Kia Soul EV - Best electric cars

If the i3’s radical design and overly-complicated rear-hinged rear-doors puts you off then the Soul EV’s close relationship to the standard car is a plus. On the move it’s quiet, comfortable and nippy at low speeds, which is perfect for city use. The price will be a major barrier for some, but it does come with Kia’s class-leading 7-year warranty. If you’re prepared to be an early adopter, the Soul EV is well worth a look.

While the Kia’s exterior stands out, the cabin is more traditional. A gloss white finish is used for the centre console and gearlever surround, while the analogue dials are replaced by digitalversions. Otherwise the interior is carried over largely unchanged from the standard Soul.

With its seamless, near-silent power delivery, light controls and quiet ride, the Soul serves up a remarkably relaxing driving experience. This can be partly explained by the EV’s 109bhp power output and hefty 1,565kg kerbweight, which combine to blunt acceleration.

However, in the real world the Soul feels brisk enough, particularly around town, where it responds sharply to the throttle. It’s only at speeds above 60mph that the Kia’s rate of acceleration starts to slow, so it doesn’t have the same confidence-inspiring reserves of overtaking pace as the rival BMW i3.