FAMILY PACK
The era of electric SUVs is upon us... but can they cope with this summer’s family getaway? Time to pack the bags and head for the coast
Carting the family about you want range and flexibility – we’ve gathered three of the best electric SUVs to see if they cope
IImagine towing a caravan behind one of these. It’s something I’ve been idly pondering while parked at Tiverton leisure centre as the ID.4 rehydrates after a less than strenuous workout on the A303. If the UK has a holiday road, the A303 is surely it. Come summer, provided we’ve done as Boris says, it’ll be nose-to-tail caravans, roof boxes and bike racks. How’s that going to work in the electric future?
Stick a roof rack on VW’s carefully honed 0.28 drag coefficient and you’ll knock tens of miles from the range. But what’s really juicing my volts right now is this: every electric charging point is in a single parking bay. It’s not like driving onto a petrol forecourt – if you want to recharge your caravan hauler, you’re going to have to unhitch first. Hassle.
Holidays are what these cars were designed for though. Well, sort of. It’s why you buy a car this size, isn’t it? Or more correctly of this range. You don’t need a 99kWh battery if you’re just bimbling about locally, and who’s commuting these days? The big long-distance car in the family is justified and bought for two reasons: filling up with your kids’ school friends and going on holiday.
Of these, only the ID.4 looks ready for a summer camping break, doesn’t it? The XC40 is surely too small, the Mustang Mach-E a bit too... American? We’re at Hartland Quay, and with all those questions about EVs swirling around my head, I’d arrived here without thinking what it meant. Six months since I last spent a night away from home, nine since I’d seen a coastline, this was sensory bombardment: crashing waves, sparkling sun, cliffs, breeze, warmth, the tang of salt, squawk of gulls. I’d forgotten. It was wonderful. Turns out it isn’t only the cars that needed their batteries topped up. If foreign travel proves tricky this year, use this as a reminder there’s plenty to enjoy on our shores.
On to more relevant things. In my head the Mustang was going to be the biggest and most imposing, but visually the taller, flat-flanked ID.4 dwarfs it. It’s a confidently executed car, the Volkswagen – clean, bold and simple, but behind that the shape is boxy, more MPV (remember them?) than crossover. The Volvo is an archetypal crossover, just the body-colour grille to separate it from the fuel-burning XC40s. The Mustang is instantly christened ‘Burt’. It’s the moustache.
And yes, the VW is the biggest inside, but not by much. What gives it the edge for those in the back is the raised, tiered bench and the amount of light. There’s no struggle for space in any of them. Just watch your head getting into the Stang – those cut-down doors show Ford had very different priorities to Volvo where the openings are wide and square.
It’s not the biggest, but actually it’s the XC40 that impresses me most: built on an existing petrol platform (one shared with the Polestar 2), yet really well packaged. Yes, if push came to shove (which it will where packing for family trips is concerned) you’d get more in the VW or Mustang, both of which have boots with more floor area, but the size difference between each load bay isn’t as marked as the figures suggest. And plus points to Volvo and Ford for their frunks – the Mach-E has an extra 81 litres of space, complete with drain hole, which is perfect for post-surfing wetsuits. The ID.4, like the Mustang, is built on a bespoke EV platform, yet open the bonnet and all you have is an ugly hidden nest of cables and boxes. Missed opportunity. To hide the nastiness as much as create more space.
Things are shaping up for a stunning sunset, so we decide to sneak a bit further south. Electric cars are great whirring almost silently along tiny country lanes. You feel more inclined to keep the windows rolled down, so you can hear other stuff coming. The Volkswagen has the biggest windscreen, the widest view forward, which also means you feel small in it. In the coupe-like Mustang you sit low and back, sending the prow out first. But I’m leading in the Volvo, fitted as standard with Google Automotive Services. Four years of data allowance and fully online navigation. We’re in rural Devon, though, so there’s no signal, therefore no maps, no navigation.
That’s not the only irritation. The daft key, with buttons on the side, is another. Otherwise it’s a very conventional cabin: familiar gearstick, dials and screens, not much to confuse you other than the fact your bum operates the ignition. The cheek to seat interface brings everything to life. Both the others have start buttons, although in the Volkswagen you don’t actually need to press it.
