(THEME MUSIC)
This time, we test four very different
crowd-pleasing EV SUVs
to find out which one deserves to go on your shortlist.
Ooh! Oh, that was good! That was good!
The team get all executive as we drive the Audi A8 hybrid.
Does adding an electric motor add any actual utility
to this 100-grand luxo-barge?
Wow! Yeah!
Proper air.
I get a rare opportunity to drive an Extreme E electric off-roader.
It's got the speed and the drama,
but will I miss the growl of a V8?
I like it, it's good fun.
And bike-mad Grace Webb tests some electric two-wheelers
at the affordable end of the market.
Have they got the speed and the fun factor
of a fossil-fuelled bike?
I can just imagine going around Italy on one of these.
This is Fifth Gear. But with a difference.
There'll still be screaming... (SCREAMS)
..and squealing. Would you just slow down!
..and shouting. Stupid idea!
I can't listen to this nonsense.
But there'll also be this.
The EV revolution is here.
But are electric vehicles right for you?
What are the costs, choices and challenges?
And how do they stack up against their petrol-powered rivals?
We're here to tell you everything you need to know
about the new automotive landscape.
This is the future of driving.
This is Fifth Gear Recharged.
JIMMY DE VILLE: Times and fashions change.
In the UK and most of the world
the most popular cars used to be saloons.
Then it was the hatchback, now SUVs.
Sports utility vehicles are king of the hill.
They account for almost 50% of new car sales
and customers want them powered differently too.
EV sales are better than ever.
The upshot of all of this is that right now, right here
the most desirable cars for sale a fully electric SUVs.
And guess what - new ones are appearing every five minutes.
And here are four of the current crop.
The Hyundai IONIQ 5,
the Volvo XC40 Recharge,
the Skoda Enyaq iV 80
and the Lexus UX 300e.
To find out which is best,
we're gonna put them through a series of tests
looking at road manners, practicality...
There's loads of space. Look at all this.
..and agility.
Ooh-hoo-hoo! Well, that was good! That was good!
..with one car getting dropped on each round.
I am pretty sure which car I'm gonna drop
out of these four before the next round.
I'm very sure we're both on the same page.
Four cars, three tests, one winner.
We'll start with a simple question -
which car is better on the road?
First up, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 Ultimate,
which comes in at £48,546,
does 0-62 in 7.4 seconds,
and has a range of 300 miles.
First impressions, I'm liking this.
I'm liking the feel, the space age look.
When you see it coming towards you down the road, you go, "Ooh!"
Yes. I think they've been brave and it's worked.
The wheel base is longer than an Audi A6.
Because they've committed to the platform. Bigger cabin,
don't need the engine space, obviously. And the leg room at the back is bonkers.
What do you think about ride? Very smooth.
It's good, isn't it? Yeah, nice, and it feels sharp.
There is a bit of sort of weightiness to it.
So range. 295.
But real world, with you driving... 230.
That's not too bad. And I'll tell you the other thing.
What's particularly good with the IONIQ 5
compared to the other three we've got today
is it's got the higher speed charging capability.
So you can charge up at up to 350 kWhs.
And 27 minutes,
it went from 8% to 80%.
80%, you'll get 200 miles out of that.
So far, I'm impressed. I'm enjoying it.
On to the next one, then. On to the next one, I think.
The Volvo XC40 Recharge Plus.
It's the most expensive car in the test
at £51,250
and it does 0-62 in 7.4 seconds
with a range of 263 miles.
Now, does it feel extra special? I've got to be honest,
it comes in at just over £51,000 for the base model
and to me, no.
1: I feel dramatically like I'm in a petrol car.
I mean there's a button here. Well, there's NOT a button here,
there's capped off where the button should be. Yeah.
I don't feel like I'm getting the full EV experience.
It's pleasant enough.
It's a Volvo XC body, isn't it?
The ride quality's good,
the sound deadening is good,
it's comfy enough in the seats. All of that stuff is fine.
The screen - it's not a great size, it's not massive,
but it seems like it's got big ears on it.
I just don't think it looks as slick as it could look.
