Electric motor Kia Soul has a long-range battery and is set to be cheaper, chunkier and much cooler than rivals
With two long-range-battery cars - that do just what it says on the tin - hitting the market next year, the Korean manufacturer may have stolen a significant march on its rivals
SO who do you think is going to win the electric car race?
Tesla? No. Jaguar? No. Volvo? No. Mercedes? No. BMW? No. Nissan? No.
I’m telling you now, it’s going to be the Koreans.
Why? Because they are doing it the right way. One long-range battery, at the right price. Just as people start to get interested in electric.
At Kia, 300 MILES per charge is THE STARTING POINT for its electric cars. None of this wishy-washy nonsense we’ve seen from Nissan and BMW until now.
And you don’t need Tesla/Jaguar money to buy one either.
The added bonus is that we’ll have TWO Kia EVs in showrooms next year.
The e-Niro arrives in March costing £33,000 after the £3,500 Government grant. One 64kWh battery, one trim grade, just pick a colour. Simple.
Finance from £389 a month. I know. Ouch. But less than a tenner for a full tank. Sweeeet.
The e-Niro will be followed by Soul, unveiled at the LA Auto Show yesterday.
Same deal as e-Niro. One 64kWh battery, one trim grade, just pick a colour. Simple. But Soul will be cheaper. And chunkier. And cooler.
Add in the comfort of Kia’s seven-year warranty and you can see why the Koreans will lead the electric charge. Sister brand Hyundai will be right in the mix too.
Kia UK boss Paul Philpott said: “We have got a headstart. We have overcome range anxiety with the e-Niro and Soul and we’re going to need more cars from the factory to meet demand.
“Our electrified sales have grown 40 per cent this year — that’s hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric — and there’s more products to come.”
Kia will add two plug-in hybrids next year, a Ceed crossover badged XCeed and the Ceed Sportswagon (estate).
The 2020 Sorento will also have a plug-in hybrid option, as will the 2021 Sportage. By then, Kia will also unleash a standalone all-electric sports coupe.
Kia sales will hit a record 95,000 in the UK this year, up two per cent in a market down 7.3 per cent.
It is clearly doing something right.
KEY FACTS
KIA SOUL
Price: £32,000 (inc Govt grant)
Battery: 64kWh
Power: 204hp
0-62mph: 7.8 secs
Range: 301 miles
Emissions: 0g/km
Warranty: 7 years
Out: Nov 2019
To B or not to B? Why tall Merc gets a no from me
Spare a thought for Frankie Jonas. Yeah. You’ve not heard of him, have you?
His brothers are three of the most successful pop brats on the planet romping their way to millions.
But little Frankie is the Bonus Jonas. He sits at home playing Xbox and eating Twinkies.
His parents must be thinking: “What do we do with Frankie? How do we get him out of the house?”
My point is this. In a family of high-achievers, there’s always one that isn’t.
We might call it the black sheep. Mercedes call it the B-Class. On paper, the B-Class sounds brilliant. It’s a tall A-Class with a high seating position, efficient engines, widescreen dash and tons of tech.
But there is a problem. It’s a Dad’s taxi without the versatility of a people mover – so it doesn’t make much sense.
Removable rear seats? No. Sliding rear bench? Not yet. And it looks spectacularly dull.
And it’s expensive, especially when you add on all the toys.
You’d be far better off with a C-Class estate. Or a Renault Scenic. But like it or not, this third-gen B-Class does raise the bar in other areas.
The B 200d – the 150hp 2-litre diesel – is so advanced it meets emissions standards not due until 2020.
And the new eight-speed auto is a peach. The closer ratios allow for even smoother shifting.
It’s also comfy, well-balanced and assuming you’re not on the school run, covers ground at a decent pace.
It’s got five drive modes from Eco to Sport+ which tighten everything up. It’s also beautifully appointed and safe, with assistance tech from the S-Class.
