In Search of the New Star: who wants to take the place of the Seat Mii Electric?

Everything has an end, except the banana which has two. After two years of good and loyal service, it is time to start thinking about finding THE electric car that will replace my Seat Mii Electric. And I invite you to accompany me and even contribute to this journey.

As you know if you are faithful readers of Automobile Propre, it has been two years and 30,000 km that I have been the proud owner of a 2020 Seat Mii Electric affectionately named Miireille. But I regret to inform you that this is probably the last anniversary we will celebrate together. Let’s be clear not to tarnish the impeccable reputation of this incredible little electric car ahead of its time: it is in no way responsible for this planned break-up. At the time of purchase, it indeed met 95% of my personal needs, but these have changed. It’s not her, it’s me.

What do I need now? More range? More power? More sophisticated equipment? Faster charging speed? Tech enthusiasts will be disappointed: none of that. With its 83 hp, 250 km of WLTP range, and 40 kW DC charging, the technical sheet, certainly very 2020 of the Spanish representative of the Volkswagen trio, continues to suit me perfectly. What now hinders is a severe lack of interior space. A roof box was considered but would only partially solve the problem, unable to accommodate the knees of the increasingly occasional rear passengers.

However, the offer in the category of electric city cars has greatly expanded lately. Renault 5 and Twingo, Nissan Micra, BYD Dolphin Surf, Fiat Grande Panda or Hyundai Inster (and I’m surely forgetting some), there is something for every taste and color.

“But why is he telling us his life, actually?” you may wonder. Well, because just like we strongly advise you to quickly and freely test drive a model you covet through our test center, I will do the same with those mentioned above. This will obviously lead to articles on Automobile Propre in which I won’t shy away from the sun since I will wear two hats: one, sportswear with an NBA logo but, beware, vintage, of the specialized journalist, and the other, a shabby chic vegan beret, handmade in Scotland with a frayed thread for authenticity, of an owner using an electric car daily.

And we will start without further delay, as I have just received a Hyundai Inster Cross 49 kWh in Executive finish and five-seat version for a month-long trial. In Search of the New Star, here we go.