Longrange lion for the win
This trio feels zeitgeisty and incredibly on-point for the anxiety-laden, finger-gnawing 2020s: electrically powered to save the polar bears, small enough to thread through our increasingly congested cityscapes, yet boasting enough dynamic fizz to reward keen drivers on occasional extra-urban forays – and with an eye on urban chic to boost kerbside feelgood factor for some catwalk cool. Each one couldn’t be more on trend if it tried.
Mini has been ploughing a similar furrow for two decades under BMW ownership and there are few surprises with the Electric. In the spirit of all the best Minis, however they’re powered, the British contender is damn fast – comfortably the quickest car here – but what surprised us more was how it lacked the sophistication of the others. We never thought we’d say it, but the Mini is beginning to feel its age and the time for cartoon-oversized dials and kitsch detailing might have passed. The new kid on the block from Japan has moved the look-at-me goalposts and the Brit try-hard is no longer quite so compelling, especially with its desperately short range (the Mini’s drivetrain is very e cient but hamstrung by a tiny battery) and the least practical cabin on test.
The Honda E is a breathtaking achievement: one of those rare cars that only comes along once every few years and shakes up the established way of doing things. It’s arguably the coolest car of the summer/year/decade thus far, and the design is winningly successful outside and in.
But there’s real substance behind the E’s flair, and if we were judging this Giant Test on driving qualities alone, it would walk into the sunset with the e-plaudits. It has a sophistication to ride and handling that the others can’t match, the cheapest price tag (whether you pay outright or on the tick) and a depth of engineering to soften the blow that Honda is giving up on VTEC and combustion for a new kind of motive power in the years ahead.
If we lived in central London and never ventured outside the North Circular, the Honda would walk this test – but its tiny range and equally small boot conspire to leave the Peugeot in pole position. The e-208 is a resoundingly successful small car that just happens to be electric – strong in every single area we judged and weak in none. Its regular supermini roots endow it with the most generous packaging for bodies and baggage, it’s good to drive and it won’t run out of slow-to-replenish juice the moment you accidentally turn onto the M25. It’s the best electric hatchback here and, if you can resist the Honda’s undeniable charms, the one we’d suggest you plug into.