows you to communicate with the vehicle via touch and voice commands starting with the familiar “Hey Mercedes” prompt. There is also a head-up display with augmented-reality navigation instructions. There is no major controller anywhere on the dashboard, although you can go through features via the touchpads on the steering wheel.

The only buttons on the center tunnel are the On/Off, the audio volume, the dynamic driving mode, the EQ modes, the parking distance control and the hazard lights. There is an abundance of storage space, 8 usb-c port and 3 wireless charging pads

The MBUX menu was altered to accommodate the new displays. In front of the driver you will notice the 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, which offers a wide array of functionality which we have seen before. The 17.7-inch OLED display in the middle serves as the primary infotainment system and now shows a new series of EQ features with lots of details and a zero layer that overlays the main menu and many different controls on top a full-screen map display. If you prefer, you can return to the old-fashioned look via the one of the hundreds of settings available to you as a driver.

Three of the four passengers will have the option to control their multimedia via a dedicated screen in front of them. The passenger in the front will use the third touch display, while two rear passengers sitting at either side of the car will use the optional rear multimedia attached to the front seats. The connectivity allows each person to connect their own Bluetooth headsets, enjoy their own multimedia, set navigation destinations and determine their own set up with the four-zone climate control.

The driver can assist each passenger, and will be able to use the navigation preset as the preferred destination for the drive. This means no more fighting over a radio channel! Another clever feature is a small camera which will pause any movie played on the display if the driver takes his or her eyes of the road.

The newly adapted MBUX offers a range of nifty features and has been improved when it comes to its voice control system. The system however requires a decent learning curve finding your way through the extended options, features and buttons. Even the Mercedes-Benz engineers on-site had a hard time finding the right settings during my private demo, needing that one or two seconds more to find the right option or onscreen button.

There are more intuitive systems available in the market, which are less bloated with features. All in all, the less is more approach wasn’t the first approach with MBUX and it is noticeable, but that doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to get hang of it. It will just take a bit longer than some of its competitors. However, I think we should all be happy you can still control your lights and driving mode via stalks connected to the steering column and that the horn is placed in the center underneath the Mercedes star on a round-shaped steering wheel.

Driving the EQS

With the exterior and interior review behind us, it is time to touch on the elephant in the room: the ability of the EQS of being an EV and its pure driving characteristics. Those start with the seating position, which feels surprisingly different the moment you leave its parking position and get on the move. My first drive was inside the EQS 580 4Matic with its dual motors, 524 hp and 855 Nm. This allows the sedan to reach 100 kmh in 4,3 seconds and up to a top speed of 209 kmh.

First of all, your position behind the wheel feels like as if you are placed in a higher SUV-like seating position, but this is an optical illusion due to the high dashboard, sloping front and the fact that you don’t see the bonnet from behind the wheel. It is also remarkably quiet inside the EQS, like as if you are inside a closed sound camber with no tire noise, engine vibrations or other sounds gas-powered cars would usually emit.

The first few meters require you to adjust yourself and focus on the inputs from the steering, the throttle and the brakes which are also not what I expected. Don’t get me wrong the EQS is nippy like any other EV due to it abundance of immediate torque, but the way you are connected to the car, the road and your environment is simply emotionless.

The drama-free experience behind the wheel is an immensely polished experience where you as a driver are constantly remembered of what you miss so dearly. The twisty roads in the Swiss Alps emphasized where it goes wrong for the EQS.

Let’s start with the steering which felt vague and not communicative on its initial turn-in. As soon as you are mid-corner, the magnificent 10-degrees rear axle steering will give you confidence, but before that you have a hard time placing the car correctly into a turn.

The braking is a story on its own. The initial confident-inspiring bite is absent due to the way the Germans introduced the option to select your preferred level of brake generation via the steering wheel mounted paddle shifters. The modulation of the brakes in any of these modes proved to be annoying due to the weird mix between friction onto the brake pads and the recuperation of the motors. The best choice is leaving the recuperation completely disengaged, but even then the brake pedal travel is too long to really give you immediate confidence.

The final point to note is the four-corner adaptive air suspension, which felt smooth and in the right environment on highways and smooth roads. The moment the suspension hits undulated swooping roads filled with potholes, it becomes jerky and wobbly due to the heavy weight – around 2500 kgs. Add this to the seats which lack lateral support and before you know it you are being thrown around the cabin in a way which is totally out of fashion to the EQS’ exclusive nature.

I can absolutely say that the EQS is far from a driver’s car. In many ways it is the total opposite of what a Porsche Taycan or Audi E-tron GT are able to convey to its drivers as an EV. Of course, none of the current EQS variants are meant for maximum-attack canyon driving. AMG will hopefully take care of this and bring back a bit more feel and emotion into the cabin. Next time I would personally position myself in one of the passenger seats inside the EQS rather than behind the wheel, especially if you enjoy and require some immediate feedback from the car.

You really need to recalibrate yourself when you step behind the wheel of the new EQS. Mercedes-EQ’s first electric sedan excels in the way it is able to bring you from A to B to C to D in sheer comfort and luxury. But as a package, it is not as good as the new S-Class for being an executive car in all of its true essence. Still the German engineers did a wonderful job creating the best luxury EV on the market today. This one surpasses the levels of luxury offered by any current EV combined with an extensive battery range and a few nifty features making the experience more enjoyable on a daily basis. If you are after such a package, then the EQS is your absolute go-to option.

The best metaphor for the EQS could well be the place where Mercedes invited me for my first drive: Switzerland. A lovely serene place known for its lovely views, breathtaking sceneries and a polished daily living experience, but also one which doesn’t share much passion and emotion and often requires you to recalibrate your senses to a much more aloof, slower and reserved pace.

[Photos: Mercedes-Benz]

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The BMW X4 came out first in 2014 while the Mercedes-Benz GLC Coupe followed just a year later. From then on out, it looked like the two SUV Coupe models were simply waiting for their third friend to show up for the playdate and it just kept on running late. Finally, some five years later, the Q5 Sportback popped up.

The Q5 Coupe

In true Audi fashion, the Sportback nameplate means that this is a sort of Coupe version of the very popular Q5 SUV. Yes, it’s that kind of car that doesn’t really make sense and yet it will sell rather well, if its rivals are anything to go by. The Q5 Sportback came out along with the facelift of the current Audi Q5 SUV and it shares a lot with it, from design to the platform underneath.

In terms of exterior design, you’ll notice a lot of familiar shapes. Up front, the unibody grille dominates the front fascia with similar design lines as the Q5 SUV. The headlamps have a similar design, the side scuttles and even the wheels are similar up to a point. Everything is basically the same up until you reach the B-pillar. From there towards the end of the car everything starts going down. Literally.

Since this is supposed to be a Sportback model, its roofline is obligated to slope towards the tailgate. It gives the car a more aggressive look overall while the tailgate houses a new design for the taillights. You can fit a number of OLED taillights on the Q5 Sportback, with different designs and animations, catering to your preferences.

The Downsides Of A Sloping Roofline

The sloping roofline also cuts into the headroom in the back and the usable space available in the boot. According to Audi, you only lose 6 millimeters of headroom, so that’s not terribly bad. But, when it comes to the boot, things don’t go over so smoothly. The boot has just 475 liters of space, mainly because of its shape but also because, this being a plug-in hybrid and all, it needs some of the room to store the battery.

But that’s the only place where you’ll notice a difference compared to a non-hybrid version in the range. Get inside the cabin and you’ll be met with a lot of room up front, both for the head and the elbows. The fit and finish is up to par with the usual Audi standards and the Q5 Sportback felt like it was built to last 50 years.

The Typical Audi Interior

No squeaks, not creaks and everything was flush and perfectly integrated. Since the Q5 Sportback shares its MLB Evo platform with its older brother, some things inside the cabin are exactly the same.

The dashboard, for example, is identical and so is the screen on top of it. Whereas in newer models you get an infotainment screen embedded into the dash, on the Q5 Sportback that’s not the case. As a matter of fact, the screen looks so out of place you start wondering whether it retracts into the dash or not. It doesn’t.

Other than that, though, there’s little to complain about. There are some areas covered in piano black that will show every single fingerprint, dust and scratches, and there’s almost no adequate place where you can put your phone. I know it may sound odd, but we’re so deeply connected with our phones and there’s just nowhere to put in in the center console. At least the storage space inside the center armrest is huge.

The seats of our tester were the optional S-Line ones. As a matter of fact, the car was wearing the S-Line package and it made it feel and look a lot more aggressive than usual. The leather upholstery and the Alcantara center patches felt nice to the touch while the side bolstering of the seats kept me in place while thoroughly enjoying the resources of the engine-motor combo, without feeling too harsh on longer trips.

