By on 2012-04-13 -
Mitsubishi i-MieV
CONVENTIONAL motoring wisdom says electric vehicles are only good for city driving and look boring.
But a drive in the Mitsubishi i-MiEV quickly proved such thinking to be wrong.
The car's steeply-raked, funky face features nice curves and circular lights in inverted teardrop housing.
The rear continues the curvaceous theme, while the pillars house large, attractive tail lights.
This model also had a sporty roof spoiler.
And if you want to turn heads, you can personalise the car with a choice of 10 graphic designs.
The interior finish features durable black plastics with silver accents and the dash has a simple layout with easy-to-use air con controls.
Again, owners have a range of options to personalise the interior, including leather seating and a variety of trim colours.
The driver info binnacle is easy to understand and features a neat energy use indicator, which encourages sensible driving to increase the distance the battery will take you.
Visibility is very good from the high seating position - a real boon when dancing through city traffic, where the car's agility comes into its own.
There is plenty of adjustment for comfort on the supportive, fabric seats and ample leg and head room for four adults.
The cabin has lots of stowage options and the 235-litre boot will easily hold a week's shopping or a suitcase or two.
Fold the 50/50-split rear seats flat and you've got 860 litres of practical space.
There are also automatic lights, 15in alloy wheels, electric windows, electric, heated and folding mirrors, and a radio/CD player, with the option of a multimedia system with Bluetooth, iPod connection and rear view camera.
Safety features include a range of airbags, ABS, EBD, a brake assist system for emergency stops and Mitsubishi's Active Stability and Traction Control system.
The car drives like an automatic - but without the jolts caused by gear changes.
Instead, power delivery is smooth via the constant transmission, while the battery provides masses of torque that sees the car accelerate from a standstill at hot hatch pace.
Braking is equally smooth, while the steering is light and precise.
The car rolls slightly on tight bends and you feel the worst potholes but you are always stable because the wheels are on the four corners.
The gear shift offers three driving modes - D for standard urban driving, B to increase regenerative braking (and so save energy) on downhill runs and C to lower the regenerative braking and provide a comfortable ride while cruising in the suburbs.
I drove the i-MiEV on a mix of urban, suburban and country roads, as well as motorways and found it quite capable on all of them.
Maintaining high speeds will, inevitably, reduce the range you'll get from the battery on one charge.
But you can get up to 80 per cent of the power total in just 30 minutes by plugging the car in using public rapid charger points, while seven hours using a mains plug will fully charge the car.
The i-MiEV has a range of about 90 miles on a single full charge.
Given that 70 per cent of UK drivers travel less than 50 miles a day, there is a good argument to say it's not just city dwellers who can enjoy the benefits of owning this Mitsubishi.
You can forget about road tax, the car is CO2 emission-free and a full charge will cost about £2 a night.
Add Japanese reliability, a battery life of 93,000 miles and a five-year warranty on the electric components and the i-MiEV becomes an attractive and practical choice for many people.
£23,990 (including £5,000 Government grant)
66bhp, electric motor driving rear wheels via 4-speed automatic gearbox
81mph
13 seconds
: 27
0g/km
: 0%
3yrs/unlimited mileage
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