Top 10 best mid-sized electric cars 2022

This is where value meets usability in the EV market. So how do you make your money go furthest?

With the UK's 2030 ban of fossil-fuelled cars getting ever nearer, the race to deliver affordable and practical family EVs is hotting-up. The task for manufacturers hasn't been made easy by the supply-chain crisis, economic downturn and Government's total scrapping earlier in 2022 of its financial incentives for buyers of new electric vehicles. 

The good news is that there are plenty of usable, five-seat, five-door, all-electric hatchbacks that shouldn't break the bank, Government grants or otherwise. But which should you pick for an easy transition into electric car ownership? Even in this segment, there’s plenty of choice: front-driven hatchbacks play off against compact crossover SUVs, compact saloons and even the odd estate car. There are rear-wheel-drive options here too, as well as cars with a dose of driver appeal; although with some of them, that only comes at a price.

Even if you need an EV with a real-world range above 250 miles, with room for several adult passengers and a usable boot, you can now find it here. If you know where to shop, you can actually find most of that for less than £35,000 in 2022. Read on to learn exactly where.

Meanwhile, if it's a smaller and cheaper supermini EV you're after, or a larger, more versatile and more luxurious family EV, our related top 10s should summarise our current class favourites.

*Best mid-sized electric cars 2022*

*1. MG4*

Don't worry, there's no need to adjust your set - it really is an MG at the top of this list. For years the Chinese owned brand has been floating around in the bargain basement sector, offering cars with eye-catchingly low prices, plenty of kit and a decent warranty, but that are hobbled by a lack of dynamic sparkle and the sort of perceived quality that wouldn't pass muster on most pound store purchases. Yet with its all-new MG4, the brand has achieved a turnaround in terms of driving dynamics and showroom appeal.

Make no mistake, this is no hot hatch in disguise, but the MG4 steers sweetly and its well-developed suspension serves-up a winning blend of agility and comfort. It's a car that's genuinely satisfying to drive, scything through a series or corners with poise and panache. Even in top spec 200bhp guise (there's also a 168bhp model), the MG is brisk rather than quick, but then what do you expect from a compact family hatch that weighs an executive saloon-rivalling 1700kg? On the plus side, go for the larger 64kWh battery and you'll get a claimed range of 281 miles.

Other highlights? Well, while the detailing is fussy there's no doubt the shark-nosed MG looks distinctive, while its interior is neatly styled and far more upmarket than you'd expect. There are couple of cheap-feeling components (the door handles and centre cubby lid), but otherwise its a match for the mainstream, plus its roomy and practical too. Yet the real kicker is the pricing, which starts at £25,995 and tops out at £31,495. To put that in perspective, the cheapest VW ID 3 (with a shorter range) is £36,990.

*2. Renault Megane E-Tech*

Renault was something of an EV pioneer with its Zoe supermini, which made its debut the best part of a decade ago. But tiny Twizy and forgettable Fluence aside, the French firm hasn’t made much of its head start and has been overtaken by many in the race to electrify their ranges.

As a result, the all-new Mégane E-Tech has arrived in the nick of time, and the good news is that it’s been worth the wait. As the name suggests, the newcomer is Renault’s all-eletric take on the family hatch. It’s certainly a good-looking one, the angular Mégane looking far sharper and more purposeful than its ICE-powered namesake. Underpinning the car is Renault’s new CMF-EV architecture, which is claimed to be one of the lightest and strongest in the class (an equivalent VW ID 3 is around 300kg heavier), while for now there’s a single 60kWh battery option that promises 292 miles between charges.

The Mégane drives well too, its 215bhp motor delivering real verve and its chassis serving up the sort of fine balance of agility and supple ride that used to be a French car speciality. It’s no hot hatch, but there’s genuine pleasure to be had from punting the Renault through a series of corners, yet it's cosseting and calm when you just want to take it easy.

Better still, it does all the family car things well, with just about enough space for five and a generous 440-litre boot. The interior looks good too, and is reasonably well finished, if not quite up to premium standards. Factor in prices that start at £35,995 for the well-equipped entry-level Equilibre and the Mégane E-Tech deserves a place near the top of your EV shopping list.

*3. **Kia Niro*

Unsurprisingly, Kia hasn’t messed too significantly with a winning formula for the all-new electric Niro. Its predecessor was something of a sales hit, mixing practicality and a decent-value price with a respectable range that wouldn’t have you breaking out in a sweat on longer journeys. Only some frumpy looks and slightly skittish driving dynamics really let it down, so these are the areas that have seen the most work.

Now called the Niro EV (the old car was the e-Niro), the newcomer certainly looks distinctive, with its aggressively angled LED running lights and optional colour-coded C-pillar treatment. You’d struggle to call the pseudo-SUV handsome, but it stands out where its predecessor blended in, so that’s probably job done. Inside, there’s a touch more space for people and luggage, while the dashboard is more slickly styled and there's a larger and more intuitive touchscreen infotainment system with all the connectivity you’ll ever need.