Both cars have also clearly leaned heavily on Tesla for inspiration. Volkswagen has adopted the clean design aesthetic, Ford has mimicked the giant screen. And done it very well, it’s the best here. The Volvo’s is small and tricky to operate, the VW’s is annoyingly slow to respond – in fact all the controls lag oddly, so you find yourself pressing a button for a second time at just the moment it is responding the first, thereby cancelling it. It also takes ages to wake up when you first get in the car. You’re in and ready to move off, but the screen is still booting up. Doubtless over-the-air updates will improve the situation, but this is Volkswagen, we expect more.
Stand by, though – I have a theory. The ID.4 comes across as having been rushed to market. It’s like VW nailed the fundamentals: it’s the right size, layout, image and package. It’s appealing to people. So Volkswagen let a few things slide, knowing they could either be fixed later (the electronic interaction) or didn’t matter too much (the way it drives – we’ll come on to that later).
“THE MUSTANG IS INSTANTLY CHRISTENED ‘BURT’. IT’S THE MOUSTACHE”
“AN ELECTRIC CAR FORCES YOU TO THINK ABOUT THE JOURNEY RATHER THAN JUST THE DESTINATION”
For now, know this is a sensible-shoes EV. It’s a very different beast to the Mach-E, which is a car with a sense of showmanship. Door buttons, screen graphics, an ‘Untamed’ driving mode, not a trace of Ford badging, a car that doesn’t immediately and loudly proclaim you have a family. It will immediately and loudly proclaim if you get out without switching the ignition off, via the horn. But it isn’t great quality inside. The switchgear and tactility is a notch down from the Europeans and makes the price stick in your throat. You’ll find cheap plastics in the VW, too, but it’s been more careful with where they’re put and how they’re shaped, so they don’t lower the tone.
This is a First Edition ID.4 and what you need to know is that that doesn’t mean it’s well equipped. It isn’t. No electric seats, no electric tailgate (if you care about such things), fabric rather than leather trim, a sound system that can’t hold a candle to the Ford’s B&O or Volvo’s Harman Kardon. And of course very few buttons to press in this new Volkswagen interior. It’s a hassle to operate, requiring constant prods and swipes. The Volvo’s isn’t much better, leaving the Ford as the most relaxing to operate.
We watch the sun drop and it’s bliss, a much-needed reminder of nature’s colour palette, the temporary glow adding glamour to our crossovers. We even have a wander down to the beach before setting off back to Barnstaple. We’ve booked a hotel with two electric charging points. Which both turn out to be Tesla destination chargers. But in a spirit of generosity one will charge other electric cars. But seemingly only once you’ve unplugged, replugged, reset and rechecked many, many times. When the light finally goes green we all stand back. It’s a ‘right, nobody touch anything’ moment. We dispatch the Mustang and VW to a 50kW Instavolt point a handy 250 metres away. We leave them there, eat dinner and collect them at 11pm, by which time the VW’s 77kWh battery is full and the Mach-E’s 99kWh battery is at 85 per cent.
This is the difference to running a petrol car. You have to find creative ways and times to top up. Using an electric car forces you to think about the journey rather than just the destination. You’ll find yourself in interesting spots, and if you care about what you pay to recharge, they might be away from your main route. On average we were paying 30-35 pence per kWh at 50kW chargers. The Volvo visited an Ionity charger on the way down that was three times faster (a 15 minute stop rather than 45) but twice the cost. Since it was averaging 2.7 miles on each kWh of charge, that’s a cost equivalent of a petrol car doing 21mpg. Yikes. Charge at home when you can, people.
The next morning we twiddle out of Barnstaple early, a handy reminder of the VW’s impressive turning circle and the Volvo and Ford’s smooth and effective one-pedal driving modes. Even with the pinched-from-a-BMW-i3 rotary gearlever twisted to Brake mode, the more conservative VW never quite gives you enough slowing force when you lift off. So you have to use the brakes. And the ID.4’s brakes are spongy and inconsistent underfoot. A closer inspection reveals drum brakes on the back. This is a premium car in 2021. What is VW playing at?