I don't mind the screen
but it doesn't feel like they've done anything extra special.
None of it feels futuristic,
which is what I think I want.
If I'm gonna buy an EV car,
I want it to be a little bit of a nod to the future.
This car has a max range of 263 miles off a full charge.
But I think the thing that's worth keeping in mind
is at the moment the maximum charging speed on this
is 150 kWhs,
which, to be honest, when you go to most fast chargers
at services around the country, that's what they are, 150 kWhs.
But you have to assume the infrastructure is gonna improve.
They're gonna get to 250 and 350 kWhs.
And if they did, and you found one of those chargers,
you still can't charge this up at that speed.
I don't feel like I'm in a progressive car.
And that is bugging me slightly. Yeah.
Time for the Skoda Enyaq.
This is the iV 80 Sportline
which is £42,915,
does 0-62 in 6.9 seconds
and has a range of 326 miles.
This is just under £43,000 for the base model.
That's 5,000 cheaper than the IONIQ 5,
that's nine grand cheaper than the Volvo.
I mean that's a sizeable chunk of change.
But it makes you feel extra special inside.
The detail - I love the door handles,
I like the dash. There's nice bits of trim around here.
This interior is luscious.
I just... Yeah.
It makes you feel special, it makes you feel loved.
I do have a couple of issues with it though. Go on.
I still have an issue with this touchscreen
that they stick onto the dash.
That screen's a bit big and in your face.
Also, the screen I've got in front with my speedo and everything on,
my gauges, that's weirdly small. Really, really small.
I think the bigger downside is that the maximum charging rate on this
is only 125 kWh.
If you go to services on the M40, for example,
they're already at 150.
So you're already not using the full potential
of the chargers that exist today,
let alone what's coming in the next three, four, five years.
The car's called a Sportline. I do feel like
I'm in something a little bit sporty. It feels great.
It's also got a range supposedly of 326 miles,
which is the highest in the group and I'd say pretty impressive.
So it's the highest range in the group. Yep.
Claimed range. Yep.
It's the cheapest in the group that we've got. Tick, tick.
Tick, tick. And I'd say
you probably feel the most special in here.
Finally, the Lexus UX 300e,
priced at £44,500.
It does 0-62 in 7.5 seconds
but has the lowest range of just 196 miles.
Well, I'm gonna throw some numbers at you. OK.
Come easy at me.
It's the oldest of the four cars we've got.
This was launched back in 2019. Yeah.
Two years older than the other three. OK.
It's a bit more expensive than the Enyaq,
but a bit cheaper than the IONIQ 5.
So it's at $44,000, so it's a couple of grand more
than the Enyaq. OK.
But crucially, it's got the smallest battery.
So it's got the least range. OK.
It's got only 50 kWh charging capability.
It's not looking good, is it? It's not looking good for a road trip car, is it?
No. The interior, I mean, it's quite stylistic.
But look behind you.
I mean genuinely... (LAUGHS)
..I don't know what adult you're gonna put in that back seat.
I don't know what child you're gonna put in that back seat.
There is this much space between
the seats and the back of our seats.
There's no room in there. And I'm in a normal...
I'm quite short, I'm only 5' 7". Yeah.
And I'm in quite a normal driving position.
I'm no giant. Yeah, exactly.
Let's try and look for some positives now.
OK, I'm gonna point out a... Ohh, I'm clutching at straws.
I like the colour of the power button. (LAUGHS)
I am pretty sure
which car I'm going to drop out of these four
before the next round. I'm very sure
we're both on the same page.
It's this one, isn't it? Definitely this one.
It just feels dated,
it's got very little range, small battery,
and charging it is gonna take a lifetime.
Yeah, pretty conclusive. Yeah, it's gone.
So, that leaves us with the Hyundai IONIQ 5,
the Volvo XC40 Recharge,
and the Skoda Enyaq.
Join us later when we shove our butts into their boots.
Ta-dah! The world has literally just opened up in front of me.
JASON PLATO: Coming up, I dig out my racing overalls
and get to sample the future of off-roading.