Just like the Q5, the instrument cluster is digital with a high resolution, and all the info you could possibly need. The steering wheel right has a nice touch to it, with perforated leather and a red S at the bottom, to remind you of the optional package installed on the car.

As for the rear seats, they are a bit more cramped than on the regular Q5 but you’ll have enough room if you’re about 6-ft tall. Anything above that and you might be a bit uncomfortable. That’s understandable though as, even though the wheelbase and width of the car are the same as on the Q5, the roof is some 62 millimeters lower, at a total of 1,600 millimeters in height for the car.

Shared Drivetrains With The Q5

As for the drivetrains, they too are shared with the rest of the Q5 range and a lot of other models in the VAG line-up. Our tester though was the most powerful Audi Q5 Sportback you can buy today, aside from the SQ5. This was the Audi Q5 Sportback 55 TFSIe. As the name suggests, it is a hybrid.

If you want to buy a plug-in hybrid Q5 Sportback you have two choices: the Audi Q5 50 TFSIe or the 55 TFSIe. And even though the names suggest that there’s a lot more going on under the hood of the latter, that’s not exactly true.

Regardless which one you get, you’ll have the same powertrain layout available. That’s a 2-liter, 4-cylinder turbocharged petrol mill making 265 HP and 370 Nm hooked up to an additional electric motor, good for 143 HP and 350 Nm of torque. The battery is also the same: 14.4 kWh usable, stored in the same space in the boot.

So, what’s the deal then? Well, Audi decided to separate the two, performance-wise, using a different software. If the 50 TFSIe can deliver up to 299 HP and 450 Nm of torque at most, using both power sources, the 55 TFSIe can deliver up to 367 HP and 500 Nm of torque. So it’s all down to software, otherwise the two cars are identical.

Driving Experience

We were lucky enough to be handed the keys to the 55 TFSIe, which is, as we already mentioned, the most powerful Q5 you can buy today. However, it’s not also the fastest. That’s because all those electric goodies added to it make it heavy. To be more precise, a 55 TFSIe model is exactly 300 kilos heavier than a non-PHEV counterpart and that matters when it comes to handling and performance. That’s why, the less powerful SQ5 is faster to 100 km/h from standstill by 0.2 seconds, compared to the 5.3 seconds the 55 TFSIe model needs.

You can feel that extra weight in other cases too. The suspension, for example, had to be reinforced to cope with the added kilos and that takes a toll on the ride quality. Don’t get me wrong, the Q5 is a master at absorbing the wrinkles in the road, but over certain surfaces it will transmit some of the jolts inside the cabin and, through the seats, into your backside. Furthermore, at times, those jolts will also make themselves heard.

And it’s not just the comfort that has to suffer, it’s the handling too. We already know that having the most power in the range doesn’t make the 55 TFSIe model the fastest in a straight line. But I have a hunch that it’s even worse if you were to take it to a track. There’s a decent amount of lateral grip, when you decide to push this car to see how well it can handle, but as the speed piles on, so are the forces pushing you out of the ideal line. The tires start to squeal and understeer pops up, ruining the fun.

But this approach might not be the best at the end of the day. The Audi Q5 Sportback 55 TFSIe was not designed to be a track queen. It was engineered to cater to the needs of those wanting some stylish German car in the parking lot, to be used mainly around town, where the PHEV would really shine. And that’s exactly where it feels most at home.

Drive it around town and the Q5 Sportback is a rewarding companion. It’s eerily quiet inside the cabin, especially since you’ll be doing a lot of driving in EV mode, and it offers a commanding view of the road ahead. It’s comfortable and, if you’re careful, you can get a decent amount of electric range out of it.

To this end, we tested it out over several days, in different driving scenarios. The car starts off in EV mode if the battery is charged. However, if you want, you can choose from three other modes as well, using a dedicated button located under the HVAC panel. You can go for Auto-Hybrid mode, which lets the car decide what powerplant to use or two modes that allow you to either recharge the battery up to a certain percentage, using the internal combustion engine, or maintain the current state of charge.

With a full battery, the average electric range recorded around town was 48 kilometers (30 miles) with an energy consumption around 28 kWh/100 km covered. That’s a bit shy of the 60 kilometers claimed by Audi but still pretty decent.

Go outside the city limits and the car can drive in electric mode at speeds up to 140 km/h but not for long. After that, you’ll be relying solely on the internal combustion engine and the average fuel consumption recorded was 6.5 l/100 km (36.2 mpg) which isn’t bad at all, considering you rarely get to use the electric motor.

The 2-liter, 265 HP petrol mill does its job rather well and you rarely hear any noise from it inside the cabin. Furthermore, even after the battery shows 0% charge in the on-board computer, the car still has a buffer available so that you can actually drive the Q5 Sportback TFSIe as a regular full-hybrid. That also means you get a small boost from it, in case you need it, under hard acceleration.

However, as it is the case with every plug-in hybrid out there, you really have to be sure you need such a setup before committing to buy. Plug-in hybrid cars have a very limited scenario in which they actually work. They have to be recharged and used at least partially as electric vehicles, to make any sort of sense.

Hybrid Or Conventional Powertrains?

If you’re going to buy this car and only charge it occasionally, you’re better off with a ‘regular’ petrol or diesel powered Q5. At least you won’t be carrying an additional 300 kilos with you everywhere, increasing your fuel consumption. Instead, if you can charge your car every day (either at work or at home) and use it as an electric vehicle at least half the time, the Audi Q5 55 TFSIe is for you, provided the electric range is enough for your needs.

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That’s why the Stuttgart-based manufacturer decided to launch the EQ sub-brand, a move showing the world what their engineers can up with on short notice. The EQ sub-brand is currently made up of two different types of cars: those built on bespoke platforms and those sharing their underpinnings with regular models.

Therefore, models like the EQS will have superior specs in every way as the design and engineering was done from the ground up for it to be an electric car. At the other end of the spectrum, you’ll find models like the EQA, an electric alternative to those looking for a cleaner version of the already quite popular Mercedes-Benz GLA.

The Electric GLA

Therefore, the EQA is nothing more than the electric version of the GLA and you can tell from the moment you look at it. Sure, there are some key differences between the two, design wise, but overall, the proportions are identical. Mercedes did try to separate them and, in all fairness, they succeeded, as it will be impossible to mix the two up if you look at them from the front or the back.

The front fascia of the EQA has a massive ‘grille’ that dominates the entire front end. It’s blocked out and has a lightbar at the top, connecting the headlamps which also feature LEDs all around, including for the DRLs. The blocked-out grille was necessary, in order to improve the aerodynamic coefficient of the car which now sits at 0.28 cd. Overall, though, the shape of the grille is different and the headlamps as well, making the EQA stand out compared to its dirtier brother.

The side profile shows no meaningful changes apart from a badge here and there and a set of aerodynamically-optimized wheels. Move to the back though and you’ll notice a thing or two. The light-bar motif continues here too, with an LED strip going from one side of the car to the other.

The taillights themselves have a familiar feel, resembling what you see on other Mercedes-Benz models in the range today. The lack of a tailpipe won’t be such an issue as a lot of Mercedes cars right now are lacking those elements too, keeping them hidden behind the bumper. Size-wise the two cars are basically identical too from the outside, staying within the limits set by the segment.

A Familiar Look Inside

Step inside and the same theme continues. Nothing is changed apart from the seating position. Everything looks the same, the materials used are of the same quality and the build is just as good as in the regular GLA. However, since the EQA has to fit a sizeable amount of battery cells in the floor, there are some noticeable differences in terms of room and seating.

The front seats seem to be a bit higher than in the GLA while the rear ones remain fixed to the same height. That changes the way you perceive the car and its center of gravity when driving, but we’ll dissect that later on. In the back though, the main difference you’ll notice is that your legs will form a higher angle with the seat, possibly leading to back pain on longer trips. The elevated position of your thighs in the back shows exactly why modular platforms might not work for every car.

Other than that, the same MBUX infotainment system awaits once you’re inside the car, with its usual impressive resolution, flawless graphics and smooth transitions. The build quality is good but not necessarily on par with more expensive Mercedes models. There is a lack of perceived quality on the door panels, for example, and on the top of the dashboard.

Sure, the fit is impeccable but better plastics could’ve been used in key areas. It just doesn’t feel like a proper Mercedes-Benz overall and that goes for the leather used on the seats as well, which seems like a distant cousin of what the German giant used to put in its cars some time ago.

And this is where the EQA suffers, quite a lot, especially because of the increasing variety you get in this segment today. Normally, you wouldn’t compare the fit and finish of a Volkswagen with a Mercedes-Benz, regardless of the segment. And yet, having recently tested the iD.4 too, these two cars felt very similar in build quality and I would even dare say the VW felt a bit better inside. And when you compare the specs, the story gets even worse for the EQA.

