There’s a little electric car revolution on the way – with an emphasis on the little…
The choice of new electric vehicles (EVs) continues to broaden, with old and new names launching new models every month. However, until now, it’s more often been large cars—such as family-sized SUVs or luxury limos—than compact, cheaper EVs.
But now, the affordable mini-EVs are coming.
So far, the Dacia Spring or Citroën ë-C3 have had it their own way, but that’s about to change as a host of city-sized EVs hit the showrooms soon, with cheeky style, clever details, good ranges and low prices which will translate into affordable monthly leasing costs.
Intelligent Car Leasing already has hundreds of models to choose from, and here are some of the upcoming small EVs we’ll be offering in 2024 and 2025. Most of our top 10 newcomers are compact EVs, but there are also some new bigger models in our preview too.
Think of the Abarth 600e as the big brother (or sister) to the feisty Abarth 500e, the high-performance version of the Fiat 500e. The Fiat 600e is a compact SUV, and the Abarth 600e pumps its looks up with bigger wheels, brakes, and a rear spoiler.
With 237bhp, Abarth promises that its 600e will be the fastest car ever to wear the famous scorpion badge. Unusually for an electric car, the power through the front wheels (there’s no 4×4) goes through a mechanical limited-slip differential to provide stability, improved handling, and traction. The launch version will be the Abarth 600e Scorpionissima, limited to 1,949 units in ‘Hypnotic Purple’.
Alfa Romeo’s first electric car made the news as soon as it was launched by changing its name from Milano to the classic Junior (there was a fuss as it’s not made in Milan but in Poland). However, it has classic Alfa looks, such as the grille and wheel designs, even though it’s a family hatchback with SUV looks.
There will be petrol Juniors on the way but the EVs have come first. There are two power outputs (154bhp and 273bhp) with one 54kWh battery size. The base car is the Electtrica; the most sporty is the Veloce, which has the same limited-slip differential as the Abarth 600e. The range is potentially up to 255 miles, and under the bonnet, what looks like an engine cover lifts to store the charging cable. Check out our Junior leasing deals here
Renault’s famous sporting brand Alpine begins its electric age with the new A290 hot hatch. Although based on the new Renault 5 E-Tech, it has unique front and rear styling and Alpine badging throughout. Flared wheel arches and a 60mm wider track is intended to give the impression of a ‘muscular hot hatch’.
Depending on the trim level, the A290’s single front-mounted electric motor from the Renault Mégane E-Tech produces 178bhp or 215bhp. In the absence of traditional engine noise, two ‘Alpine Drive Sound’ tones are fed into the cabin based on the sounds generated by the electric motor. All A290 versions use a 52 kWh battery, giving an anticipated range of up to 236 miles.
The new Fiat Grande Panda will be both petrol and electric-powered with chunky looks based on the boxy 1980s original. The interior is promised to seat five, offers lots of storage and even has a glovebox covered in bamboo fibre.
Fiat claims the Grande Panda is the first vehicle on the market to include an integrated charging cable. You unwind it from under the bonnet and plug it into lower-voltage chargers such as those on the streets. With a 44kWh battery, up to 195 miles are claimed. The Grande Panda’s price is expected to start from below £22,000 for the fully electric version, so it’ll be very affordable to lease.
An old name, but a very different car. Ford has reinvented the Capri as an SUV based on the Ford Explorer (and built alongside it in Germany) but with some swoopy coupé touches to its roofline. The front and rear light shapes are meant to evoke the original, and you can spot the same curved rear window shape. The eye-popping launch yellow shade is called Vivid Yellow or there’s ‘Blue My Mind’.
Inside, there’s an emphasis on luxury and—unlike the original—a lot of space. The 14.6-inch centre screen can slide up and down for the most comfortable viewing angle and has a concealed compartment behind it. The lower-powered 282bhp single-motor Capri has a potential 390-mile range and is expected to cost a little more than the £47,000 Explorer. You can check out our Explorer deals here.
Hyundai is about to join the blooming cheap electric city car boom with the Inster, a distinctive mini-SUV based on the petrol Caspar, itself a big hit in Korea. The Inster will come with two battery sizes, the larger of which could give up to 220 miles, which is unusual in its class. It has an energy-saving heat pump as standard.
Along with the quirky exterior, the Inster will have a versatile interior. Its front passenger seat can be folded forwards flat for loading, and the rear seats slide forwards for more boot space or back for increased leg room. Prices are expected to be around £22,000.
The EV3 downsizes the bold styling of the Kia EV9, and at 4.3m long, it’s slightly shorter than the familiar Kia Niro EV. In a three-car range, the standard model EV3 (Air) has a 58.3kWh battery, while the long-range GT-Line and GT-Line S have an 81.4kWh battery, which is good for a claimed 372 miles—which is a big claim indeed.
Family-friendly storage includes a centre console with sliding table and a storage area that can hold a small backpack. Should you take an EV3 camping, Vehicle-to-Load (V2L) charging can power small fridges or coffee machines, for example. Technology includes an AI-powered voice control system, and Remote Smart Parking Assist enables GT-Line S owners to park their EV3 standing outside it. Prices start at £32,995, with deliveries late 2024.
Another new mini EV arriving in 2025 could turn into the UK’s cheapest electric car. The Leapmotor T03 is a Chinese EV to be built in Europe alongside Fiats in Poland under a deal with the Stellantis Group. The C10 SUV will follow it. The T03 is a five-door city-sized car that, at 3.6 metres long, is even shorter than the Dacia Spring, which it hopes to compete with on price. That means it may be around £15,000, but its reported range of 165 miles trumps the Dacia.
The new world of EVs is all about new names, and the Omoda brand has just arrived from the giant Chinese automaker Chery and its biggest exporter. This striking SUV has a sloping rear roofline aimed for a sportier look. It’s already launched in petrol versions and now as an EV which is pitched as a good value alternative to the Hyundai Kona Electric and the Kia Niro EV.
One power and battery specification simplifies the choice: 204bhp and 61 kWh battery for up to 257 miles. The two trim levels are Comfort and Noble, the latter with contrasting red exterior trim elements and goodies such as power front seats. Check out all our Omoda 5 lease deals here.
When Volkswagen unveiled the ID.2all Concept in March 2023, it caused a buzz that has barely subsided since. Due to be launched for 2025 production as the ID.2, the five-door supermini-sized car is claimed to be ‘as spacious as a Golf, as affordable as a Polo’, with familiar Volkswagen styling. The ID.2all was pretty close to what we can expect the production car to look like. It will have a single electric motor of 223bhp and a range of up to 280 miles. The goal in 2023 was a starting price of less than 25,000 euros (about £21,000).
The ID.2all Concept was followed by the hot hatch ID. GTI Concept, which promises personalised driver settings which mimic the sounds and gearchanges of classic Golf GTIs. There’ll be an ID. 2all SUV in 2026 and eventually an ID.1 city car, possibly for around £17,000.
This entry was posted in Car Product News/Reviews on by Charlie Strand
Categories : Car Product News/Reviews, Top Car Choices