Under the skin there’s the same 64.8kWh battery as before, which gives an ever-so-slightly longer range of 285 miles. The 201bhp front-mounted motor is also carried over, although its response has been tuned to be less aggressive, meaning much of the previous machine’s traction control-testing scrabble has been eliminated. In all other respects, the Kia is calm and capable on the road, handling accurately and with decent composure, but never getting close to engaging or entertaining. Still, the refinement is good and, firm low-speed ride aside, it’s a comfortable and easy-going way to get around.

There’s lots here appeal if you want a spacious, rangey and refined family EV, and buyers of the old car are likely to be forming an orderly queue outside Kia dealers. However, bear in mind that in top-level 4 guise, the EV costs barely any less than the brand’s faster, sleeker and longer-range EV6.

*Save money on new Kia Niro EV deals from What Car?*

*4. **Cupra Born*

The VW Group's emergent performance brand Cupra has thought small with its first dedicated electric car, the Born. Instead of following sister brands Skoda and Audi and launching a crossover SUV related to the Enyaq iV and Q4 E-tron, it has hitched its first EV to the smaller VW ID 3. So the Cupra Born is a hatchback rather than a full-sized family car, although it's a slightly pricey one, and has strakey styling, and sporting intentions that it delivers on more fulsomely than you'd expect.

Despite being very closely related to the VW ID 3 and ID 4, the Cupra feels like a sharper and more agile tool, attacking twisting back roads with near hot hatch levels of enthusiasm and even drawing the driver into the action, albeit still at arm's length. There's still a sense there's more potential to be unlocked, and if the electronic safety net's grip could be loosened just a little the Born's rear-drive balance could be properly unlocked. Yet overall, this Cupra is the one of the most successful attempts yet at an 'affordable' EV for enthusiasts.

UK prices start at £36,475 for an entry-level machine powered by a 201bhp electric motor with a 58kWh battery that has a range of 259 miles. There's also a larger 77kWh battery option that's mated to 228bhp motor and claims 340 miles between stops at a plug socket. Prices for that combination start just north of £40,000. Worth the premium over a VW ID 3?  That really depends on your priorities, but if you fancy a bit more design flair and a fair dollop more sportiness behind the wheel, then almost certainly.

*Save money on new Cupra Born deals from What Car?*

*5. VW ID 3*

The Volkswagen ID 3 has kicked off its maker's post-Dieselgate rehabilitation very well. This Golf-sized hatchback became the first to use the Volkswagen Group’s dedicated MEB platform, an entirely fresh rear-engined architecture, when it hit the market in 2020. That gave the ID 3 a relatively long wheelbase, boosting cabin space, and a rear-mounted drive motor with up to 201bhp and 229lb ft.

It launched with two battery sizes: the 58kWh pack lends a WLTP range of 261 miles, while the larger, pricier 77kWh battery ups that to 340 miles. Yet since then, VW has rationlised the range, to the point that there's only one model you can choose - the £36,990 Life with 201bhp motor, 58kWh battery and claimed range of 265 miles. This model pretty much covers all the bases for a family hatch in terms of equipment, performance and distance between charges, but the lack of choice really does limit the ID 3's appeal.

Still, the ID 3 still excels in terms of manoeuvrability and low-speed response and, although heavy by compact car standards and sitting on wheels as big as 20in in diameter, it would seem to meet the company’s high standards for ride sophistication, too. Handling is surprisingly agile, balanced and nimble, but there's very little in the way of driver entertainment.

The car is let down a little by its interior, which doesn’t have the same feeling of quality we expect from VW, and its touchscreen infotainment system suffers with some of the same usability woes as many other current VW products, while the lack of backlighting for the touch sensitve heating controls will have you fumbling around in rage after dark. But the cabin is certainly roomy and pleasant enough, and the driving experience gratifyingly simple and effective.

*Save money on new VW ID 3 deals from What Car?*

*6. **Peugeot e-2008*

Handsome, decently roomy and rangey, pleasant to drive and competitively priced, the Peugeot e-2008 covers a lot of important bases as an affordable EV. It doesn’t stand out from its competitors in any one area: a 64kWh Kia e-Niro is more spacious and longer-legged, although slightly pricier, while different rivals offer stronger performance or clearer design appeal. But the e-2008 gets strong enough scores across the board to make it a commendable all-rounder.

The car’s front-mounted, 134bhp electric drive motor and its 50kWh drive battery are shared with the Peugeot e-208 and Vauxhall Corsa-e. They make for fairly average performance (although drivability is good), and real-world range of between 150 and 170 miles, depending on your route and driving style. That’s broadly competitive for a five-seat crossover hatchback available for less than £33,700 - but it clearly won’t easily meet your every motoring need.