This is Extreme E.
So the trick here is you've got to get the thing turning in
on the brakes.
00:22:00.920 -- 00:22:04.160 VICKI: Now it's time to get a first look and first drive
of a brand-new EV.
Yes, it's the Fifth Gear Recharged Team Test.
Today the Team Test is the Audi A8 L.
Prices for the 60 TFSi e model start at £86,000.
But this long wheelbase version costs 90.
For that, you get a 340hp petrol engine
coupled to a 17.9 kWh battery and motor
which provides some EV only range.
And of course, it's all-wheel drive.
Righty-ho, gang. The Audi A8 L for Long.
It is a long car.
I've been in loads of these, being chauffeured around. They're lush. Brilliant.
What do we think of this grille? I'll start by saying
I'm not offended. I don't love it, but I'm not offended.
It's quite funky though, isn't it? It's like in your face.
It's a handsome beast.
It's not bad, but it just looks a bit old man-ish.
First off, I like A8.
But as every generation goes on, it looks a bit softer.
And this facelift version - not quite feeling it.
But I think that the front is the jewel that pops out.
It glistens, it shines,
it's a little bit pachow, wow!
Like a big diamond on a pretty basic band.
Shall we see what's underneath? Yes, please.
I'll do the honours. Thank you.
It is unsurprisingly a V6 3-litre engine.
Turbocharged though, obvs.
This version does have a bigger battery,
00:23:53.080 -- 00:23:55.640 KARUN: Welcome back to our SUV test
which means, Audi say,
you can do about 30 miles in full electric mode.
You could probably bomb around town, get into work,
in pure electric mode.
Which is about half that of a Mercedes S Class.
where we're putting four fully electric SUVs
against each other to find out which is the best.
Oh, wow.
Being an Audi, they make possibly the best interiors out there of any car.
the Lexus couldn't quite measure up to the others
so that has left the competition.
Oh, man, this is nice in here, isn't it?
And now it's time for test two
with the Hyundai, the Skoda and the Volvo.
This is where this car comes into its own.
I mean how much legroom have you got?
SUVs are all about versatility.
Well... Can I come back?
Not only should they be decent to sit in,
Jason had the seat properly reclined back.
but they also need to offer loads of practicality.
Well, I'm over six-foot
and I've still got loads of room. And look at Jason,
And for most of us, that means having enough space in the boot.
he's chilling. Let me get in full Ibiza mode.
So we're off to the garden centre,
a typical prowling ground for many SUV owners.
What's that like? Still fine.
The golden rule of a luxury limo
is that you need to sort of fall asleep within ten minutes,
Er, right, what do we need? Garden Centre Sweep.
and I did feel a bit drowsy, so it's a thumbs up on that.
Get some nice chunky items. Watering can? Yeah.
I need to see if you boys measure up. Look what Mummy's got.
Hose. Stick it in.
Yep. And, um,
How about a chair? Would you like a chair?
I've got 32 inches of legroom.
Wellies in there. How about a bucket?
Do you need to know that? It's massive.
Yeah, a really nice chunky one. Oh, yes! Ta-dah!
Measuring the conk. Go in inches.
Right, come on then, let's go. Off we go.
That's three inches. Yeah, good boy.
So, this is your big boot test. My big boot test.
In the back as well, I've got 18 pneumatic cushions
And I've got a big butt to put in your big boot test. Excellent.
to help put me to sleep. Really? Yeah.
Now, on paper, Jimmy, this has got 584 litres,
It's just a really lovely, well-engineered, luxurious...
just one less than the Enyaq.
And the Volvo is down at 452, so it's considerably smaller.
gin palace.
Er, excuse me. Newsflash.
I'm slightly concerned about the shape of this boot
I press a button, I am reclining. You're in recline mode.
because there is this big angle here. It's not very upright. Aha.
You can go back even more? There we go. I've reclined.
I have a solution. Shall I show you? Yeah, go on then.
I'm quite enjoying the massage function you've got going on.
Can I have that as well? Yeah. This is for you.