But the piece de resistance is that oh-so-cool widescreen dash lifted from the A-Class with its Siri-like virtual assistant.
Just say “Hey, Mercedes” and “Play Phil Collins” and it will. Most of the time.
To sum up, then, the B-Class has all the technical brilliance of its superstar siblings but falls way short on versatility and looks.
It’s the odd one out. You could call it the Frankie-stein.
KEY FACTS
MERCEDES B-CLASS
Price: £29,600
Engine: 2-ltr diesel turbo
Power: 150hp, 320Nm
0-62mph: 8.3 secs
Top speed: 136mph
Economy: 56mpg
CO2: 112g/km
Out: March
LA Auto Show specials
Porsche 911
Porsche fanboys will love the new 911 . . . because it’s hardly changed at all.
The rear light strip is new, as are two digital screens either side of the analogue rev counter.
It also gets Wet mode, aluminium body panels, mixed wheel sizes (20in front, 21in rear) and, er, that’s about it.
It remains a 3-litre turbocharged flat six but with eight-speed PDK to allow for hybrid later. Definitely still a 911. Definitely still can’t afford one.
Audi e-tron
OH my gurrrd, like, wow, this is awesome.
The Audi e-tron GT. A four-door pure electric sports car coming in 2020 with full vegan interior.
Is it fast? Very. Two electric motors producing 590hp catapult it from 0-62mph in 3.5 seconds and it will do 124mph in 12.
Top speed is regulated at 149mph to maximise range.
Quattro all-wheel drive, all-wheel steering and as low as an R8. And the 90kWh battery has a 248-mile range.
BMW 8 Series
In the land of the fake and the famous you’ll need a therapist, personal trainer, ketogenic diet . . . and a convertible.
Something like this BMW 8 Series, maybe? Beefy 530hp V8, electric folding hood, four seats.
Hang on, you’re far too selfish to need four seats.
On sale everywhere – not just LA – in April from £83,000. I like it better than the coupe.
Mazda3
Three is the magic number.
As in Mazda3. It gets a clever new petrol engine that has the performance and refinement of petrol yet the economy and torque of diesel.
There’s life in the internal combustion engine yet. The 3 has also been modernised with a digital spit-and-polish including 8.8in infotainment screen and traffic jam assist.
Out in the summer, priced around £20,000.
Toyota Prius
Next month the Toyota Prius turns 21. Yes, really.
The trail-blazing hybrid is, of course, adored by Leo Di Caprio and co, so where better than La La Land to launch the fourth-gen facelift? It just had to be LA.
The big news is that it now has all-wheel drive.
Can you guess the big film of 1997?
Titanic. Another win for Leo.
A deer miss
This Prancer Dancer chancer has a near miss after jumping a main road in front of a passing car in an astonishing video doing the rounds on Twitter.
Put him on the team, Santa.
GOT TO BE IN IT TO WIN IT
Last chance saloon. Or hatchback. Or van. You’ve still got time to enter our free draw to Win a VW for over Christmas.
That’s a two-week loan, fully insured, with a free tank of fuel, delivered to your door.
Pick your favourite from Polo, Golf, T-Roc, Tiguan Allspace, Arteon and Transporter Kombi.
Entries close at 11.59pm tomorrow.
Drivers must be aged 25-70 and have held a full and valid UK driving licence for at least two years.
Other T&Cs apply.
MOST READ IN MOTORS
Auto parts
Drum roll, please, for the 2019 European Car of the Year Awards – and the finalists are: Alpine A110, Citroen C5 Aircross, Ford Focus, Jaguar I-Pace, Kia Ceed, Mercedes A-Class and Peugeot 508.
Winner announced in March. I say Focus.
The Ford Focus Active is worth a look.
All the brilliance of the new Focus but with two extra drive modes – Slippery for snow and ice and Trail for mud and sand.
Out January from £21,900.
Winter tips
1: Rub half a raw onion on your windscreen at night to stop it freezing over.
2: Frozen door lock? Heat the key with a lighter.