Tesla Model Y, Mustang Mach-E, XC40 Recharge or Kia EV6? We test four of the best EVs you can buy in 2022
Tesla has managed to do something quite extraordinary over the last few years. No, we’re not talking about the rollout of a charging network that actually works or the dubiously titled Autopilot system, instead it’s the popularity of the Model 3 that impresses, despite having a body style that’s deeply out of fashion.
The conventional choice is the Volvo XC40 Recharge, an SUV that was designed to have combustion, hybrid and fully electric versions from the start. It’s plush inside and surprisingly swift, too. Our final contender is our reigning electric SUV champ, the Kia EV6. With keen pricing, well-judged chassis tuning and those sci-fi looks, it’s an EV that both your head and heart can agree on.
Can the Model Y beat the EV6’s interior? Yes and no; you’ll certainly find more squishy plastics and personally I love the pale wood trim, but the vegan leather just feels like vinyl and Tesla still hasn’t quite worked out how to screw stuff together properly. And while the minimalist interior looks clean and you soon become accustomed to the giant touchscreen, a few more physical buttons would be most welcome.
Space up front is plentiful in all, with ample cubbies for the contents of your pockets, too. Move to the rear and you’ll find similarities between the Model Y and XC40, and Mustang and EV6. The former pair feel more SUV-like with upright seating positions and pleasingly deep footwells, while the latter are best described as crossovers.
On cold, damp UK roads it doesn’t take much of an ankle flex to send the rear tyres on a very different arc to the fronts, even with the ESC on in Whisper mode. Of course, with twice as many driven wheels as a regular V8 Mustang, it’s unlikely you’ll find yourselves having a Cars and Coffee moment. You won’t have a face-cracking grin in the EV6 either, yet it’s hard not to be impressed by the polished way in which it drives. The response of the controls feels well matched and like the Tesla, the brake pedal feels far more natural than the Mach-E’s clunky response or XC40’s slight inconsistency. You can flow pleasingly down a B-road at a decent lick, enjoying the precise steering and well contained body roll, making it a satisfying drive.