This is the only one of our three which has got an excellent trick
Shall I set you up? Ah, there you are.
where you've got the back seat on rails.
Is this for me? For you.
Do you want to be cold? Yes, please.
Ta-dah!
The world has literally just opened up in front of me.
And there you go. So, very conveniently, Jimmy,
so everyone can chill at their own temperature.
Shall we go and have a drive? (LAUGHS)
we can put the parcel shelf in that little slot.
Yes, please. Yeah.
You've got loads of space. Shovel in.
Ooh, seat belts on.
Things are literally disappearing. Do the chair.
There you go. Oh, look at that!
This feels really nicely constructed and executed.
Right, bucket in.
OK, lid. Ah, OK. Yeah, yeah.
Sturdy job back here.
There's loads of space. Look at all this. You can put whatever you want.
Sturdy, that's a good expression. Yeah.
If I think of the three big German manufacturers
We could literally go back in the shop and buy more bits.
- Audi, BMW, Mercedes... - Yeah.
Loads of space. Whichever way you want.
..in general, I've always preferred the Audis.
That's not all the items. Yeah. We're done.
Have you? Yeah.
And you can still fit an adult in there.
The BMWs, obviously things like the M3 and stuff, they're great,
I'm comfortable in here. It's a win-win.
fun to play with... They are the drivers' cars.
It is a win-win. And this is the only one of the three
As a daily family car,
that has the seats that slide forward. Exactly.
Press the button. And...
I think the suspension feel of an Audi,
Ta-ra-ta-dah!
the steering feel, the interface,
Onto the next one? Volvo.
seat comfort, I genuinely preferred it. OK.
Right, let's do it. Do you want to get that boot open?
I think the ride quality is really one of the best
in terms of what the German manufacturers have to offer.
Right, you get the butt. Hang on a minute.
And before we get with the butt I've got a parcel shelf in, yeah.
I'd find it hard to disagree with that.
Any Audi when you drive it hard, they all understeer.
So that's gonna have to come out.
Well, it has to stay in the vehicle. Those are the rules, Jimmy.
They do. They do.
I'm not saying they are the fun car of choice.
Parcel shelf staying in. Yeah.
So I've got to put it there, haven't I? Yeah.
But you've got to drive to have fun. But once you get over that,
Butt, yeah? Butt.
you get to a certain age, Karun's obviously there now,
Oh, it goes! I don't see how
I'm well there,
this shovel or the chairs are gonna go in.
you just want to get there in total wafty comfort.
Ooh.
No, it's gonna go there. No, it's going there.
Or have the best of both worlds and just buy a Porsche.
Lid. There.
Yeah, Panamera 4E Hybrid,
Right, stand back.
which has the same powertrain as this.
(MAKES WHIRRING NOISE)
And how is that powertrain?
Well, it's got, at the moment...
Fail! That's a fail.
Shall we try the Skoda next? Yeah. Right.
It's a heavy car, it's 2.3 tons,
Open it up. Yup.
This is the only one with a manual lifting boot lid.
but at the moment I'm in hybrid mode
But you've got to remember this is £9,000 cheaper than that.
so we've got a bit of power coming from there.
It's not pushing my head in the headrest,
I mean look at that! That is a massive boot.
but it's fine.
Right, let's...let's unload.
I'm gonna start with the shovel.
Wow! Yeah!
Butt in. Oh!
Proper air. That was alright, wasn't it!
It's just eaten that for breakfast.
It's 10 out of 10 for passenger comfort.
Right, that's in. Nothing left.
But what would it score as a driver's car?
Oh, loads of space.
I would have scored this car a little bit more
Now, a gentle push.
had it not been... Oh, am I going too punchy?
Ah. I will point out
that the Volvo and the Hyundai have a frunk.
7.
Would I rush out and buy one? Hm...
Whereas this one doesn't.
7.5.
So it does need to have the bigger boot
Ohh...
because you can't put anything in the front. OK.
(TUTS)
So there's a bit more space in that and that,
It's lovely. It's wafty,
but that was still woeful compared to the other two. There you go.
it massages your back.
Clear loser of Round Two, the Volvo.