“COMING BACK ACROSS EXMOOR, PUSHED BY A TAILWIND, THE MUSTANG IS FAR AND AWAY THE MOST EFFICIENT”
The rest of the driving experience is similarly underwhelming. It did the long haul drive down very well yesterday, but beyond that the experience is bland and insipid, it just does a job. And doesn’t do it particularly well. I’m not expecting much satisfaction, but I am expecting a smooth, consistent and accurate response to inputs. But the ID.4 doesn’t feel alert enough, so it’s hard to predict what inputs you need on the steering, brakes and throttle. It lacks a bit of co-ordination. And this is just the business of ordinary driving, entirely separate to the fact the VW is a pudding on good Exmoor roads with limited body control and zero steering feel.
You wouldn’t want a slower ID.4, though. With 204bhp pulling 2,124kg it’s capable of doing what’s needed. Entry level versions due later with a smaller 52kWh battery dip down to 146bhp. Flipping that around, you wouldn’t want a faster XC40, either. The sister car to the twin-motor Polestar 2, this has 402bhp for a sub-5.0secs 0–62mph. I’d been driving it around as you do a Volvo, and been encouraged by how capable it seemed. Still, the first time I nailed it was startling. It’s way quicker than either rival. Handily, it can cope with the power. It’s controllable and predictable with well-judged damping, feels secure on the road thanks to accurate steering. No real drawbacks, does the job, handles progressively, should probably have 150bhp less.
Even then, there would be a good argument that it’s a better, or at least more rounded, car to drive than the Mustang. Here’s an electric car that aims to convince you that it cares about driving. By being noticeably flawed. The steering is artificially sharp, but blunt compared with the brake pedal, which will pitch you into the windscreen the first few times. You end up one-pedalling the car so you don’t have to use it. And the ride is turbulent, pitching around a little on its high-profile tyres. But the chassis feels commendably light on its feet, turn-in is good and the Ford is the most eager and responsive, and, with 290bhp, has the right amount of performance. The Mach-E is keen to prove it’s a Mustang.
It’s also far and away the most efficient. Coming back across Exmoor, pushed by a tailwind, it was returning nearly five miles per kWh, when neither rival could be tempted above four. Makes you realise you could probably get away with the smaller 76kWh battery and bring the price down to a VW-rivalling £40,350. This one, with the 99kWh battery, claims 370 miles of range. My rule of thumb with all EVs is to knock a third off. Call it 260 and you won’t be disappointed. For the 260-mile claims of the Volvo and VW, call it a reliable 180.
But don’t worry about range. One of the reasons I did this test in Devon was to recreate a group test we did with an I-Pace, Model X
“DON’T WORRY ABOUT RANGE. WE’RE LEARNING, THE NETWORK’S IMPROVING”
and e-tron exactly two years ago. A usual three-hour journey using petrol took 4.5 back then, employing a two-stop strategy. With these we split the difference. We’re learning and the network’s improving.
So which should you have? We need to bring cost into it. The XC40 Recharge is currently only available through the Care By Volvo subscription package, which covers everything bar charging and insurance for £619 a month. That’s not bad value – this long range Mustang will cost you £710 monthly over three years with £5,000 down. The smaller battery will save you £150 per month. On Volkswagen’s Lease&Care scheme a First Edition ID.4 will cost around £590.
Like-for-like they all fall in the same ballpark. And similarly,
I’d happily recommend any of them. Overall, the Volvo falls first. It’s good to drive and amusingly if needlessly rapid, but breaks no new ground. The VW, cleanly designed, light and spacious inside, is the best family hauler, but we have reservations about the laggy, button-free infotainment and the rather flaccid driving experience. Forthcoming cheaper versions may make more sense, but this doesn’t look bad value. The Mustang’s main drawback is its interior quality. It’s a different take on family transport, one with a bit of edge, but also one that works. Our winner. Only a 750kg towing capacity mind, for all you caravan owners out there.