{"id":2005753,"date":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005753"},"modified":"2026-06-23T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-22T21:00:00","slug":"here-are-11-electric-mpvs-that-prove-you-dont-need-an-suv","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2005753","title":{"rendered":"Here are 11 electric MPVs that prove you don’t need an SUV"},"content":{"rendered":"
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We\u2019re big fans of Volkswagen’s reborn Type 2, and while we were forced to wait for it, a couple of years after launch the German carmaker released a long-wheelbase version, with room for up to seven passengers. Finally, the proper MPV we\u2019d all been waiting for.<\/p>\n

Measuring almost five metres head to tail \u2013 up 25cm over the \u2018standard\u2019 Buzz \u2013 it offers three seating configurations: five (two up front, three in the back), six (two up front, two in the middle, two in the back), or the full seven (two\/three\/two). With all the seats in place you still get a very reasonable 306 litres of boot space.<\/p>\n

The extended wheelbase also allows for a bigger 91kWh (85kWh useable) battery, up from 82kWh (77kWh useable), plus a more powerful 282bhp e-motor. There\u2019s even a sporty GTX version, with 335bhp to play with\u2026<\/p>\n

Click here to read our review<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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For now, the VW ID.Buzz\u2019s only real threat on our shores is this, the Kia PV5. It\u2019s no secret that the Koreans are on a hot run of form when it comes to our new electric era, and based on our first impressions the PV5 is set to follow suit.<\/p>\n

Measuring in slightly smaller than the Buzz, but getting the same five, six or seven seat setup, it sits on the same E-GMP platform that underpins everything from Kia EV3 to Hyundai Ioniq 9. Underneath there\u2019s a single motor FWD setup (120\/160bhp) and two battery options (51.5\/71kWh), with a claimed range of up to 256 miles.<\/p>\n

Sure, the cabin might be slightly drearier than the VW, but the PV5\u2019s real trump card is the price tag, which starts at \u00a331,495 \u2013 around half<\/em> the entry price for a VW ID.Buzz \u2013 or \u00a334,495 for the long range (including the government’s electric car grant). Wow.<\/p>\n

Click here to read our review<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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But wait, because there\u2019s a chance the Kia PV5 won\u2019t be the only Korean electric MPV on our shores. This is the Hyundai Staria \u2013 the name will be familiar to our European counterparts who already get an ICE version<\/a> \u2013 and we\u2019re told the carmaker \u201cintends\u201d to bring the EV here.<\/p>\n

It notably gets an \u2018Inside-Out\u2019 theme \u2013 nothing to do with the Pixar film \u2013 that shapes the exterior around the cabin experience. So, there\u2019s a high roofline, a completely flat floor, a long wheelbase, the usual MPV jazz. It\u2019ll be highly adaptable too, available in seven \u2013 complete with two individual thrones in the second row \u2013 or nine seat configurations.<\/p>\n

Hyundai has even gone as far as giving us powertrain specifics, which shows it means business with its fancy new people mover: 215bhp, an 84kWh lithium-ion battery, and a WLTP range of 249 miles. Quit playing with us and bring it here already, please.<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Here\u2019s one that\u2019s definitely arriving on our shores \u2013 Mercedes\u2019 new VLE. It replaces the EQV<\/a>, and is the first vehicle to be built on Merc\u2019s new VAN.EA platform set to underpin a number of different electric commercial vehicles. Expect to hear plenty more about it.<\/p>\n

Not that this is anything like a van. Its maker describes it as a \u201cgrand\u201d limousine \u2013 up top it gets Merc\u2019s MBUX Superscreen, while backseat passengers get individual thrones complete with wireless phone charging, lumbar support, calf support, a massage function and an extra pillow. Oh, and a giant 31.3in panoramic screen for catching up on old TG classics.<\/p>\n

At launch it\u2019ll be available in standard wheelbase form only (a longer one is coming), complete with a single 272bhp motor driving the front wheels mated to a 115kWh NMC for a range of 435 miles. A 400bhp AWD variant will follow if you want to make the kids sick.<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The Li Auto Mega was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show back in 2023 with space age looks \u2013 partially thanks to ex-Porsche designer Ben Baum, who had a hand in the 992-gen 911, quite the career move \u2013 and the pressure of being the Chinese firm\u2019s first full electric car.<\/p>\n

But it had the substance to match the looks too. Wind tunnel tests had proven an extremely low drag coefficient of 0.215Cd, the lowest of any MPV globally currently in production, and better than a Porsche Taycan no less. Li Auto also claimed a range of 350-400 miles, thanks to the whopping 102.7kWh battery beneath the floor.<\/p>\n

But it was inside that was the real talking point, with a 2+2+3 seating layout, including captains’ (heated and massaging) chairs and a ceiling-mounted 17in display in the second row, plus a 21-speaker audio system. Sadly, we\u2019re told it\u2019ll never come to the UK.<\/p>\n

Click here to read our review<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Meet the Zeekr 009. Zeekr, in case you\u2019re not aware, is Chinese megacorp Geely\u2019s \u2013 owner of several familiar automotive names including Lotus<\/a>, Polestar<\/a>, Smart\u00a0and Volvo<\/a> \u2013 upmarket all-electric brand for its home market. Certainly not shy, that’s for sure.<\/p>\n