And on that basis, I'm gonna give it an 8.
See you later, Volvo.
I'm gonna give it a 7.5.
Go!
So, the Hyundai and the Skoda are clear winners.
That's a strong score for the A8.
Join us later as we subject each of them
Indeed, showing the addition of hybrid power is adding value.
to an extreme car park challenge.
Ohh-hoo-hoo!
Oh, that was good! That was good!
The French Pyrenees.
GRACE: In the last series, I sampled my first EV motorbike - the Zero -
Remote, beautiful and...quiet.
and was blown away by its thundering lag-free power.
No howling exhaust, note, but no less buzz.
Now even though I'm here to drive an off-road leviathan...
Whoo! (LAUGHS)
..that's how it's gonna stay.
I don't know how anyone can not have fun on an electric bike.
You see, motorsport is changing.
Screaming V8s are making way for something a little less noisy and polluting.
But there was a but - a cost of 20 grand plus.
So, what if you want to get onto an electric bike
but you don't want the big price tag?
The answer is to look at a less hardcore class
Formula E has shown that electric power
like a commuter bike.
doesn't mean slow or boring,
But will you still get enough EV smiles per mile?
staging dramatic street races in cities around the world.
We've got three price points from three to six grand
And now Extreme E is doing the same for off-road racing.
and three tests to answer that question.
And they're doing it cleanly.
And the first is how the bikes feel on the road,
One of their USPs is they arrive, clear up all their mess,
and the cheapest one is up first.
and they don't leave any lasting impression on the planet
I'm starting with the Piaggio 1 Active.
because they're not burning hydrocarbon.
Now, there is a cheaper base model
So why am I in France?
Well, because one of the teams, Veloce Racing,
but this Active version boosts the top speed
has invited me to one of their very rare test days.
from 28 to 38 miles per hour,
which really makes a difference
Apparently, if I behave myself, I can have a go.
when you're fighting your way through city traffic.
Let's hope it's fully charged up.
But it does mean that you need an A1 licence to ride it.
Time to meet the team's drivers,
Christine GZ, as she refers to herself,
This is a special licence beyond the CBT
and Lance Woolridge.
which allows you to ride up to 125cc.
What's going on today? So we're here for
Considering it's got a big battery in it,
our three-day test. There's a whole load of new upgrades on the car
it feels really light and agile.
so we are testing that. Am I right in saying
this is the only test you've got for the year?
It's decent for popping to the shops,
Yeah, very limited, so we get an allotment of kWh,
but it's not that zippy.
I think it's 250 for our whole time here.
And figures wise, not that special.
The range in Eco mode is supposed to be 52 miles
That sort of equates to 120km of driving. So that's it.
but top speeds are limiting and a bit slow for the city.
So give us some specs about this. 400 kilowatt.
In Sport mode, which I prefer,
And what's that in old money, in horsepower? 550.
your range is going to be closer to 40.
Oh, lots then. Yeah. It's like a Radical T1
More speed, less range.
from Dakar. OK.
But way more radical. So, four-wheel drive,
Now, the really cool thing about the Piaggio is
two motors. Yep, and the battery's water-cooled,
that it does have a Reverse mode.
electric power steering, independent motors front and rear.
So, that gives you a bit of extra push
I've just been out and had a look. It looks a bit dirty.
when you're backing out of a parking space,
I would want that cleaned. There's boulders and rocks out there.
especially if you've not parked on flat ground.
Yeah, that's nothing. That's really, really smooth for us.
Is it? Yeah.
Let me have a look at the business end, then.
Change your mode, and then you're away again.
What's going on here? So, a few settings in here.
Obviously got torque settings, power settings.
Next up, the Super Soco TC Max.
Traction. Obviously, as I call it, the wand.
More my thing. It looks like a proper motorbike.
Cos magic things happen when you pull the wand. Totally.
And a 6.8 horsepower electric motor
I would not pull it all the way though.
gives this bike the performance of a petrol 125.
I've sat in lots of rally cars
and this feels much bigger than a rally car. Yeah.
So there are three different power modes on the Super Soco.
