Skywell BE11 review: prices aren’t sky high but EV SUV falls well short of rivals

It’s been on sale in its home market since 2021 with both petrol and electric powertrains, but here it’s EV only. Sheer value for money aims to tempt buyers on board, with a car going big on size (at 4.7 metres long, it’s about the same length as the current BMW X3[1]) and standard equipment for a price that, while still to be confirmed, is slated to start from around GBP35,000. Advertisement – Article continues below

While our early non-UK spec car didn’t have all of the features yet, buyers here will be treated to an SUV[2] fitted with a panoramic roof, heated and cooled front seats, interior ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay[3] and Android Auto[4], and an eight speaker sound system, plus a huge list of other tech. That’s all packed into an interior that looks clean and simple, and that undeniably draws influences from more familiar manufacturers. Smaller details, like the row of buttons on the centre console, the metallic speaker grilles, and the twin-hinged central storage cubby, remind us of Mercedes[5].

While the single span of imitation wood running across the dashboard, punctuated by a vast 12.9-inch touchscreen poking out of its middle, has more than a whiff of Tesla Model Y[6] about it.

References

1. ^ BMW X3 (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
2. ^ SUV (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
3. ^ Apple CarPlay (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
4. ^ Android Auto (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
5. ^ Mercedes (www.autoexpress.co.uk)
6. ^ Tesla Model Y (www.autoexpress.co.uk)