The all-electric luxury MPV is based on the same Sustainable Experience Architecture (SEA) platform as other Geely products like the Smart #1<\/a> and Volvo EX30<\/a>, only here it\u2019s been extended to allow for more cabin room. Speaking of, inside it gets three rows of two seats, all the Nappa leather, and a 15.6in fold down screen for rear passengers.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also the first car \u2013 if you can call it that\u2013 to get Geely\u2019s new 140kWh \u2018Qilin\u2019 battery, allowing for a hugely impressive 511 miles of range. And it\u2019s not short of power either, courtesy of its 536bhp twin-motor powertrain. Just don\u2019t forget the sick bags.<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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\u201cA Scandinavian living room on the move.\u201d That\u2019s how Volvo refers to its first fully premium electric SUV, with such features including lounge seats with \u201czero-gravity cushions\u201d, a fold-down 15.6in rear infotainment screen, and Scandi nature\/Asian art-inspired styling.<\/p>\n

Multipurpose, too. Volvo says that with a flick of a switch you can easily turn the six-seater cabin into a theatre, meeting room or bedroom, while optimum ride comfort is ensured by dual-chamber air suspension and 19in or 20in aero wheels wrapped in \u2018silent tyres\u2019. Under all that skin it gets a 268bhp motor and 116kWh battery pack, good for up to 458 miles.<\/p>\n

Sadly, however, there are currently no plans to introduce the EM90 to the UK, with it sold in mainland China only at time of writing, priced from \u00a5818,000 Renminbi (\u00a391,520) \u2013 not bad, considering the cost of a house these days. The petition starts here\u2026<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Black cabs might be the London Electric Vehicle Company<\/a>\u2019s \u2013 or LEVC for short \u2013 bread and butter but that hasn\u2019t stopped it branching out elsewhere, including into vans<\/a> and, latterly, this, its rather space-age MPV. Perhaps it\u2019ll turn its attention to buses next.<\/p>\n

While full details are currently a little short in supply, we\u2019re told that it\u2019ll be available in six or eight-seat configurations, and interior pictures suggest it\u2019ll get all the screens, with second row passengers getting individual displays plus a smaller control unit embedded in the armrests. There\u2019s also a panoramic roof, ambient lighting, and a cow\u2019s worth of leather.<\/p>\n

And best of all, it\u2019s set for our shores too. Yep, with a scheduled Chinese launch date of 2024, LEVC has announced that it\u2019ll arrive in the UK sometime in the following two years. By which time there could be a few more family members to ferry around.<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Another day, another MPV from the Geely sub-brand. The Zeekr Mix, unveiled at the Auto China 2024 show in Beijing, is described as an \u201cintelligent living room on wheels\u201d, though for now we\u2019ll have to take Zeekr\u2019s word on that, because this is the only picture so far.<\/p>\n

Fortunately, the firm has been kind enough to share a little more detail with us. We\u2019re told it\u2019ll be based on Geely\u2019s SEA-M platform, which allows for a long wheelbase, flat floors, and acres of interior space, with multiple seating arrangements for up to six people. Plus, it should have a city-friendly turning radius of under five metres. Handy.<\/p>\n

Measuring 4.7m long \u2013 a little shorter than the ID.Buzz LWB above \u2013 word is it\u2019ll get a different rear door setup on opposing sides, with one sliding door on one side, and two opposite opening sliding doors on the other, creating a bigger opening. Stay tuned…<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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The XPeng X9 has been a huge success story in its homeland since its launch, where it broke multiple sales records and went on to become the bestselling all-electric MPV in its first year on sale. Now, the Chinese firm has confirmed that it\u2019s coming to the UK.<\/p>\n

The headlines include zero-gravity seats (which reportedly make you feel like you\u2019re floating in space), a karaoke machine (including six mics) and a 21.in rear entertainment screen (no explanation needed). It also gets heated seats across all three rows, automatic sliding doors on both sides and a panoramic roof to make the back feel more like a lounge.<\/p>\n

Xpeng also says that when the third row of seats are folded the boot fits a double bed or five adult bikes standing upright. Who needs a campervan? Range is up to 436 or 403 miles, depending on which battery size you go for, 94.8kWh or 105kWh respectively.<\/p>\n

Click here to find out more<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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BYD\u2019s premium sub-brand Denza is set for a full scale launch in the UK next year, and one of the first cars in the pipeline is this, the D9, which the Chinese carmaker was only too keen to show off at the Goodwood Festival of Speed last year.<\/p>\n

Bringing a whole new meaning to the term luxurious MPV, it\u2019s basically a home cinema on wheels, with screens on the front seatbacks for second row passengers complete with individual control panels on each armrest, plus a refrigerator in between the front seats to keep any beverages cool. All that\u2019s missing is the popcorn.<\/p>\n

Oh, and the second row captain chairs are 10-way adjustable and come with heating, ventilation, a 10-point massage function, and footrests. Good luck getting the kids out. Claimed range is up to 385 miles from the 103kWh ‘blade’ battery.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We\u2019re big fans of Volkswagen’s reborn Type 2, and while we were forced to wait for it, a couple of years after launch the German carmaker released a long-wheelbase version, with room for up to seven passengers. Finally, the proper MPV we\u2019d all been waiting for. Measuring almost five metres head to tail \u2013 up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,237],"class_list":["post-2005753","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-topgear-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005753","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2005753"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2005753\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2005753"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2005753"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2005753"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}