The all-electric Mercedes-Benz comes with three powertrain choices. The entry-level EQA 250 is the one we had for testing purposes and it uses a 190 HP motor on the front axle alone, capable of delivering 375 Nm as well. There’s also an EQA 300 4Matic and an EQA 350 4Matic, both cars using a dual-motor setup for all-wheel drive and with more power (228 HP and 292 HP respectively).

What’s The Electric Range?

Yet regardless of the model, you get the same battery under the floor, which adds up to 66.5 kWh in total. As you can imagine, the estimated range will drop on the more powerful cars but our tester had a shiny window sticker saying it will happily do 426 kilometers on a full charge, according to the WLTP testing procedure. Did it, though?

Well, as you might be aware, when it comes to electric cars and their range, the numbers you get tend to be heavily influenced by a number of factors, the most important being the weather. During my time with the car, the weather was absolutely perfect, with an average temperature of 25 degrees Celsius.

In those conditions, I saw the energy consumption of the EQA stay around the 20-kWh range per 100 kilometers covered around town. Mind you the AC was always on, because it was getting kind-of hot at times and I only used comfort mode. The average speed recorded was 20 km/h. That means your average range in these conditions would add up to about 330 kilometers with a full charge (205 miles). Quite off from the claimed figures and this was in almost perfect weather.

Outside the city limits, on B-roads, the energy consumption went down, as expected. At an average speed of 70 km/h (44 mph) the values shown by the trip computer indicated an average energy consumption of 14.5 kWh/100 km. That means you could theoretically cover up to 458 kilometers (285 miles) with a single charge.

Last, but not least, the highway test showed an average energy consumption of 22 kWh/100 km which means you could cover up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) with a full battery, at an average speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).

Therefore, not exactly the claimed figures Mercedes says the EQA should reach, but I guess that was to be expected. However, the testing conditions were perfect for such experiments and I’m willing to bet you’ll struggle to get better numbers without resorting to using Eco mode and hypermiling the hell out of the car. All our tests are carried out using Comfort mode and driving the car just like you would any other ICE model.

The Driving Experience

Driving the EQA for so long reveals a few other cracks in the immaculate image a Mercedes-Benz usually comes with. The ride, for example, gets a bit busy over uneven roads and even noisy at times. That’s all due to the extra weight the EQA has to carry compared to a GLA. The suspension had to be reinforced and it causes the car to feel sluggish over uneven surfaces and rough pavement. It has a tendency to lean, as well, and if you want to drive this car fast, you better be ready for some understeer.

It keeps its composure well enough in terms of body motion whenever you want to tackle a corner with a bit more speed. That’s mainly because that big chunk of weight (aka the batteries) is kept low and close to the ground. To put things into perspective, the battery pack alone weighs 480 kilos.

Riding on eco tires (Bridgestone Turanza T005) reduces the grip available on all four wheels and that leads to squealing in a number of scenarios and a lack of traction that can be observed more often than not. That extra weight actually pushes you outside the corner and that, in turn, leads to understeer.

The instant torque also gives the front end a lot to deal with under hard, sudden acceleration, with a small yellow light blinking in the instrument cluster to remind you to tone it down. You’ll easily break traction on the front end in the EQA 250 which is why you might want to consider the other two powertrains if you’re interested in such an EV, as their dual-motor configurations will surely allow you to put the power down better.

Even so, while it may not be the most dynamic EV out there, there is still a hint of Mercedes-Benz in the EQA. It is refined most of the time and it has very good sound insulation on board, which comes in handy especially since there’s no engine droning noise to keep you ‘entertained’ be it in the city or outside its limits. On the highway, even at 84 mph (135 km/h) the cabin was rather quiet for a car in this segment.

Get back into town and you’ll find the compact size of the EQA will help out when navigating busy city streets. Since its overall shape is close to a rectangle and you have tall windows on every side, driving this car around town is a very easy thing to do. You also get interesting tech to help you out, such as the Augmented Reality navigation system, that points you in the right direction or the stop light recognition software that turns on the front camera every time you approach a red light, just to make sure you don’t miss it.

Another bit of tech that I found very useful was the adaptive regenerative braking. You have two paddles on the steering wheel, allowing you to adjust the amount of regenerative braking the car uses on the fly. Flick the one on the right and you can cruise for as long as you want as the car can actually coast, if you so desire.

Flick the paddle on the left and the car begins to recuperate more energy while also slowing you down more. After a while of playing with these paddles you’ll find that the brake pedal will rarely be used, albeit you’ll still have to press it since the EQA doesn’t come to a complete stop using just regenerative braking.

If you don’t want to use this ‘manual’ mode there’s also an Auto setting for the regenerative braking which takes into account the GPS positioning, road ahead and other traffic indicators, to adjust the braking itself. It’s quite good in practice.

A Good EV With Room For Improvement

Overall, the Mercedes-Benz EQA is a mixed bag at the end of the day. There are definitely some positive things to mention but also a lot of places where improvements could’ve been done. And people have certain expectations from brands like Mercedes-Benz, expectations that might be better met on cars like the Volkswagen iD.4 at the end of the day, for an even better price. Sure, the EQA is still the cheapest purely electric Mercedes you can get but you get the feeling that things could’ve been done better with just a tad more effort in the right direction.

The post TEST DRIVE: 2021 Mercedes-Benz EQA – Your Every Day Electric SUV appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

An iD.3 With Higher Ground Clearance

What is the iD.4 after all? Nothing more or less than the SUV version of the iD.3. Think of it as a purely electric Volkswagen Tiguan, if you will, the car with some of best figures in the sales charts that VW makes today. And since the VAG group is the biggest car seller in the world right now (battling it out with Toyota every year), the best-selling SUV this conglomerate makes will need an electric version at one point. That’s what the iD.4 aims to be.

Size-wise, it’s more of a crossover than an SUV. Compared to the iD.3, the new EV is 30 centimeters longer but the wheelbase itself adds just 1 millimeter on the iD.4 which goes to show just how far a modular platform can go. The SUV is also taller, with an added 6 centimeters in ground clearance (for a total of 21 centimeters) and a taller roofline by the same amount. In terms of width, you’ll have to add 5 centimeters to the grand total.

As for the design, it’s just what you’d expect: the iD.3 on a different scale. The front end feels a lot bulkier than on the smaller hatch, with larger proportions all around. Struggling to make it as streamlined as possible, the iD.4 doesn’t strike you as a big car. That’s all due to its rounded shapes which keep the drag coefficient as low as possible (it’s 0.28). However, once you get the ruler out or you’re forced to park in a tighter spot, you instantly notice its size and those extra centimeters do come in handy once you step inside.

Spacious Interior

The interior looks exactly the same as on the iD.3 but, the moment you sit down inside the iD.4 you realize just how much more room there is. It feels spacious and well organized, with very few buttons and a plethora of touch-sensitive surfaces. And this is where my first complaint comes in.

I understand that new-age cars must have a certain feel. The car makers are trying extra hard to offer new technologies inside them and new ways to interact with the car’s on-board systems. But offering a new technology just for the sake of saying it’s different doesn’t really help out.

Modern-day Volkswagen cars come with a pretty straightforward infotainment system and the iD.4 makes no exception. It’s just like a tablet, with various submenus and pretty easy to use. What isn’t easy to accommodate to though is the way the controls work.

Adjusting the temperature implies sliding your finger on a touch bar at the base of the screen. Adjusting the volume is done the same way and while you do get some shortcut buttons right under the vents on the dash, they have been poorly chosen. Why do I need a shortcut for the self-parking function or for the active safety systems? These are areas where I hardly ever want to go.

A much more useful shortcut button would’ve been one for the media source or one for the navigation system. I understand there’s no pleasing everyone, and to that end, a configurable button would’ve been very useful. During my time with the car, I found this and the touch-sensitive buttons on the steering wheel the most frustrating parts of my experience. Because, yes, the steering wheel buttons are also no longer physical, but touch sensitive. And even though you do get haptic feedback when using them, you’ll still find yourself double checking every time to make sure you ‘pressed’ the right button.

The iD.4 also comes with a personal assistant that can take voice commands if the control system annoys you but you’d have to have a perfect English accent, unlike myself, and it doesn’t work in too many other languages either, so its utility will be limited.

But, moving on from the technology, the cabin feels very airy and the materials used are decent on most surfaces. The seats of this launch 1^st Edition model were wrapped in Alcantara with some faux leather add-ons on the sides and they felt really good to the touch. Ours were manually adjustable but you can get more advanced seats, with massaging function and electric adjustment if you want but they will cost a pretty penny.

There’s also ample room in this car, both up front and in the back, more so than in the iD.3. Taller people will fit without any issues both up front and in the back, where the seats are a bit taller to offer the rear passengers a better look at the road ahead.

