If you want to travel incognito the KGM Torres EVX is probably not for you. You see, it announces your arrival by playing a little theme tune when you lock the car. When you unlock it, it does the same thing. No good for bank robbers or for those of us who don’t like to draw attention.
For me, driving an electric car is the same experience whichever make or model you happen to be in. You push the start button, engage drive mode on the automatic gearbox and press the accelerator. That’s all there is to it. The vehicle drives off. There is a certain electrified buzz about proceedings. It’s like a hum and reminds me of the sound of the hoverboard in the Back to the Future films. “It’s like how a 4×4 should be from Robocop,” smiles the delivery driver.
Science has seen to it that electric is faster than your traditional combustion engines and the marketers have ensured that we all know about their zero emissions, too.
The grey KGM Torres EVX is delivered to me with 80 per cent charge, which allows it to travel 230 miles. Or so I think until I engage the air conditioning and it plummets to 203 miles. Shocked, I cancel this and it regains 27 miles of range. It’s a hot summer’s day but desperate times call for desperate measures. No air conditioning. Windows down. Our 76 mile return journey to Highcliffe with varying speeds takes up 100 miles of range.
Driving into Southampton a BMW X6 is under the misapprehension that it can overtake it at the traffic lights. It’s left bitterly disappointed. On the return trip a Hyundai has the same misconception and is left with its tail between its legs.
Parking, I leave it with over 40% charge and go to drive it again a couple of days later. I click the unlock button on the key fob. Nothing. I try the unlocking button on the driver’s door handle. Nothing. I try the key fob again and then I try the driver’s door again. Still nothing. It refuses to unlock. I can’t even open the vehicle charging point. Oh dear. I’m not expecting this and it’s a bit disappointing to say the least.
I’ve previously driven the 1.5-litre petrol version and this is basically the same vehicle, just an electric version. There’s the same black interior and touch of bronze around the dash complimented by the same colour stitching. At night both models have a blue streak of light across the door and dashboard. There are some subtle differences between the models though; the front bumpers, the alloy wheels and the backs of the headrests are larger in the electric version.
For me there are too many disadvantages to electric vehicles and for reliability I would opt for the petrol version.
Facts at a glance
Price £43,960 to £46,960
0 to 60mph: 8.1secs
Top speed: 109mph
Power: 207bhp
Rated Fuel Equivalent 134mpg
Tim Saunders is a travel writer and photographer regularly contributing to publications with a combined audience exceeding 100,000 readers. You can read more from Tim on his website travelwriter.biz and www.testdrives.biz.
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