Visibility's great. And then take into account that
we're both racing, so we have to jump out and get in and it's really fast.
One limits your speed to about 30 miles per hour,
Oh, you do driver changes. 25 seconds to change, get strapped in and go.
two limits it to 40,
and three is unlimited.
So, I reckon enough talk.
So I should be able to get about 56 miles per hour out of this.
Shall we get driving?
(MUSIC PLAYS)
I like this one.
Still, I was expecting a bit more oomph than a petrol bike.
I'm gonna jump in as a passenger
and have a little lap round by Lance to show me the ropes.
But actually, it's about the same performance.
It's quite well known I'm normally not a very good passenger.
Finally, the Maeving RM1.
This retro style machine is arguably the coolest looking.
I'm looking forward to it.
I don't like not being in control.
But also the most expensive at six grand.
It's debatable when I'm sat in the driving seat
And yet it's less powerful than the Super Soco.
I'm in control anyway, but I feel like I need to grab onto things.
Well, this bike definitely feels more retro.
So, um, yeah, I'm OK at the moment, but I might not be.
Not only the styling,
but even just how I'm sat on it -
the stitched seat hugs you towards the bike,
and you're leant further forward as well on this kind of style.
The bike is super quiet.
Considering it's 1.8 tons,
You're definitely tuned in to all of the noises around town
it gets on the move,
got give brakes on the way in to get the car to rotate.
more than the actual bike.
Everything about this bike feels high quality.
I mean it's impressive.
When I look down at the handlebars,
And even though this ground is super rough,
everything's shiny, well put together.
it's supple.
Oh, man, it's so aggressive on the tyres!
The seat feels nice,
and even the tank as well.
Right, let's open the throttle a bit,
let's see what the Maeving can do.
I think it's lovely the way it just floats across the surface.
Yeah, not as quick as the Super Soco,
but it's still got a nice bit of power for around-town riding.
And I tell you, it's quick.
Right good fun.
Well, I've now ridden all three bikes around town.
(CHUCKLES)
Because the testing time of this car is so restricted,
I have to say, this Maeving I think tops the charts for me.
the drive with Lance is over in a couple of minutes
and my time behind the wheel, well, that will be equally limited.
I love how quiet it is,
I love the styling of it,
Foot on the brake and then hold down the (INDISTINCT) You're good to go.
and I think it's just got the right amount of power
That's tough enough in any new race car...
for getting around town.
..let alone in a life-size Tonka Toy that gets to 62 in 4.5 seconds
So, that's how they ride. How about charging?
and reaches 125mph.
In theory, you should be able to take the batteries out of each one
On gravel!
and put them on charge in your home or office.
Let's see how easy that actually is.
So, starting with the Piaggio.
I just lift the seat up, unplug it,
Right, so here we go.
and pull it out.
We've got a right-hander.
15kg. It's got some weight to it,
Get it in.
but it's doable.
It's amazing how it goes over what is really not very nice ground.
Onto the Super Soco.
This has got a 20kg battery.
It just floats over the bumps.
So, again, I need to unplug this one, use the key to unlock it,
and pull.
So the trick here is you've got to get the thing turning in
It's a bit awkward this one. And an extra five kilograms...
on the brakes.
Got to send it in and wait, wait, wait, and then go.
phew, it's a bit heavy at 20k.
I'm trying to rush it a bit too much,
And it's a big chunk of weight.
I'm too eager to get on the throttle.
OK, the Maeving R1.
Oh, that's faster.
This is the heaviest out of all of them at 26kg,
Turn on the wand. Here we go. Terrific.
but it's split into two batteries.
So there's one in the side,
Ha-ha-ha-ha!
It's exciting. And I can imagine
and another battery... in the tank area.
doing a rally race where you don't really know where you're going.
There's a real skill in that - reading the road, reading the ruts,
So it's a bit more manageable split into two,
but I'm still not sure if I'd want to be carrying this up to the 8th-floor office.
and I have none of those skills.
I like it. It's good fun.
Lance, you know what, it's lovely to drive.