Since the iD.4 is 30 centimeters longer than the iD.3, the boot space is considerably bigger too. Chip in the taller greenhouse too and you get up to 543 liters of space back there. Fold the rear seats and you get up to 1575 liters, which is very impressive.

But what about the driving position? I was rather surprised to see it was lower than I expected. When you look at the iD.4 from the outside and see just how bulky and imposing it is, you expect to sit rather high in the driver’s seat. To my surprise, I didn’t get that feeling at all. As a matter of fact, it felt as if I was just a tad higher than in the iD.3. Maybe it was just an impression but, in the end, that’s what we’re left with after driving a car, isn’t it?

I should mention that I prefer a lower seating position, as it makes me feel more in control. Furthermore, there was plenty of room to raise my seat if I wanted to, so it really isn’t as much a fault of the car but more of a personal preference.

Snappy Driving

Once you set off, you’re met with the usual deafening quietness of an electric car. The iD.4 is no exception, offering a serene experience overall, accompanied by a subtle hum as EVs are mandated to emit some sort of sound at lower speeds to warn pedestrians in the vicinity. Just like the other cars made on this platform, the iD.4 comes with a rear engine, rear-drive setup which makes for a pretty fun experience behind the wheel.

The throttle response is instant but can be dulled by accessing Eco Mode. There are four main driving modes available in the iD.4, Eco being the one that’s meant to keep you going the most, followed by Comfort, Sport and a custom mode you can set up however you want. When you set off, the Comfort mode is set up by default while Sport mode will make everything just a tad bit sharper.

Driving the iD.4 around town reveals some of the advantages brought on by a bespoke electric platform. For example, since the car was designed and engineered from the get go without a traditional engine on the front axle, its geometry was adapted and the iD.4 has a turning radius of just 10.2 meters. That’s almost as on par with the BMW i3 but on a car that is considerably larger. And that tight turning radius and fast steering rack at low speeds make the iD.4 a great driving car around town. You can park it anywhere with ease also thanks to its squarish design. One issue I had with it though came from the suspension.

Mind you, our tester was riding on 20” wheels but you can get the iD.4 with anything from 18” to 21” wheels, depending on the power level and personal preference. With the 20” setup I had on you could feel most of the road’s imperfections making their way into the cabin, through the seats and then into your back. The suspension in the iD.4 is on the stiffer side of things so going with a smaller set of wheels might help out if you want more comfort. And it’s not like that stiffer ride helps out when you’re trying to push this car to its limits in sport mode.

It leans quite a bit in corners but it does have impressive front axle grip. The rear engine/rear drive setup and the instant power turn it into a fun, zippy car around town, making the car shrink around you when you’re pushing it. Even so, it’s still big and heavy and you can feel that, especially in the corners.

Three Variants Up To 300 HP

There are three main models you can choose from, all of them using the same electric motor on the rear axle but locked to different power levels. There’s an entry-level 148 HP model, an intermediate version with 170 HP and the 204 HP we had for testing purposes. Volkswagen also unveiled a GTX model with a dual-motor configuration and 300 HP but we’re still pretty far off from seeing this hardcore version out and about. You also get two battery sizes available: 52 kWh and 77 kWh usable.

Depending on where you live, a combination of all these powertrains and batteries will be available but we were lucky enough to test the top of the range model, the 204 HP Performance iD.4 with the 77-kWh battery.

It’s a more than decent combination and, according to VW’s claims, it should get you a range of up to 410 kilometers on a full charge. Would you be surprised if I confessed that I actually beat the official ratings on this car?

As we all know, the range of an electric vehicle will depend a lot on the exterior temperature and driving style. Luckily, during my time with the car, the exterior temperature was nearly perfect, varying between 27 and 22 degrees Celsius. The car was also equipped with efficient tires from Pirelli so the energy consumption figures were some of the best I ever recorded with an electric car.

Around town, the average energy consumption recorded was 18.5 kWh/100 km which means, with a full battery, you could cover up to 416 kilometers on a charge. That’s already better than Volkswagen’s claims. Outside the city limits, on B-roads, at an average speed of around 70 km/h (44 mph), the observed energy consumption figures were 13.1 kWh/100 km. That adds up to a total potential range of over 587 kilometers on a single charge (365 miles). That’s way more than the claimed figures from VW. And while the exterior temperature was modest, I did keep the AC on and I only drove this car using Comfort mode, never in Eco mode.

Last, but not least, on the highway, at an average speed of 126 km/h (78 mph) which is close to the speed limit in most European countries, the energy consumption figures shown on the trip computer indicated 22 kWh/100 km which adds up to a range of 350 km (217 miles). That’s more than respectable as few of us will be going for that long without taking a break.

Chip in the fact that the iD.4’s battery can be replenished with 125 kW chargers (and it takes just 34 minutes to get up to 80 percent charge) and you may very well be looking at a tempting electric all-rounder here.

And while all these cold numbers written here might not give you an exact idea as to how the range anxiety issue disappears in the rearview mirror inside this car, as I was pulling up to VW to turn in the car, I had a sudden revelation. Normally, after three days with a test car I’d usually have to either refuel or end up driving it back with the fuel reserve light on. Not only did that not happen with the iD.4 but, after testing it properly in all kinds of scenarios, the car still had about 35% of the battery left when I turned it in. That is very impressive, even though the conditions were perfect.

A Good Step Towards Full Electrification

At the end of the day then, the iD.4 is shaping up to be an even more tantalizing proposition than its smaller, iD.3 brother. I saw a lot of potential in the iD.3 and while it is the first car of this new generation of models that aims to change the way we move, the iD.4 might prove even better for reasons that don’t take anything away from the performance of its smaller brother. In this day and age though, when people are hellbent on buying SUVs and and since the iD.4 is available in countries where the iD.3 is not being sold right now, chances are it will be more successful overall and might actually lead Volkswagen’s charge towards electrification.

The post 2021 Volkswagen iD.4 Review – Global ambitions appeared first on EVGLOBE - News on Electric Vehicles and Hybrids.

Citroen is also a company with a long history behind it and, over time, the French proved to be quite open to new ideas and a lot less conservative than the Germans, for example. Whenever they thought the tide was turning in a certain direction, they quickly adapted. Today, the world seems hellbent on buying taller riding cars and the PSA group as a whole (and now Stellantis) was fast to adapt.

The C4 History

If you look back on the history of the C4 you’ll notice that the model had different shapes over the years. The first ever Citroen C4 was launched nearly 100 years ago, in 1928, and was just a run of the mill car, like the many others you could see on the roads in those days. The design was heavily influenced by the American brothers sold overseas. In the early 2000s, the C4 name was revived and it took the shape of a hatchback that was meant to battle the ever popular Volkswagen Golf. Then we got an MPV with the same name, followed by a crossover that introduced us to the Cactus philosophy. Basically, it had air pockets on the doors to protect the car from idiots in the parking lots. Quite a good idea in retrospect.

Late last year, Citroen decided to unveil the new generation C4. The car is built atop the EMP modular platform which means quite a lot more than you’d think. Sure, the underpinnings of the C4 are shared with a plethora of other models in the PSA group’s offerings, from the 208 to the 2008 and Corsa. But there are certain advantages to it as well, such as a modular approach towards the kind of propulsion system used under the sheet metal.

To be more precise, the EMP platform allows PSA to build cars using either internal combustion engines or electric ones, depending on the preference or the market demand. Basically, you can buy a Citroen C4 today with either a petrol, diesel or purely electric drivetrain. If you choose the latter, you’re going to get the e-C4.

The design of the cars remains the same, no matter what kind of powertrain you get under the hood. It will be virtually impossible to set the cars apart if you don’t check for tailpipes at the back or the blue ‘E’ symbol attached in various parts of the cars. And when it comes to design, things are as subjective as ever.

The first Electric C4

The E-C4 comes with a huge Citroen badge on the front fascia, dressed up in chrome as we’ve been getting used to. To the sides of the badge you’ll find V-shaped daytime running lights powered by LEDs which, if you squint, form an X in the middle. The lower part of the fascia has huge headlights on each side, which can be fitted with adaptive LED technology that actually works really well. It’s definitely not a design for anyone but it gets the job done in two aspects: you can instantly tell this is Citroen and it follows the design rulebook of the French manufacturer.

The side profile makes this crossover look a bit like a Coupe SUV. It has a sloping roofline towards the back that does remind me of the Citroen GS to some extent, as the French company intended in the first place. The doors extend all the way to the bottom of the sills so you won’t ruin your pants in case the car gets dirty. Round the back, the taillights have a complicated design as well, forming an LED-lid X shape too, with a split tailgate dominating the rear fascia. 