For that money, however, the e-2008’s interior has a surprisingly inviting ambience as well as decent outright space, and it rides and handles with more than a lingering flavour of Gallic sophistication. This car is easy to overlook in some ways, but it certainly deserves your attention. 

*Save money on new Peugeot e-2008 deals from What Car?*

*7. **Nissan Leaf*

The Nissan Leaf, in first-generation form, set the mould for the affordable electric car more than a decade ago – and in second-generation form, it’s still in among the list of contenders seeking to follow in its tread marks.

Battery capacity has been boosted so that, in standard guise, the Nissan has a WLTP-certified range of 168 miles: not a lot by today’s standards, but still broadly competitive and no doubt enough for some. However, this rises to more than 200 miles in the case of the range-topping 64kWh e+ version. 

The Leaf also has significantly more power and torque than its direct predecessor, it performs fairly keenly, feels like a more rounded car to drive generally and has plenty of daily-use practicality for a small family. Its interior is starting to look and feel pretty dated, though.

A value proposition that’s also improved, and is now on a par with that of a mid-market, conventionally fuelled family hatchback, cements the car’s position. That said, to match a traditional ICE hatch for price and kit, you'll be looking at a smaller-battery form and lower-level model trim Nissan.

*Save money on new Nissan Leaf deals from What Car?*

*8. **Vauxhall Mokka-e*

Britain’s everyman car brand Vauxhall is out to reinvent itself with the Mokka-e. This fashionable, good-looking compact crossover shares its platform and running gear with the Peugeot e-2008 and DS 3 Crossback E-Tense, and although it’s slightly less practical than the aforementioned Peugeot, its broad-bonnet styling is even more impactful.

Vauxhall’s 50kWh drive battery grants a real-world range of about 160 miles, and recharging the battery while out and about can be done at up to 100kW, for an 80% charge in around half an hour.

The Mokka’s cabin is less spacious than some in the top 10, but it’ll still accommodate adults in the second row. Boot space is reduced to a little over 300 litres in the Mokka-e – another practicality showing that leaves the car with plenty to prove elsewhere.

The Mokka-e’s performance is fairly strong, and its ride and handling disguise its raised ride height pretty well. The driving experience isn’t likely to be the reason you buy this car, though. If you like the way it looks, it’s probably just about practical, usable and credible enough to drive to reward your interest.

*9. Tesla Model 3*

The biggest name in electric cars has its sights set on becoming a real global heavyweight with the Model 3, and spreading its wings to lower price points and greater annual production volumes than it has ever reached before. 

This car has transformed its maker into a company turning out nearly a million cars a year – and when it arrived in the UK market in 2019, it brought Tesla ownership to a whole new audience. The car was originally promised to become available at as little as £35,000 in entry-level Standard Range trim, but when it finally arrived the price had swelled to nearly £50,000 - and so, while the car offers little greater practicality than an electric hatchback, it’s being made to look expensive compared with most of them.

The range-topping Model 3 Performance has two electric motors combining for 506bhp and a 0-60mph dash of just 3.3sec, and it responds to throttle inputs in a way that really challenges your fine motor control as well as your neck muscles. 

Electric range is above average in all versions, with the standard rear-wheel drive car claiming 305 miles and the Performance model up to 340 miles. Opt for the Long Range version of the car, however, and the WLTP range rises to 374 miles. And if your focus is on buying an EV with good public charging support, there is also Tesla's supercharger network to consider: a huge benefit, and great enabler of longer-distance EV use. 

The Model 3's cabin is certainly of higher perceived quality than in Tesla’s earlier models, but the back row is a slightly tight squeeze for adult passengers and the boot isn’t as roomy or as accessible as a Model S’s. On-board refinement, meanwhile, is hamstrung by a particularly firm and slightly noisy ride.

*Save money on new Tesla Model 3 deals from What Car?*

*10. **Citroen e-C4*

If you like the idea of EV ownership because it represents new and unconventional thinking, you’ll probably like the Citroën ë-C4. It’s the quirkiest car in the top 10 thanks to its angular, free-form, Citroën GS-tribute exterior styling and its pseudo-crossover-hatchback body, and it has a roomy interior packed with innovative features like a dash-mounted holder and stowage drawer for a tablet PC.

This is another electric car based on Stellantis’s eCMP model platform, with a 134bhp electric motor and a 50kWh battery. Citroën claims up to 217 miles of WLTP range for the car - and it has a fairly aerodynamically efficient shape and a wheel design likewise configured for low-rolling resistance, so does slightly better on real-world range than most of its group siblings. Even so, expect 180 miles from it at a fairly gentle pace, and on a warm day.

The ë-C4 is one of several EVs from the Stellantis group of automotive brands (Vauxhall, Peugeot, Citroën, DS Automotive, Fiat, Abarth, Jeep and Alfa Romeo) that has already had its price tweaked to reflect the scrapping of the plug-in car grant, with prices now starting at £30,995.

*Save money on new Citroen e-C4 deals from What Car?*