With the batteries, you get what you pay for and how far you go.
Ace. (LAUGHS)
And only the Piaggio is genuinely easy.
Again! I feel I could go round here all day long. It's great fun.
It's a similar picture for practicality.
In the future, when EV range is no longer an issue,
If you had to bring home a birthday cake, say,
racers like this will be looking at tackling
which bike can handle it?
the mighty 6,000-mile Paris-Dakar.
Definitely not going down.
None of them are particularly practical,
It doesn't feel right what I'm driving over.
but the Piaggio is just more helpfully planned.
It feels like I'm being naughty.
And I like that.
I still think electric off-road, off-roading has a place
It's closed.
because of the instant torque.
And now it's time for the agility test.
And also, do you really want to be putting fumes in the air
When you're nipping around town,
agility is more important than speed.
in this beautiful landscape? I don't think so, actually. So I think electric's good.
So, let's see which of these three bikes
is quickest around my slalom of cones.
Coming up, we find out if those family SUVs
Let's go.
can really cut it when it comes to real life -
Right, first I've got for the agility test is the Piaggio.
you know, carrying stuff.
It's gonna go there.
So, let's go through the cones.
And bike lover Grace tests three affordable EV bikes
Side to side.
Yeah, just how you'd expect a moped to be.
to find out if they really can upgrade your commute.
Really nimble.
OK, let's go. Go, go, go.
OK, turning around at the end.
Back through.
Whoo!
Yeah, I can just imagine going around Italy on one of these.
The Piaggio does the course in 19 seconds.
OK, time for the Super Soco.
The Super Soco is the quickest of them all.
Let's see if it does that on the slalom.
Ooh-er!
Go up to the end, turn around.
Right, back through the cones.
It does feel quicker than the Piaggio. Whoo!
18.84 seconds.
Yeah, well, it's got a quicker top speed,
it was bound to be quicker than the Piaggio.
But will the Maeving do it?
Let's see.
OK, the final bike.
The Maeving.
Got the longest wheelbase of all the bikes.
I wonder if that's gonna make a difference.
Whoa, yeah, it definitely feels...
Oh, it definitely feels tighter between the cones.
OK, let's go. Go, go, go.
Oh, it doesn't feel nowhere near as agile as the others.
Oh, and the time.
19.63.
Yeah, the slowest out of them all.
It definitely doesn't feel as agile. I think that long wheelbase
is slowing down the agility on this one.
So, three different solutions
for people looking for an electric commuter bike.
They're such different machines.
And I'm sure there'll be takers for all of them.
The Maeving won the road test,
the Piaggio won the practicality test,
and the Super Soco did best in agility.
So any of them could have won overall.
But it proves that there's choice, and that's what's great about it.
And as time goes on, that choice is going to get even greater.
Coming up, we need to find the winner of our EV SUV group test.
We've got so much more steering lock.
In a tight car park, that's gonna be very handy.
00:37:23.240 -- 00:37:25.880 Welcome back to our EV SUV death match
between the Hyundai IONIQ 5,
the Volvo XC40 Recharge,
the Skoda Enyaq
and the Lexus UX 300e.
So far, the Lexus couldn't quite cut it as a travelling companion.
It just feels dated.
It's got very little range, small battery,
and charging it will take a lifetime.
While the Volvo lost the battle of the big booties.
(MAKES WHIRRING SOUND)
Fail. That's a fail.
Now two heavyweight EVs battle it out
for a place on the podium.
It's Skoda vs. Hyundai.
SUVs aren't expected to be sports cars,
but they will spend a lot of time navigating their way
around car parks... and the school run.
So we thought it'd be a good idea to have a little agility test...
..and a stopwatch to see how quickly we can get our remaining two cars,
the IONIQ and the Enyaq,
to get round our rather twisty-turny car park
which is marked out with traffic cones.
Imagine this. The kids are in the back seat screaming for their Jammy Dodgers.
You see one last parking spot.
You, and about five others, are all racing to get there.
So you want your SUVs to be nice and agile.
So that's what this auto test will check out.