Simple, But Effective Interior

Step inside and the same feeling awaits: you can tell this car is a Citroen from the first moment you sit in it. The seats are very comfortable, with 1.5 centimeters of foam added into their lining, for your pleasure. Their design is similar to what you may find in the other Citroen offerings, like the C3 and C5. The dashboard is simple and includes a massive single unit in the middle, housing the infotainment screen and some controls.

Right under the screen you’ll find the HVAC controls which are still analogue. Thank God! Using them is easy and straightforward, without being too distracting. The infotainment screen has a decent resolution and is big enough for most of your needs. It comes with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so you’ll be set for any function you may need. It is a wired connection though and you do need a Type-C cable to use it. There’s also a Type-A USB connector located under the HVAC controls to the side of the wireless charging pad, but it can’t be used for connecting your phone to the car’s system.

The instrument cluster is digital and on the really small side of things. For some people that may be annoying but you can get HUD in these cars in which case, the instrument cluster becomes rather useless. Unlike in ICE models, you don’t need to check the rev counter or oil pressure or even temperature gauge. Therefore, the fact that it was so small didn’t really bother me.

What did bother me was the plastic quality in most places. The dashboard and half of the door panels are wrapped in poor-quality plastic and feel really bad to the touch. Soft-touch plastics would’ve gone a long way towards making this interior feel better. I know this isn’t a premium car and, considering the expensive batteries it has on board, some corners had to be cut. Of course, a different plastic choice – I’m not asking for leather here – would’ve made a huge difference.

As a matter of fact, that’s my only gripe with the interior. I was even impressed by the amount of room you get in the back. You can literally fit four adults inside without any sort of compromise on their comfort.

136 Horsepower And 173 Miles Range

Since I mentioned comfort, let’s dig into the technical side of things. Just like the rest of the electric cars built on this platform, the Citroen e-C4 has some very predictable numbers to boast. Under the ‘hood’ you’ll find and electric motor powering the front axle alone, good for 136 PS and 260 Nm of torque in total. This motor is fed via a 50 kWh battery (45 kWh usable) stored in the floor, using a solution that has been adopted by every manufacturer out there today. The reason why batteries are stored in-between the axles and under the occupants is rather obvious: this is where you get the most room and it keeps the center of gravity low.

In most cases, when talking about cars using a modular ICE-EV platform, the EV versions normally come with a couple of drawbacks. The biggest one you’ll notice is in the ride harshness. Due to the large battery packs these cars have to carry around, suspensions have to be reinforced to cope with the added weight. In the case of the e-C4, compared to a petrol-powered model, the extra weight adds up to about 300 kilos. And normally, that would make the ride jittery and extra harsh.

Not in this case though.

I had the chance of sampling the normal C4 too, and while I did find it to be very comfortable, it did seem to be bouncing around on certain surfaces. That made the whole car feel a bit unsure and unstable. Not in the e-C4 though. The electric variant felt well planted, surefooted and incredibly comfortable. The suspension felt quiet and refined, just like you would expect from a Citroen. To be fair, it was one of the best passive setups I have ever experienced and that says quite a lot about the e-C4.

And it’s all thanks to the new, so-called Citroen Progressive Hydraulic Cushions. Basically, while conventional suspension systems have a shock absorber, spring and mechanical bump-stops at each corner, the Citroen system adds two hydraulic stops – one for compression, the other for decompression. The suspension works in two stages depending on the stresses applied.

For light compression and decompression, the spring and shock absorber control vertical movements together with no assistance required from the hydraulic stops. However, the presence of the hydraulic stops means the engineers have greater freedom to tune the setup to achieve the fabled “magic carpet ride” effect, which gives the impression that the car is gliding over uneven ground.

With major impacts, the spring and shock absorber work together with the hydraulic compression or decompression stops, which gradually slow the movement to avoid jolts at the end of the range. Unlike a traditional mechanical stop, which absorbs energy, but then returns part of it as a shock, the hydraulic stop absorbs and dissipates this energy.

Not The Fastest EV Out There

But what about the performance? Well, the e-C4 wasn’t designed to break any land-speed records. It’s zippy around town, thanks to the instant electric torque, but flat out from standstill it will do 100 km/h (62 mph) in 9.7 seconds. That’s decent but nowhere near what some people might expect. Then again, the whole character of the car isn’t sporty in any way. 

The e-C4 is more of an urban machine, meant to be comfortable and offer a great mix for everyday usability. Try to push it hard and it will start to understeer, the front axle will lose traction under hard acceleration and you’ll be met with a lot of body lean in all directions. So you’re better off keeping things in the ‘chill’ zone.

But what about the range? Well, during my time with the car, I couldn’t get close to the official range figures posted by Citroen online. According to their estimates, courtesy of the WLTP testing cycle, the e-C4 should have a range of 217 miles with a full charge. Around town, I saw an average of 280 km (173 miles) and the weather was rather warm. I didn’t have to use the AC but the car was fitted with winter tires which were not exactly the most efficient choice.

Go outside the city limits and the range might pick up if you keep the speed in check. At an average speed of about 45 mph (72 km/h), the most I could squeeze out of the car was 320 km (200 miles) which was pretty darn close to the claimed figures. Hop onto the highway though and you’ll soon see those numbers die down and reach 200 km (124 miles) at most, at an average speed of 130 km/h (81 mph). Considering the car has a single-speed transmission and its top speed is 150 km/h, it’s pretty obvious this is no highway cruiser.

Should You Buy One?

Luckily, the people from Citroen made a good call and decided to offer the e-C4 the possibility to make it up to you, even if you’re considering longer trips with it. That’s because you can recharge it at 100 kW DC chargers which means you can get it up to 80 percent again in about 30 minutes. Of course, you can use slower chargers too and the charging time will increase accordingly, depending on your use case.

Should you buy one, then? That depends on what you’re looking for. The Citroen e-C4 is definitely one of the best riding cars I’ve ever driven and it simply puts to shame most other electric models of this size on the market right now. If you can look past the cheap plastic inside, the mediocre range and if you’re just in the market for a funky-looking city car, the e-C4 might just be the one for you.

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BMW i – Born In 2011

The BMW i engineers started cranking out new technologies at a fast pace. One clear example in this regard is the BMW i3, their flagship EV, if you will. Even eight years later, the i3 is still the only car you can buy under $100,000 with a carbon fiber monocoque layout. But the more important thing to remember about the i3 is that it now has its third different battery pack to rely on. And over the course of just about 6 years, its energy storage capacity more than doubled. All that was done without physically increasing the size of the huge battery pack in the floor.

And that seems to be the key to a truly electric future, a future that is so uncertain, most companies don’t really know what the perfect recipe to tackle it is.

At the moment, there are two different philosophies at play in the automotive industry. On the one hand, we have companies with dedicated EV platforms which allows them to build electric cars from the ground up with no limitations. These platforms would be adjustable and allow you to make the most out of the specifics of an electric car. From adjusting the design, to offering more space inside than a similarly sized internal combustion engine car. The problem with this approach is that it’s costly and you’re investing a lot in a platform that may not cater to all the needs your customers have.

Other car makers opted for a modular platform that can house both purely electric cars and internal combustion engine. That means they can build both types of cars on the same assembly line, with the same overall chassis design, allowing you to be very flexible and adapt to the customer demand. This is what BMW is doing and they call it ‘The Power of Choice’.

It’s a risky strategy that does come with a couple of shortcomings. For example, a car that was designed to use an internal combustion engine will have some issues with interior space, with weight distribution and even practicality once is converted to an EV. But that can be overlooked if the car in question is good enough for the customer.

Meet The iX3 – BMW’s First Electric SUV

That’s what the BMW iX3 is setting out to do. This is BMW’s first electric car since the i3 and uses a completely different recipe. This time, instead of giving it a bespoke platform just for itself, the new electric SUV is using the same platform as the regular X3.

Choosing the BMW X3 to be the first car offered as part of the ‘Power of Choice’ strategy wasn’t at random. The X3 is one of the best-selling BMWs and with this new choice, the range now includes all types of powertrains: from petrol to diesel engines, PHEV and, a full-on M car and now an EV. But what is the iX3 exactly? Nothing more than an electric X3 and you can see that from every angle.

In terms of exterior design, the iX3 comes with very few changes compared to the regular X3, most of them aimed at making the car more efficient. Up front you’ll notice a new bumper with smaller air intakes to the sides that are now only used to streamline the air around the car and make it more aerodynamic, not to cool off anything. Then there’s the new set of grilles, nearly completely blocked out, with BMW i blue surrounds, looking rather good.

