Powering up

Kia’s been on an incredible run of form, but the new EV5 meets its match in the crowded field of established electric family SUVs

We have had small electric hot hatchbacks like the Alpine A290 and large ones like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N but as yet nothing in the real heartland of Volkswagen Golf GTI-sized machinery. Cue the phrase

IT’S THE NEW FLAGSHIP PLUG-IN hybrid seven-seater from Chinese newcomers Chery – rivalling the Peugeot 5008 and Skoda Kodiaq. The numbers are impressive – up to 2,021 litres of bootspace, 422bhp, 0–62

£68,810 OTR/£73,080 as tested/£756 pcm WHY IT’S HERE: Audi’s finally plunging headlong into EVs – is aero slipperiness the silver bullet? DRIVER: ANDY FR ANKLIN REGULAR READERS WILL remember that I ra

Kia K4 1.6 T-GDi auto GT-Line Price: £31,495 Powertrain: 1.6-litre 4cyl petrol turbo, 147bhp 0-62mph: 9.1 seconds Test efficiency: 39.7mpg Range: 410 miles Annual VED: £195 Volkswagen Golf 1.5 TSI DSG

We’ve driven a prototype version of the electric GT that will start the new era beyond Jaguar’s self-imposed exile