And because it's against the clock, I'll let KC take the wheel
to ensure a fair result.
Now let's not mention any more Jammy Dodgers
because I've got a delicate stomach.
Right-ho then, Jimmy. Oh, I'm ready for this.
Let's start with the IONIQ. I've got to say this
before we pull away. Mm?
This final, I actually don't mind who wins
cos I think both these cars are great in their own way.
They both give different things to the market.
So this is a happy final for me. I'm rooting for both of them.
There you go. We'll see which one wins.
So I've gone into Sport mode which this car has.
I've turned off the regen.
I hope you have digested your lunch. We'll find out shortly.
The pulled-pork burger is about to make a reappearance.
I'm smiling. I'm just gonna enjoy this. Ready? Yep.
Three, two, one, go.
Ooh, he's quick at the line.
Ooh!
Ooh-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Oh, that was good! That was good!
Oh, the back end is... now I've worked it out.
You can feel the weight though, can't you? Oh, yes.
I tell you what, the steering is good though.
You do feel the weight of it. Yeah, you really do.
But it does accelerate well.
This is what happens when an ex-F1 driver
gets behind the wheel of a family SUV
in a supermarket car park.
Parking force, don't hit a cone. Very nicely done.
Reverse, reverse, reverse. Oh, no, it got the wipers!
They're a very similar weight, but this has got
a few more horsepower.
Don't hit the cones, don't hit the cones.
Look at that, that's great. Just missed it! Just missed it!
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go!
Yep, yep, yep.
You can really feel the weight.
Yep, go, go, go, go, go.
Dinner is still in place.
Through the slalom.
Come on, round the last cone!
And in the box, in the box, in the box. Don't hit that cone!
So, the IONIQ completed the course in 53.72 seconds.
You could feel it was heavy. It was heavy.
But it did accelerate well. It does accelerate.
It's got more power than the Enyaq of course, so...
Yeah, we shall see. And importantly,
my dinner is still inside me.
And I didn't hit any cones, so no penalties.
No penalties. There you go. Nice one. OK.
Shall we swap? Yep.
Time to see if the Enyaq could do it any quicker.
Right then, Jimmy.
Enyaq time. Yeah.
The IONIQ set quite a good benchmark. I have to say,
in terms of fun, that was really good.
Massive grin on my face.
Slipping and sliding in. Loved it. Great fun.
So I found Sport mode, but I can't find any button
to turn off the ESC on this.
We just have to take Sport mode on its sort of merit.
It is what it is. Right.
Are you ready? Er, yup.
OK, in three, two, one, go.
That didn't feel as quick off the line.
It definitely doesn't, but the turning ring is excellent.
This is tidy.
I can give out so much more steering lock.
In a tight car park, that's gonna be very handy.
I've also found another use for those flaps on the doors
cos I'm able to hang on. Very neat.
Oh, look at the amount of steering lock I've got!
That is clean in.
Go, go, go, go, go, go.
That is feeling very, very tidy.
I'm revising my bet, Jimmy. Yeah, I know. (LAUGHS)
Through the chicane, come on. Here we go, come on. Come on.
Ooh... I'm not sure about that.
Round the last cone.
And in and stop. Urgh.
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo! Go on, what was it?
What was it? This is the winner.
Is it? 48 seconds.
So that's five seconds faster than the IONIQ.
That is amazing. And I tell you, that came down
to having more steering lock.
In and out of the two parking bays we had,
I could go in... Nice and clean.
..nice and clean, and then when I wanted to reverse out,
which, let's be honest, if you're in a shopping centre car park,
or in a supermarket car park, it can get a bit tight.
Having that extra bit of steering lock
meant it was just so much faster.
So, our well-deserved winner is the Skoda Enyaq.
However, I will say, big caveat,
if you want to put a smile on your face, definitely the IONIQ.
That was... If you're ever gonna go drifting around a car park, the IONIQ's the one.
100%. But just for nimble, nice parking
it's this. There you go.
Five seconds. That's extraordinary. Yeah.
And for a lot less money.
A decent package that does exactly what you want it to do,
you can't complain. There you go.
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