On the sides, the wheels are unique, being aerodynamically optimized, of course. You’ll also notice a BMW i badge on the front fenders and the same BMW i blue color used on the door sills. Round the back the similarities continue and you’ll only notice the bumper was swapped out with one that has no tailpipes but a more streamlined design with the same color used for accents here too.

No Major Revisions Inside

It’s the same story inside and it’s pretty clear BMW only wanted to give you the power to choose your powertrain while keeping everything else the same. The layout is exactly the same and you can’t really tell this is an electric car, unless you’re very observant. The gear selector has a blue stripe on it and there’s a plaque on the center console saying ‘BMW iX3’ but that’s about it. Oh, and every single BMW badge in or outside the car has a BMW i Blue surround. That’s yet another tell that this is not a regular X3.

Reach for the blue start/stop button and the car comes alive with a new sound, compared to everything else in the range. This sound was created by none other than Hans Zimmer and lets you know that the car is on. This is also when you notice the new instrument cluster dominated by a blue theme.

It looks exactly the same as a regular instrument cluster but on the right side, you don’t have a rev counter but a power meter, telling you how much of the engine’s resources you’re using at any given time. Look to the left hand side and you’ll also see that the fuel gauge has been replaced by a battery indicator, as one would expect.

Several Driving Modes

The BMW iX3 sets off in Eco Pro mode as standard. But it’s interesting to note that, unlike in PHEV models, you only get the standard three driving modes a regular BMW gets: Eco Pro, Comfort and Sport. That’s it, yet another sign that BMW wanted you to feel very familiar inside the iX3. And in Eco Pro mode the car is toned down. The throttle response is intentionally dulled, the audio feedback coming in through the speakers is also toned down and everything just laid back. The regenerative brakes are a working a bit more and you do recuperate more energy than in the other modes.

And driving the car is as familiar as you’d think if you’ve ever been behind the wheel of an X3. The driving position is just as high and the visibility almost perfect. You can get a good glimpse at what’s happening in all directions. However, the moment you hit a pothole or reach a rough patch of road you start noticing the differences and, as you might expect, the iX3 rides a bit harsher, understandably so too.

It all starts with the heavy battery pack. You can store up to 80 kWh in the batteries hidden in the floor, out of which about 74 kWh can actually be used. That’s more than twice what you get in the i3 and on par with the iX3’s. And while BMW i managed to keep the shape and volume of these batteries in check, they are still heavy. How heavy, you may ask? Well, compared to a BMW X3 xDrive30i model, you have about 400 extra kilos with you all the time. The BMW iX3 tips the scale at 2.2 tons and that’s BMW X7 territory.

And you can feel it too. The suspension has been reinforced to cope with the extra weight but that made it a bit stiffer than in a regular X3. Don’t get me wrong, the iX3 is still offering a comfortable and supple ride, but it is harsher overall. Luckily, it’s still very well sound insulated so you won’t hear thumps and bumps inside the cabin too often.

All that weight also plays a part in the way the car handles. Switch it to Sport mode and it comes alive. Literally. The biggest change you feel, apart from the sharper pedal response, is the sound, as Sport mode has a different tune to it, signed by the same brilliant Hans Zimmer, that makes you feel like you’re driving a space ship.

Due to all that extra heft, the car’s center of gravity is lower than in an X3 but that still can’t make up for the extra work the suspension has to put in when you push the car hard. There’s a sense of understeer at times and you actually feel the underfloor pushing you towards the exterior of a corner when you push this car hard. Using your right foot can help, as the iX3 sends its power to the rear wheels alone, and you can oversteer, but the mechanical grip on the front axle is rather limited overall.

Speaking of weight, you should also know that due to its electric conversion, the iX3 lost the perfect weight distribution you’ll find in an X3. As such, BMW says 57 percent of the weight is distributed over the rear end of the car, while only 43 percent hangs over the front axle, explaining why the nose of the car feels so light. That’s because the electric motor, power electronics and transmission are arranged in a central housing for the first time. It’s a compact, single unit that’s meant to make the production process a lot more streamlined, an innovation coming in from the BMW i engineers.

Plenty Of Power

As for the motor, it delivers up to 286 HP and 400 Nm (295 lb-ft) of torque and uses no rare earths. The pedal response is impeccable, as you’d expect and the car feels lively when setting off. It’s definitely not back-breaking as you’d find the experience in other electric cars, but it’s no slouch either, reaching 100 km/h from standstill in 6.8 seconds, despite being rear-wheel drive only. You’ll be able to press on to a top speed of 180 km/h, but that will come with a range penalty.

Speaking of which, that is the biggest issue people have when it comes to electric cars: they don’t trust the official ratings. Understandably so too, since real-life results often differ by quite a lot. Well, during my time with the car I had the chance to test things out properly and the numbers are encouraging.

Around town, the average energy consumption was 22 kWh/100 km. That means you could get a range of up to 336 kilometers with a full charge which is not bad for an electric SUV of this size. The average speed recorded during my range test around town was 22 km/h.

Outside the city limits, the numbers will vary depending on the speed, of course. At an average speed of 75 km/h I saw an average energy consumption of 19 kWh/100 km which would translate into a range of roughly 390 kilometers. On the highway, doing the speed limit of 130 km/h here in Europe, the numbers went up to 24 kWh/100 km, adding up to a range of about 300 kilometers. And there are a couple of mentions I have to make here.

First of all, the outside temperatures during these tests didn’t go over 10 degrees Celsius. It was rather cold and the X3 was equipped with winter tires, chipping away at this car’s efficiency. I also didn’t spare any kind of comfort, keeping the AC at 22 degrees Celsius and driving the car in Comfort mode most of the time. That’s because I wanted to see how the iX3 handles itself when you drive it like you would a regular X3 and I have to say I wasn’t disappointed.

Full Charge In Less Than 2 Hours

Furthermore, charging the car is rather fast. Sure, if you use a home wall socket, it can take up to 24 hours but, you can also use fast chargers for the iX3 and that’s exactly what I did. Using a 50-kW CCS charger, you can replenish your car in about 2 hours or, if you recharge it like I did, hooking it up at 40%, you can get up to 80% SOC in about 30-40 minutes. You can also use a 150-kW charger and that would get you up to 80 percent charge in just over 30 minutes, from 5%.

Therefore, I don’t think range is necessarily the issue with electric cars, but rather the charging time. You could make due with a car that has 100 kilometers of range, as long as you knew you can always pull over and recharge it in 5 minutes.

Cheaper Than The Competition

Overall, the BMW iX3 delivers on its promise of being an electric version of the X3. Pricing varies around the world but it’s one of its key strengths, as the iX3 is rather cheap compared to its premium rivals like the Mercedes-Benz EQC and Audi e-Tron. It also felt, to me, like it had more range and even though it’s slower and less powerful, for most people that won’t really matter, as they aren’t necessarily looking to be human cannonballs all the time.

For the time being, the iX3 looks like a very enticing choice over traditional petrol or diesel counterparts. Its decently priced and very well equipped for the money and has plenty of range for most users. It will also be considerably cheaper to use and run while also saving the planet. Will it be a sales hit though? That depends on such a wide variety of factors, it’s impossible to offer a clear answer at the moment but it has all it needs to do well, and that’s what matters right now.

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And here it is: the Honda Urban EV Concept. Rarely have I seen crowds so mesmerized by a launch ever since I started working as an automotive journalist. A few years later, I still remember the vastly positive reaction to the Urban EV Concept. That’s mostly because concepts are rarely unanimously loved. And yet, that’s what seemed to be happening during those first days, with journalists from all around the world singing praises for what was nothing more than just a preview. The production version was to follow some two years later and to everyone’s surprise, retained a lot of the concept’s looks.

The Ultimate Retro Style

When one talks about the Honda e, it’s rather impossible to avoid dissecting its exterior design. It’s understandable too, as that’s the main selling point of the car, if you ask me. It has a certain, unique feel and looks like a perfect mix between old school and the future. It’s Futuretro, as I like to call it.

Just a glance over and you will instantly get a familiar feeling. That’s because the front-end has a lot of cues from the original Civic and the original Volkswagen Golf, some of the most common cars you could see on the roads back in the 1980s. And even 1990s. The big, round headlamps up front, along with the very clear-cut lines make it look simple, elegant and somehow very high-tech at the same time.

The Honda e is also incredibly Japanese, if I may say so. The moment you look at it, you instantly know it’s a Japanese car and that’s a testament to how good and sharp the design is. In our particular combo, this black and white setup, it borderline looks like a Panda too, a very cute one, on wheels. And that holds a lot of its charm.

The hood has an opening for the charger that’s also in black and opens either digitally or mechanically with the help of a button integrated into the front ‘grille’ element between the headlights. All Honda e models will come in this two-color setup, with gloss black being one of them, covering the greenhouse, bottom and wheels.

