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

Verdict

Skywell may be a complete unknown in the UK market, but the Skywell BE11 looks to offer buyers a very large amount of electric car for not very much cash. But while it scores big for value, space and comfort, in terms of chassis sophistication, powertrain calibration, performance, efficiency and charge speeds, it falls a long way short of most electric family cars already on sale. If all you need is a huge car for not much money then it’s hard to fault, but if value is your main concern we’d suggest dipping into the used market.

The transition to electrification in the new car market has opened the doors to a range of manufacturers entering the UK market – many of whom come from China. Some, like MG and BYD, have already established themselves as large players, and only show signs of becoming increasingly influential. Others are at a much earlier stage of their journey. 

One of those new brands is Skywell. It’s a group that doesn’t have ties to any brands that have become household names (or even emerging ones) over here; its offerings in China primarily lean towards the commercial vehicle side of the industry, with electric buses first, but also trucks, heavy-plant machinery, and vans. That aside, Skywell also has a consumer electronics arm, and the car you see in front of you, which in China is known as the Skyworth EV6. The BE11 nameplate is obviously considered a bit less confusing given Kia already has dibs on the EV6 name over here.

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) and standard equipment for a price that, while still to be confirmed, is slated to start from around £35,000. 

While our early non-UK spec car didn’t have all of the features yet, buyers here will be treated to an SUV fitted with a panoramic roof, heated and cooled front seats, interior ambient lighting, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and an eight speaker sound system, plus a huge list of other tech. 

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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. 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 about it. 

The superficial quality feels fine, but we’d rank it closer to modern MGs than posher (and more expensive) options like the Peugeot E-3008 or Skoda Enyaq. That touchscreen is sharp enough, but when Android Auto expands to its full size, it looks a little blocky and low-res, and you can’t then change the on-screen climate controls easily. For that, you’ll need to close your smartphone mirroring software and go back into the proprietary system – a fiddly task on the move.

Further back the news is better though, because the BE11’s rear seat area is simply vast. Knee room in particular is almost limo-like, and headroom is fantastic, too. But save for a floor area that is a touch too high compared to the seat base, it’s genuinely superb for passengers in the second row. 

But all this value is put into perspective after driving the BE11. Beside the class best, there are several fundamental areas where things struggle to add up. 

While EV drivers are now used to the instant throttle response that an electric motor can provide, here the exact opposite is true. Between pressing down on the throttle pedal and gaining any sort of response takes almost one full second. Just try to count that time out in your head and think about how that feels every time you want to pull out of a junction, perform an overtake, or simply maintain smooth progress along a straight road.

And when the throttle does come into life, it’s not very easy to modulate. We pulled out of several junctions only for the inside front tyre to light up in a flare of wheelspin – on one occasion when attempting to do so in only a moderate hurry, it was enough to cause a smokey single-wheel burnout. That would be more understandable if the BE11 was fast, but with a 201bhp motor delivering a 0-62mph time of 9.6 seconds, it lags behind most electric rivals by a decent margin. Our car was fitted with tyres produced by Giti; we’ll hold full judgement on the traction struggles until Skywell confirms the rubber that will be supplied on UK cars.

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Elsewhere there’s issues with the calibration of the brakes. They’re very grabby at low speed, while with the recuperation set to its strongest mode, it’s still not particularly aggressive. We like that the regen can be adjusted on a sliding scale, though, which if there was enough for one pedal driving, would enable drivers to tailor it precisely as they’d like.

While there are undoubtedly a few negatives to the way that the BE11 drives, it does have its plus points, too. The chassis setup is soft by the class standards, so it’s among the more comfortable options at this price. Of course that means that it’s not the sharpest car to drive – not really a big deal for a car in this segment – but there’s less excuse for a steering response that has lots of play, particularly around the straight ahead.

Efficiency proved to be only okay in our hands. Lots of motorway driving liberated a figure of 3.4mi/kWh in warm conditions, which thanks to its very large battery means that you can expect 250 miles or so of real-world range. You will see slightly better from similarly-sized electric SUVs; a Skoda Enyaq Coupe achieved 3.8mi/kWh in similar conditions, and a Peugeot E-3008 is more economical still. Those cars also charge at 135kW and 160kW respectively, though; the BE11’s peak is just 80kW, so a 20-70 per cent top takes a leisurely 45 minutes.

That £35,000 figure mentioned above is for a model with a slightly smaller 72kWh battery, while Skywell sources tell us that this version, complete with its huge equipment list and 86kWh unit, will still dip below £40,000. Both come with a seven-year warranty and an eight-year battery warranty. The price puts it in a similar ballpark to our 2023 Car of the Year, the Hyundai Kona electric; admittedly a smaller car (though still more than roomy enough for four six-footers) that drives significantly better, is more efficient (helped by its smaller size) and runs the BE11 close for standard equipment. 

If you’re happy to buy used, the case for the BE11 gets tougher. At the £40k mark, we found a two-year old BMW iX xDrive40 for sale, which in terms of ride and refinement blows away not only the BE11, but almost any other electric SUV you could care to mention out of the water. On top of that, the iX handles brilliantly, delivers great performance and has a stunning cabin and superb in-car tech.