Subtle Touches, Like Retractable Door Handles

There are other elements that set apart the Honda e from the crowd, like the retractable door handles and the frameless windows, the clever door handles on the rear doors or even the fact that the rear end looks exactly like the front but with a shorter length. All of that make the Honda e a very attractive car for a lot of people. However, you should know from the get go that this is a small car. A very small car for Americans who are used to large SUVs and trucks.

Space is a luxury in a lot of Asian countries and the Japanese even developed the well-known Key Car movement to keep up with the trends. Europeans might have a similar feeling, old cities having tight, narrow streets to navigate and that’s where the Honda e comes in handy. In the United States, lack of space is not such a big deal, excluding cities like New York, San Francisco or LA.

A Premium And High-Tech Interior Design

From the outside, it’s hard to grasp just how small the Honda e is, but that changes once you step inside. The atmosphere is airy and relaxed, especially if you sit up front. The cars come with a glass roof that also helps create the impression of roominess. And if you’re sitting up front, that’s perfectly fine. You are met with what Honda calls a lounge-style interior. Sounds familiar?

That’s a motif that a lot of car makers are invoking now, thinking of a future when cars will drive themselves and you will actually enjoy all the amenities inside while you’re being transported to your destination. Unfortunately, that future isn’t here yet and the 6 displays you find inside the Honda e could very easily be considered distracting.

From a design point of view, everything is really nice. You get three main displays on the dash: the instrument cluster and two 12.3-inch displays to the side. The instrument cluster is well thought-out, simple, clear-cut, easy to use. It has every bit of info you need and a decent resolution. The other two screens are highly configurable and basically allow each of the front occupants to set them up as they please.

You have endless possibilities – From connecting your phone and using Android Auto or Apple CarPlay to changing the wallpaper, displaying various useful information about the car’s battery, range or energy consumption, to actually connecting a console via an HDMI port. Heck, the people over at Honda even provided a conventional power socket under the screens that allows you to power just about any household appliance if you want to.

And all that will create a love or hate relationship with the car. It looks very nice and the setup even has a sort of shelf in front of the screens basically replicating some portion of your living room. You can use your phone to drive and unlock the car, thanks to NFC, and the Honda e truly feels like a high-tech machine. The problem is, those displays can be distracting and while impressive in the way they can be customized, most of the features are gimmicks that you get bored with after a while.

Then there are the two 6-inch displays located at the very ends of the dash. They are your new side mirrors. This was actually my second time testing digital sideview mirrors, after the ones on the Audi e-Tron and there are some noticeable differences.

First of all, the positioning inside the Honda is a lot better. They are located right next to the place you’d usually look if this was a conventional car. It’s a lot easier to get used to their location in the Honda e. They are also quite bigger than on the Audi and the Honda e comes with blind spot detection as standard, which is yet another plus. The cameras also seem to have wider lenses, offering a better perspective of the road on the Honda.

The one place where this system felt worse than the one on the Audi was at night, when the image quality was a bit worse but other than that, I found the Honda e digital mirrors to be a lot easier to use and closer to the real deal. The one issue I have with them is the lack of a depth perception which, once again, makes parking a very interesting ordeal. Thank God for the surround view camera system.

The last screen to talk about is the rearview mirror. In this case though, you can use it as a regular mirror or go for the digital version at the push of a button. I stuck with the classic setup as it felt more natural, but if you get two people in the back of the Honda e, the digital version (which uses a camera installed on the back of the car) does come in handy as your view out back will be blocked.

Another thing I loved about the interior of the Honda e was the fit and finish. The materials used aren’t necessarily the most expensive but they are done with perfect care and feel really nice to the touch. Our tester was dressed up in a textile finish all over. The seats wore cloth, the door panels and everything in between. Wood veneer was used on the dash and center console and the combination was just brilliant. A good mix of gray and copper orange that was beautiful to the touch and eye.

Get in the back though and you’ll start noticing just how small the Honda e is in actuality. The electric Honda is built atop a bespoke electric platform from the ground up and that does help, considering its exterior size. The floor is flat and the batteries are carefully stowed in it but there’s still not a lot of room in the back. Two 6-ft people can’t sit one behind another. If you have a six-footer up front, you’ll have to fit people under 5’6” in the back to make sure they fit. The boot isn’t all that big either at 171 liters, around the same you’d find in a Fiat 500 and less than you’d get in a MINI Cooper SE.

Then again, Honda said it from the get go: this is a city car! It’s meant to be a second-car, the one you use for your daily chores and charge almost every day. The specs and size definitely point that way.

A Decent Electric Range

The Honda e comes in two versions around the world: one with 136 HP and one with 154 HP. The battery stays the same regardless, rated for 35.5 kWh out of which you can actually use 28.5 kWh. Disappointing, I know, but at least you can charge it fast. It can take up to 55 kW at a fast charger, going from 10-80 percent in 36 minutes. What’s interesting is that the Honda e is rather heavy, despite that small battery, tipping the scale at nearly 1,588 kilos, 300 more than an i3, for example.

All that weight has an impact on the range too, the Honda e claiming a range of 222 km in the WLTP test. That’s 136 miles. And I have to say, you’ll get there only in perfect conditions. During my time with the car, I saw an average range of 100 kilometers (62 miles) on a single charge which really put thing in perspective. With some adjustments made to the driving style (turning off the AC and being extra careful with the throttle) I was able to reach 120 km of range but that was the highest value recorded.

I have to mention the weather was rather cold (between 0 and 5 degrees Celsius) and the car was fitted with winter tires. That last bit might’ve been an improvement as the Honda e comes with Michelin Pilot Sport tires as standard.

And that brings me to the best part about this car: it was obviously created to be enjoyed.

This is not a Renault Zoe or a Nissan Leaf. The purpose of this car is to get you through all of your chores with a smile on your face. You can tell that from the tire selection. Or from the fact that we have a rear-engine, rear-drive setup that makes skids extremely easy to pull off. The rear suspension is a McPherson setup and you get both a comfy ride and great control whenever you want to push this little bundle of joy to the limit. The Honda e puts a smile on your face whenever you’re driving it.

Another hint as to how this car was developed and what it aims for hides in the fact that you only get two driving modes and none of them uses words like ‘Eco’ or ‘Saving’, or anything like that. All you get is Normal and Sport. The difference between them is small but in Sport mode the pedal response seems a tad bit better.

The turn in is sharp and the front axle responds nicely to your inputs. I’d even dare say there’s some feedback to it but I might’ve been under the car’s spell. The turning radius is extremely small, with an 8.6-meter turning circle this thing is a blast to drive around town and simply enjoy it. Off the line, the car feels peppy albeit it won’t break your back. With a 0-62 mph time of 8.3 seconds, it’s not breaking any records but it definitely doesn’t feel slow in any way but fun at every moment.

A Viable Solution For City Driving

Whenever you don’t drive it like you stole it, you’ll probably have time to enjoy the silence the cabin provides and I have to say it’s eerily quiet inside the Honda e. It’s well insulated and the suspension carefully muffled out, eating up bumps without any complaints. The one gripe I have is with the door handles, that are a bit too noisy when they fold back into their reserved space inside the doors, when you’re setting off. Maybe that will be sorted later on.

At the end of the day, the Honda e feels like a promise delivered. The Japanese brand promised an electric city car and that’s exactly what they came up with. They never claimed it’s an all-rounder, never said it’s going to be all the car you’ll ever need. Instead, the EV Urban Concept promised a solution for urban dwellers and that’s what this is.

It’s quick, nifty and a joy to drive around town. Sure, the range will be an issue for some and that’s why I didn’t dare take it out of the city during my time with it, but as long as you accept that from the get go, do some math and figure out whether it’s going to be enough for your personal use case, the Honda e will deliver on all fronts and then some.

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Cars back then were used in completely different ways. SUVs, in the meantime, became the norm and people just can’t seem to get enough of them these days. Since that’s the case, manufacturers have to adapt and offer different drivetrains to the customers, who are now seemingly hellbent on buying only high-riding cars.

It first was the BMW X5 xDrive40e

That’s probably what led to the introduction of the BMW X5 xDrive40e a few years back. Nobody specifically asked for a hybrid X5 and yet, BMW offered it.

Care to guess why?

Because the X5 is one of the best-selling cars it has on sale today and keeping the fleet’s CO2 emissions in check is a tricky ordeal. A hybrid will definitely help out with that, especially considering the tax systems in various countries around the world.

In some places, the less your car pollutes, the less you have to pay to run it.

Wonderful, isn’t it?

The opposite applies too. That’s why the 2-liter diesel engine is the workhorse of Western Europe.

The BMW X5 xDrive40e wasn’t too successful though, no matter how many tax incentives you’d throw at it. The reason? It wasn’t a polished product. It was a first attempt from BMW to try and get customers used to a PHEV SUV.

An exercise that worked. Customers learned about the possibility of having a hybrid X5 but they weren’t sold on that particular model. Then, the new X5 came around and BMW said, from the get go, that a hybrid will still be on the table.

Meet the Refreshed and Improved BMW X5 xDrive45e

The new BMW X5 xDrive45e came with a host of improvements compared to its predecessor. Some engineering bits stayed while others were drastically changed. Among the first category you’ll find the same unchanged exterior appearance.

Just like the xDrive40e before it, the xDrive45e is pretty hard to tell from a “regular” X5. They look exactly the same and, if you remove the rear badge from the tailgate, there’s literally only one giveaway that this is a plug-in hybrid model: the charging port on the left side front fender.

Other than that, everything’s exactly the same.

Our tester came in a beautiful Tanzanite Blue II color, with stunning 21 inch wheels, the M Sport package and blacked out window trims. It was damn near perfect in my book, as these are my favorite wheels in the range right now. Furthermore, that color has been embedded deep inside my head ever since I first saw it on an M4.

It was also almost impossible to spot it as a PHEV as the dark color hid the black contour around the “extra” gas cap on the front fender rather nicely.

Unfortunately, since this was an M Sport model, it did have the M badges on the front fenders and the one on the left side was right on that little door. Naturally, it did attract some attention. It also made things look weird when the car was plugged it, with an M emblem sticking out.

Of course, people hearing the car driving down the street might’ve also noticed something was afoot, as it was completely quiet. At low speeds it does emit a hum to warn pedestrians, but it would still cause a couple of frowns from people as they probably had no idea BMW has an X5 hybrid.

Classy and Premium Inside

The same overall theme applies to the inside of the cabin as well. Compared to a non-electrified X5, there isn’t really much to talk about. Our tester was wearing Vernasca Coffee leather on the inside and there were only a couple of things letting you know something was off.

The center console has a couple of different buttons on it, right next to the start button. They allow you to switch between different driving modes and they are labeled “Hybrid” or “Electric.”

Once you start it up, that feeling becomes certainty as the instrument cluster has a different look compared to what you would find on a gas-burning alternative.

The Driving Experience

The car starts up in the Hybrid mode which is basically run by the on-board computer. In this default driving mode, the car will choose which power source it is using. As is the case with all plug-in hybrid cars, their main goal is to be used as much as possible in electric mode, to cut down emissions and fuel consumption.

Therefore, whether you drive in Electric mode or Hybrid mode doesn’t make a huge difference, as the car will run almost exclusively on electrons in the latter. The differences are subtle but they are there.

For example, in Electric mode the car will not start the engine when you press the gas pedal a bit harder, unlike on the Hybrid mode. Furthermore, in Hybrid mode, once you reach 110 km/h the internal combustion engine will start automatically.

In the Electric mode that won’t be triggered until you reach 140 km/h while the regeneration braking is a bit more powerful. That’s about it when it comes to the driving differences between these two. Even the instrument cluster looks the same when you’re using one of them.

Then there’s Sport mode and this is where your X5 will start feeling a bit more familiar. In Sport mode you even get a rev counter on the right side of the infotainment screen. It still goes counter-clockwise but it does offer a familiar feeling. The fact that the internal combustion engine also starts up and offers a familiar growl contributes as well to that feeling.

So how is it to drive? Well, the technical side of things is where the BMW xDrive45e model truly sets itself apart from its predecessor.

Whereas the old X5 xDrive40e used a 2-liter 4-cylinder engine, the new model uses a better powerplant as an alternative – the B58 3-liter straight six. The extra 2 cylinder don’t only balance the engine a lot better than before, they also bring more power to the table, with a total system output of 394 PS and up to 600 Nm of torque.

Those numbers are made up by the 286 PS of the internal combustion engine and the 113 HP of the electric motor which replaces the torque converter in the grand scheme of things, being located right between the engine and the gearbox. This way, the electric motor can be used to start up the ICE and for other functions.

Therefore, we’re looking a car with two more cylinders and more power and yet, the emissions are lower while the performance went up.

How is that possible? Well, it’s all doable thanks to BMW’s fourth-generation batteries and this is an even bigger jump compared to the old PHEV X5 than it’s the case under the hood.

Whereas the old hybrid X5 had a 9.2 kWh battery, the new one can store more than 2.5 times that, being rated for 24 kWh out of which you can use 21 kWh. So that’s a big hike, even though the physical size of the battery didn’t change that much.

It all goes down to the energy density. The battery is actually located in the exact same place as it was before, over the rear axle, to keep things balanced. It does cut into the boot though and the PHEV model offers 150 liters of luggage space less than the conventional models, at 500 liters.

That’s the same reason why you can’t get the X5 xDrive45e in a 7-seat configuration.

As for the driving, it’s a typical BMW X5 experience with a twist. If you have enough juice in the battery, most of your driving around town will be eerily silent. You’ll spend most of your trip in the EV mode which means the only sounds protruding into the cabin will be coming from the tires and the wind. The xDrive45e also comes with air suspension as standard, so you’ll basically be feeling like you’re gliding around instead of driving.

If you run out of power or enter Sport mode, you’ll instantly notice the differences compared to its predecessor or any other X5 in the range right now, as a matter of fact. That’s because the two motors are working brilliantly in tandem and offer quite a unique feeling.

The one that comes close is probably the BMW X5 M50i but any other X5 model offered on sale today (with the exception of the X5 M as I didn’t have the chance to drive that one yet) falls short in terms of handling and feeling. And yes, I’m including the otherwise brilliant M50d model here too.

The reason for that is because the moment you step on the accelerator, the car responds. The pedal response is instantaneous and that’s to be expected, as the electric motor doesn’t have to rev up or spool up boost to get going.

Sure, the full might of the 600 Nm of torque available doesn’t hit you all at once, it takes a half a second to get the internal combustion engine up to speed. But the initial reaction is right there. And the two power sources are intertwined perfectly and you barely feel it when the petrol unit kicks in.

Keep the pedal glued to the floor and speed just keeps ticking up. This car picks up speed at an alarming rate. It may be a hybrid, 2.5-ton monster but it can move. 0-62 takes just 5.6 seconds and you’ll go all the way up to 250 km/h (155 mph) if you dare.

It all feels muscular and smooth overall, something you don’t get in other models. The diesels are simply too noisy and too… diesel-like if you will, while the petrol, excepting the 4.4-liter V8, just don’t bring the same muscular feeling about when it comes to driving all out.

As for the corners, if straight line performance can’t really be matched by the other models in the range, it’s in the bends where the X5 xDrive45e starts to run out of breath. The suspension works great when it comes to keep you comfortable. The adaptive dampers we had along with the air ride kept everything nice and kosher as long as you didn’t try to push the X5 way beyond its comfort zone.

However, once you start trying to find its limits, you’ll learn that the added weight does have an impact on handling. It’s not a terrible experience, mind you, and up to about 8/10 the car feels rather neutral. Yet, it’s that last 20 percent that reminds you this car is carrying batteries in the back after all. Then again, 99 pecent of the customers will never take it past 5/10 so they probably won’t ever say this thing doesn’t handle like it should.

Consumption and Range

But what about the fuel consumption and battery range? After all, this is a PHEV and those numbers matter. The truth is that the numbers I got during my time with the car might not be accurate. The review was carried out on rather empty streets as everyone was staying inside.

Therefore, the 70 kilometers (43.7 miles) of range I got out of a full battery might not be easily replicated once traffic goes back to normal. Once the juice in the cells ran out, the car showed an average fuel consumption of about 10 l/100 km (23.5 mpg).

That’s actually really good but, once again, the city was rather empty, a fact confirmed by my average speed of 40 km/h (25 mph) which would never be possible in normal, non-COVID-19 traffic.

That low fuel consumption figure was capable because the car will often shut off its engine, even if the battery shows 0 percent. Whenever it can muster up some electrons from the battery, the car will use them to move around. It will switch off the engine as you’re approaching a red light, will use the electric motor to cruise or start off and so on.

What I will mention is that over the course of my time with the car I burned about 2 gallons of petrol and I covered some 220 miles just to put things into perspective. And yes, I did charge it as often as possible.

Should I Buy One?

That said, I think the 2020 BMW X5 xDrive45e should be on your list if you have a charger available and your daily commute is around 40 miles. If you can charge this car, you’ll be spending most of your time driving electric, without having to stop at a gas station unless you’re going for a longer trip.

It will do all the things an X5 is expected to do and deals with all the shortcomings the previous model had, including the short electric range.

Couple that with the advantages certain countries offer for plug-in hybrids and I think this is the best model you could buy in the current X5 range today, if you don’t need a V8 under the hood.

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